How do I clean sticky linoleum in my kitchen?
Bel from UK
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
AWESOME! It is a wondereful cleaner and it worked wonders on my kitchen tile when we moved in here after having 5 renters. I found it at the dollar store in an 8 oz. (I think) bottle and you can dilute it 10 to 1 - or stronger if you need it. Apparently it was sold on tv informercials a few years ago for a LOT more money! I love it and use it for many things both at home and at my restaurant!! AWESOME - one dollar!!
sounds great but i live in the uk,but thanks for your help anyway xx
Try cleaning your floor with vinegar. It cuts through grease, removes dirt, repels dust/dirt longer, and dries with no odor and squeaky clean linoleum. It's cheaper than storebought cleaners and better for the environment too.
Is it REALLY Linoleum or is it REALLY Vinyl flooring? The difference being about 50 plus years... Linoleum was popular between 1860 & the 1950's (before plastics were invented) Linoleum is a floor covering made from solidified linseed oil in combination with wood flour or cork dust over a burlap or canvas backing.
Because it is made of organic materials and is purportedly non-allergic in nature, high quality linoleum is still in use in many places (especially in non-allergenic homes, hospitals and health care facilities) but this is unfortunately rare unless people are going GREEN... It takes OIL byproducts to make Vinyl flooring. Linoleum can be is a natural material that is renewable. Linoleum and it's making a bit of a comeback today which is very cool!
Since the 1960's most flooring has beep made from vinyl (like Armstrong Brand Vinyl flooring etc) Acrylic flooring is basically plastic.
Both types of flooring come in either sheets or individual tiles. There IS a big difference in the way you take care of the two. The downside to linoleum is that it needs to be waxed periodically. Vinyl has a top layer of clear PVC, called the wear layer. The wear layer protects the printed pattern and also provides a relatively maintenance-free surface that doesn't require waxing. For those of you with allergies, there is also another produced called Marmoleum made today, it is like linoleum, in that it's made from linseed oil, a natural product.
If you Really DO have a Linoleum floor, you need to use care when choosing cleaning products. Beware of harsh chemicals like bleach & straight ammonia. The product "AWESOME" the other writer recommended is a very good product indeed, for both vinyl & linoleum. After washing it's good to rinse with 1/2 cup of vinegar per gallon of water. The vinegar removes any lingering detergents. If you have linoleum, you will need to protect it by waxing it the old fashioned way. Preferably with paste wax & a buffer of some kind. If you have Vinyl flooring, be sure to use only mild products or you could loose the top shiny coat that comes on Vinyl. The newer vinyls are more durable & longer lasting. If your Vinyl is older, (made before 1995) or if you've damaged the top coat, you may need to use a product like "Mop & Glow" to bring back the shine.
---> HAPPY MOPPING!
PS.. I just read that you live in the UK... Well then, You may really have real linoleum after all, If I'm correct, there's a lot of older places there. If you can't find "Awesome" then just use a small amount of ammonia (1/4 cup in 1 Gal of water) or whatever the metric would be... Then use rinse with the Vinegar rinse from above... Then either use a product like "Mop & Glo" or if it's real Linoleum (& if it's sticky it probably is...) then use a good old fashioned Paste Wax, then buff with a soft cloth. (or a buffing wheel on a drill).. You can wax & buff 2 or 3 times to get rid of the stickiness. THE TRICK IS TO RE-COAT THE FLOOR... I once had an old Linoleum floor that was sticky like yours. The reason it got "sticky" was because I used products that were way to harsh for the linoleum & the products actually "dissolved" the linoleum. I then tried harsher products to get rid of the stickyness, thus making the problem worse, when I should have just let the floor air out for a few days, then lightly cleaned, & rinsed it, then sealed it WELL.... If you don't want to hassle with all of the waxing & buffing, and you're at your wits end. Go ahead and use a 100% ACRYLIC floor wax like "FUTURE" if you can buy it in the UK.... It's a super strong floor coating that can have problems with yellowing after a few years of use. But for you, it may be JUST the thing! And you probably need at least 2 or 3 coats...If you don't have access to any of these products, my advice is to go to a school (or a hospital) or phone the school & ask to talk to the janitor. ... They wash & buff floors all the time, so the janitor would know the best products to use. I just bet he (or she) could help you! And I'm sure that they have had to deal with sticky linoleum before! They really KNOW how to take care of old floors! And I bet it would make their day to be of help & answer you flooring questions!
If you have a product called "goof off" we always use that to get the stick off of practically anything! It's particularly great for price tags on glass or plastic items.
Hi the floor is vinyl, and thanks for your response, i just did the vinegar thing and YEEEAH! it worked, thanks so much everyone.
Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!
