Linoleum is one of the most functional and therefore popular floor coverings. The material is easy to clean, looks beautiful, and can last more than 15 years without requiring replacement. Therefore, every housewife should know how to remove stains from linoleum if they accidentally spilled brilliant green or iodine on the floor, knocked over a can of paint, or stained the coating with candle wax.
How to remove 9 options for linoleum stains
Modern polymer flooring is extremely popular. This is due to its functionality, affordable price, high quality, and easy maintenance. This material looks beautiful, is easy to clean, and has a long service life. But sometimes persistent dirt appears on the surface of the linoleum coating. Most often they are observed in the nursery and kitchen. The problem of how to remove stains from linoleum is relevant for many housewives who have not been able to get rid of dirt using a regular soap solution. It is worth noting that the method of removing each individual spot will depend on the characteristics of its origin.
Steam cleaning
You can solve the problem of cleaning linoleum once and for all by purchasing a steam mop. There are models that can be used on high-quality linoleum without fear for its integrity. Steam removes the following stains:
- fat;
- glue;
- shoe marks;
- old, dried dirt;
- traces of tomato and other products with natural pigments.
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You need to clean linoleum with a steam mop at the minimum temperature setting. If low-quality thin linoleum is exposed to steam, it may become deformed.
Helpful cleaning tips
Before you start cleaning linoleum from old or fresh stains, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the following recommendations:
No one can say how one or another cleaning agent will affect a particular PVC material. In order for the cleaning process to be successful and new stains not to form on the treated surface, the purchased chemical must be tested in an inconspicuous area (somewhere under the sofa, crib).
Types of pollution
In practice, stains on linoleum are removed using different methods. The choice of the latter largely depends on the nuances of the origin of the spots and how long ago they were formed. In order to choose the right cleaning product, it is important to know why stains appeared.
There are the following types of linoleum coating contamination:
Attention! If pockets of dirt appear on their own, on the eve of the cleaning procedure, you need to determine the real reason for their formation.
Removal methods
You need to get rid of any stains on linoleum quickly: it is always easier to wash off fresh dirt.
Iodine, wine, juice
All kinds of traces from drinks, beets, dyes can be easily removed with bleach. It is diluted according to the instructions, then the problem area is treated with the prepared solution. After just five minutes, the bleach will react with the pigment, after which the stain will simply disappear.
It is also allowed to use various products that contain chlorine (“Domestos”, “Belizna”). A more gentle way to remove stains from iodine or juice involves the use of starch and baking soda. They are applied in a thick layer to the contaminated area, covered with a moistened rag, and left for 15 minutes. After the specified time, the residues are removed using the same rag.
Important! After applying bleach, whitish marks sometimes remain on dark linoleum flooring.
Zelenka
How to clean linoleum from green paint, and whether it is possible to do this, will ask any housewife who has encountered such traces. Indeed, this contamination is one of the most difficult; you can remember how difficult it is to remove brilliant green from your hands. Some rules:
- You cannot smear it, otherwise the affected area will increase. Needs to be blotted.
- It is better to carry out all work wearing rubber gloves.
- The rag must be constantly changed, as the substance quickly eats into it.
There are several ways:
- Peroxide or camphor alcohol - they dissolve the alcohol that is in the composition.
- Baking soda and vinegar. The first step is to pour baking soda onto the dirt and pour vinegar on top. The brilliant green should come off with foam.
- You need to add a little potassium permanganate to the vinegar. Wipe the stain with the resulting mixture.
- Mix peroxide and 30% vinegar and treat the stain.
Fighting green stains on linoleum is a challenge for any housewife
Video description
How to easily remove stains from linoleum.
Fat, vegetable oil
If fatty foods accidentally end up on the floor, they should be carefully removed with a paper napkin, then wash the contaminated area with warm water. It is recommended to use regular detergent.
If the fat has dried, you can remove it with turpentine. You need to soak a cotton pad in the latter, thoroughly wipe the stain with it, then wash the floor with soapy water.
Felt pen, ink
Chemicals containing alcohol will help remove traces of pens and colored pencils from the polymer coating. They can be used as nail polish remover, vodka, or white spirit.
To remove stains on linoleum, you need to moisten a cloth with alcohol, then carefully wipe the stains until they completely disappear. A stain that is too old and ingrained into the structure of the material can be removed with fine sandpaper or a melamine sponge.
Important! After treating the linoleum covering with an abrasive agent, the floor should be lubricated with linseed oil, then polished with a soft cotton cloth.
Rust
If metal objects stand in the same place for a long time, they leave orange traces of rust on the floor surface. The latter penetrate deeply into the structure of the material, so getting rid of them is quite difficult.
