How to Clean Discolored Vinyl Flooring: 7 Methods that Work!

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If you have vinyl flooring, you probably love it. The luxury vinyl flooring is stunning yet durable! It’s an affordable way to give your home a facelift!

Still, there are times when vinyl floors can look less than pristine—maybe they have an oily, dusty or dull film on them, or perhaps they’ve just become discolored. 

If your vinyl flooring looks discolored or dull, worry not! The good news is that we have some pro tips to help clean vinyl floors and return them to their original color.

How to Clean Discolored Vinyl Flooring 

New vinyl flooring is an excellent alternative to wood or laminate. It’s easy to install, affordable, and durable. But over time, the color can fade, leaving your floors looking a bit dingy. Fortunately, you can do a few things to restore those faded floors to their former glory.

Tools You’ll Need 

You’ll need these tools to clean flooring:

• A vacuum
• A scrub brush, one for hard surfaces and one for carpets (the latter is available at most home improvement stores)
• Bucket or mop bucket
• Mop
• Microfiber cloths (like those used to wash your car)
• Rubbing Alcohol(Optional)
• Baking Soda(Optional)

Tips on How To Clean Discolored Vinyl Flooring

Cleaning discolored vinyl floors shouldn’t be hard. There are different ways to clean your vinyl flooring on a budget. Here are some tips approved by professional cleaners on how to clean stubborn stains on vinyl flooring:

Tip #1 Use Warm Water

The first step to cleaning vinyl flooring is to ensure that you use a warm water solution. Warm water will help loosen any dirt, grime, or stuck-on food that may be hard to remove with a dry cloth and detergent alone.

You can use a soft cloth to remove the loose dirt. A microfiber cloth is ideal for this job because it is gentle on your flooring but still strong enough to clean it without damaging its protective coating or leaving scratches behind afterward. 

It also has the added benefit of absorbing more liquid than most other fabrics. This means less time spent cleaning messes and more time doing other things in life!

If there’s still some extra residue left on your vinyl flooring after rinsing with warm water and wiping down with a damp cloth, then go ahead and use a sponge mop with a cleaning solution (made from mixing clean water and soap). 

Related: How to Clean a Cowhide Rug

Tip #2 Use Baking Soda

Baking soda is an excellent solvent that helps neutralize odors and clean stains on vinyl floors. Sprinkle baking soda on top of the stained area and let it sit for about 5 minutes before scrubbing it with a nylon brush or scrubber pad.

You may want to wear rubber gloves when doing this, so you don’t irritate your hands from the chemical reaction happening during this process!

Once you’ve scrubbed the stain away, rinse off all of the baking soda residues with warm, clean water and allow your floor to dry completely before walking on it again.

Tip #3 Lemon

You can also use lemon juice to clean your vinyl floor. Lemon juice is a natural cleaner perfect for removing stains from vinyl floors. It’s also safe and environmentally friendly.

The steps to clean your vinyl floor with lemon juice are as follows:

Remove any furniture or other items from the room and vacuum up any dust or debris on the surface of the flooring.

Mix 1/2 cup lemon juice with 2 cups warm water in a bucket for a perfect cleaning solution. While the recommended ratio is 1:2( lemon juice and two parts water), you can always adjust it if you need more or less cleaning power. Use just enough water(about a gallon of water) to cover the flooring with a thin layer so that it doesn’t drip too much when you pour it on the surface.

Using a cleaning mop, pour the mixture onto the flooring in one spot in the affected area and then spread it out evenly over all areas that need cleaning. Move the lemon solution back and forth across the surface until you cover all the affected areas. Leave it on for several minutes to allow it to work its magic!

Tip #4 Dishwashing Soap

Dishwashing soap is another great cleaning agent for vinyl flooring. If you don’t have any dishwashing liquid at home, then use hand soap instead. For perfect results, consider diluting the dishwashing soap or hand soap with water before applying it to the affected area.

Use dish soap or hand soap mixed in warm water in a bucket. Using an old toothbrush, scrub away any floor discoloration by applying the cleaning solution onto the stained area and scrubbing gently until you remove it from your vinyl flooring.

Tip #5 Rubbing Alcohol

Pour a little rubbing alcohol into your spray bottle, add a gallon of water and then spray the floor. The alcohol will help break down any wax or scuff marks that have built up on your vinyl tiles over a long time. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes, and then wipe it with a clean cloth or mop.