Practice shows that the following techniques will help eliminate such dirt:
In some cases, drying oil will help get rid of pink or reddish rusty stains. It is applied liberally to soft tissue, then the resulting stains are removed with intense movements.
Wax, paraffin
Completely hardened wax or paraffin drops can be easily removed using a moderately heated iron. To do this, it is recommended to perform the following sequential steps:
If, after applying the above method, yellow spots are observed on the linoleum, then it should be treated with a solution of oxalic acid. It is important to maintain the following proportion of components: a tablespoon of chemical per glass of water.
Pet urine
Alcohol, vinegar, and lemon juice will help eliminate yellow stains on linoleum caused by cat or dog urine. To do this, one of these substances must be diluted by half with water, then thoroughly treat the area of contamination.
A solution of iodine (25 drops) in a liter of water will get rid of old, deeply ingrained stains. But this product is not recommended for use on light-colored surfaces.
Chewing gum, scotch tape
Not everyone knows how to clean stains on linoleum if they were formed as a result of chewing gum or tape sticking to the floor. The latter can ruin the appearance of the room.
Remains of chewing gum are removed by freezing. The procedure is as follows:
Sticky spots from tape can be removed with vegetable oil or glass cleaner. They should be applied to the contaminated area, then wipe the surface with a sponge.
Zelenka
Diamond green stains are extremely difficult to remove. Most of all, this concerns old contaminants that have managed to penetrate inside the linoleum covering.
There are several effective ways to cope with this task:
If necessary, when it was not possible to obtain the desired result, any processing can be repeated again.
Vodka
It is considered an effective remedy for many types of pollution and unpleasant odors. Most often, solutions with vodka or alcohol are used to remove grease, felt-tip pen and ink. The funds are prepared in three ways:
- Mix 1 liter of warm water, 1 teaspoon of dishwashing liquid and 200 ml of vodka or 2 tbsp. l medical alcohol.
- Add 1 tsp of soda and 50 ml of vodka to 200 ml of water. Place 1 liter of warm water in a container, add 200-250 ml of vodka and 1 tbsp. l lemon juice.
Cotton wool is soaked in the resulting solution, which is then applied to the contaminated area. If the contamination is ingrained, then the exposure time of the product is 30-40 minutes. Remaining dirt is removed with a clean cloth, and then the surface of the linoleum is washed with clean water. Sometimes you can't get stains off the first time. Then the procedure is repeated 1 or 2 more times.
Note. It is forbidden to use sponges with abrasives, as they will deteriorate the linoleum and leave scratched white spots that cannot be removed.
Video description
Dye
If the coloring composition ends up on the floor, it must be immediately collected with a rag or paper. Then you should remove the remaining stains on the linoleum. You can do this this way:
Important! It is better to first carefully scrape off the dried paint with a knife, then treat it with products that contain a solvent.
How to clean yellowed linoleum?
When purchasing linoleum, the buyer is guided by certain characteristics. These include quality, price, durability, aesthetics, ease of cleaning and the list goes on for a long time. And yet there are 3 main components that dictate the choice of purchase. These are price, quality, durability. Unfortunately, no flooring material has yet been invented that would last forever. Same with linoleum. Time passes and yellow spots appear on it. The situation is difficult, but not hopeless. You just need to know how to clean yellowed linoleum.
Use of solvents
Sometimes stains cannot be washed off with ordinary household products, since they cannot dissolve, for example, paint or ink. In such situations, you can use the following solvents:
- alcohol;
- solvent 646;
- White Spirit;
- refined gasoline.
The algorithm of actions is as follows: you need to moisten a piece of fabric with a solvent. Apply it to the contaminated area and slowly rub the stain in a circular motion. If after the first time there are traces or stains, it is worth repeating the procedure, but with another, clean piece of fabric.
Causes of yellow spots
Yellowed spots on linoleum appear for various reasons. They can occur on both new and old coatings. But they will appear depending on different conditions. Before deciding how to wash light linoleum from yellowness, you should understand the reasons for its appearance.
The reason for the appearance of such spots can be:
The simplest reason for yellowing of linoleum can be the period of use. It's just time to replace the old coating with a new one.
Methods for restoring a light shade of a coating
Updating a light-colored coating turns out to be a good alternative to buying new linoleum. The law of life - it is better to prevent than to treat, turns out to be relevant for light-colored coatings. On such a coating, yellow spots quickly form, spoiling the aesthetic appearance of the entire room.
So that the question of how to remove yellowness from white linoleum does not confuse housewives, this problem is worth thinking about even at the stage of choosing a coating. There are at least two ways to do this at home.