Tip #6 Vacuum regularly

Once a week or so, take out your vacuum cleaner and give the floor a quick going over with no attachments attached.

Use the bare nozzle end of the hose attachment and run it over every inch of the floor surface until it’s clean again. If there’s any dirt stuck in cracks between tiles or grout lines, use an old toothbrush to scrub it out.

Tip #7 Use Bleach

This sounds scary, I know, but using bleach on stubborn stains can actually work really well. Now, it’s important to note the kind of vinyl flooring that you have to make sure it is appropriate to use.

On my sheet vinyl floors, I’ve used bleach to get rid of stains from curry powder and ink.

I just poured it on and let it sit for a while, then wiped it up. I repeated the process until the stain was gone.

Yellow Stains on Vinyl Flooring – What Causes It?

There are many potential causes of yellow spots on vinyl flooring. One of the most common reasons your vinyl flooring gets stained is that most people use improper cleaning methods. An easy way to avoid this problem is to use the correct cleaning solutions and equipment for your vinyl floors.

Another reason for yellow stains is that some people do not clean their vinyl floors as often as they should. This can lead to a build-up of dirt and grime, which begins to stain your floors over time.

How Often Should You Clean Your Vinyl Floor?

The answer depends on the environment and how often you use your vinyl floor.

If you have a home office or a high-traffic area in your home, like the kitchen or entryway, you’ll want to clean your vinyl floor more often than if it’s just used for storage.

To keep your vinyl floor looking its best, we recommend that you vacuum the floor at least thrice per week. This will help remove any dirt and debris between the tiles and help prevent scratches from occurring during everyday use.

It’s also a good idea to mop your floors every two weeks using an all-purpose cleaner or a white vinegar-based solution. Mop up any water that has pooled on the surface with dry towels as soon as possible to avoid damage from water stains.

If you have pets that might pee on your vinyl flooring, we recommend cleaning those areas immediately with a mild solution of dish soap and a gallon of hot water. You can also use this method if stains don’t come off with regular cleaning methods (i.e., red wine).

Tips for Preventing Vinyl Floor Stains

Vinyl flooring is sturdy and long-lasting, but it can still get discolored from spills. You need to give them proper care if they are to keep shining for a long time. Here are some tips to help you keep your vinyl floors looking their best:

Maintain a regular cleaning schedule

Sweep or vacuum vinyl floors on a regular basis to keep them sparkling clean. For homes with pets or small children, it’s essential to sweep up hair before it has a chance to get ground into your luxury vinyl flooring.

If you have wood floors in other rooms, consider using a different vacuum cleaner just for the vinyl flooring. This will help keep dirt and debris out of the carpets where they can hide until your vacuuming day comes around again.

Use felt pads under furniture legs

Protect furniture legs by putting felt pads under them to prevent scratching the flooring surface when moving around or sliding on top of it during cleaning.

Keep spills contained

Spills happen; they are simply unavoidable! What’s worse, liquid spills don’t always stay where they started. They spread across your entire floor and might damage your vinyl floor. So keep an eye on small spills so that they don’t spread across your entire floor and cause discoloration of vinyl flooring.  

If a spill has stained an area on your vinyl floor, clean it as soon as possible with warm water and mild soap (and use a stiff brush if necessary). This will help remove any residue left behind by the spill before it has time to set into the material and become more difficult to remove later down the road.

Keep off abrasive cleaners

Avoid using abrasive cleaners on your vinyl floors. Use a soft cloth or damp mop to avoid damaging the finish when cleaning your vinyl floors. Abrasive cleaners can cause scratches on your floor.

Don’t use a harsh cleaning product

Use a mild detergent when cleaning your vinyl flooring to prevent the build-up of soap scum and residue that can attract dirt and lead to staining over time. Avoid any commercial product with harsh chemicals that could cause discoloration of vinyl floors, making them appear dull.

Conclusion

The most important thing is to keep your vinyl floors clean and looking great. It’s easy to forget about the floors because they are not as visible as other surfaces in the home, but they will become a wear layer over time if you don’t give them proper care.

Keep these tips in mind as you work on cleaning up your vinyl flooring so it can continue looking new!