Household chemicals
Home care products are available in any apartment. For owners of linoleum floors, this is the first aid when treating stains of various origins. These products must be used with extreme caution. Aggressive substances must be avoided. Because they destroy the surface layer of the coating. And not only do they not remove the stain, but they also cause even more damage.
Popular means for cleaning yellowed linoleum:
Natural drying oil can help restore the light shade of linoleum. Experts recommend performing this procedure for the floor once every 3 months.
Folk remedies
Folk remedies usually refer to methods of cleaning linoleum that do not require the use of chemicals. People's advice will tell you how to wash light linoleum from yellowness and restore the coating to its original appearance. You can easily and quickly prepare such products yourself.
It is interesting that after the last type of treatment the animal will no longer have the desire to relieve itself on the linoleum.
How to properly care?
If you purchased budget linoleum that does not have a protective layer, then it is recommended to periodically treat it with a special polish, which will create a layer of protection on its surface from external influences. The room will shine if the linoleum is treated:
- with a damp cloth soaked in milk;
- using protective materials that prevent the formation of cracks, dents, and scratches;
- using alcohol (add to water before mashing).
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Proper care of any brand of coating involves:
- use only cold water for washing;
- conducting a test for the compatibility of the coating with the selected product;
- removing dust with a dry or damp cloth;
- use of a steam cleaner for additional disinfection;
- excluding hard sponges or devices with a metal surface from cleaning.
A small room (kitchen, hallway) is cleaned using a narrow mop, which has a special non-woven base or a foam roller.
It is recommended to use mops with a squeezing mechanism: this makes it easy to get rid of excess moisture.
- in the first 30 days after installation, wet cleaning and vacuuming should not be carried out;
- 4 times a year you need to apply drying oil and carry out polishing work (use a soft cloth);
- Additional shine will be given by a composition made from wax, turpentine and mastic.
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The resulting protective layer will retain debris and prevent the formation of stubborn dirt.
An effective way to care for embossed linoleum involves:
- carrying out wet cleaning (first time 14 days after installation);
- washing using soap crumbs dissolved in water;
- application of drying oil or mastic for protection and shine.
There is no need to use a vacuum cleaner for cleaning. Any remaining dust or fine dirt can be removed with a broom or damp mop.
Achieving a “radiant shine” is quite simple - you need to rub the linoleum with a cloth slightly soaked in milk.
When preparing to use a detergent whose composition or properties you do not know for sure, test on a small amount of the material. This will be much more reliable and safer.
When washing and dry cleaning, it is unacceptable to use hard rags containing metal or rubber threads. As a last resort, use old rags, but using special types of rags will be much better and more effective.
If the room is small or filled with various interior items, you need to use narrow mops equipped with foam rollers or microfiber-based “tentacles” with a built-in water-squeezing mechanism.
It is not advisable to carry out wet cleaning for thirty days after installation; it is better to sweep or vacuum the floor.
Four times a year, you can remove all accumulated blockages using drying oil and polish the linoleum with a silk rag. You can additionally enhance the shine of the coating by mixing one part of wax with three parts of turpentine or mastic, and rubbing the canvas with this mixture. The protective layer will reduce the retention of all kinds of dirt and large debris by the material.
If clean water does not help restore order, you need to use special cleaning products. Don’t be afraid to buy them, the price is relatively low, and the compositions can be used only as needed.
- caustic alkalis (the coating will become brittle);
- chlorine and all preparations that contain it;
- abrasives;
- most paint solvents (can deform the structure of the material and change color).
White linoleum is cleaned of ink with fine-grain sandpaper or pumice.
Rust and grass stains that have settled on light relin are removed with a ten percent solution of bleach in water, and residual traces will be destroyed by lemon juice. When traces of repair remain on a white surface with a relief pattern, you can use a washing vacuum cleaner.
It is prohibited to drag heavy objects along the linoleum, as well as anything that has at least one sharp or cutting edge. Place fabric mats at the entrance to the house; they will reduce surface contamination.
To learn how to properly care for linoleum, watch the following video.
Is it possible to protect linoleum from yellowing?
Linoleum has turned yellow - how to clean it? Many flooring owners have asked a similar question. Experts say that it is useless to fight the yellow spots that appear on the coating. Or extremely difficult. Because they are not on the surface, but inside the material. To avoid problems with how to wash light linoleum from yellowness, measures must be taken in advance.
Measures may be as follows:
Timely care of linoleum and the use of gentle care products will ensure long-term preservation of the coating. The problem of how and with what to wash yellowed linoleum is easily solved. The most effective thing is preventive care and careful attitude.
