Care of linoleum at home

Linoleum is one of the most popular floor coverings due to its advantages: durability, functionality, ease and ease of cleaning. Caring for linoleum at home is not an easy matter, but to maintain an attractive floor covering for a long time, it must be done regularly and correctly.

Important! With all its advantages, linoleum, like any other coating, has a number of drawbacks. Therefore, it is necessary to remember that the appearance and the service life directly depend on how carefully you treat the flooring.

To ensure that the floor covering has a presentable appearance for as long as possible, it is necessary to have at least a general understanding of the rules for caring for linoleum.

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What is linoleum afraid of?

Linoleum is sensitive to temperature, chemical and mechanical influences. Consider the dangers that lie in the cover in everyday life:

1. Hot water. If you regularly wash linoleum with hot water, then the top layer of the coating will be erased, which will cause the appearance of ugly "bald spots" in the figure.
2. Sunlight. Direct sunlight spoil the appearance of the linoleum, turning a chic coating into a faded litter.
3. Frost. Under the influence of cold, the coating deforms and cracks, so never lay linoleum on the balcony and the loggia.
4. Water. PVC coatings do not like excess water. Therefore, on the surface at the entrance to the house or apartment do not put a wet mat to wipe the shoes, and while you are caring for linoleum, do not wet it strongly.
5. Abrasives. Cleaning powder and a hard metal sponge scrape the surface of the linoleum and leave ugly marks, so when cleaning do not use these tools.
6. Sharp objects. Heels, furniture legs, knives and forks, as well as other sharp objects can cause damage to the surface of the PVC coating.

Important! If you install furniture on linoleum, then under the legs, place the plates of wood, plastic or metal, which are sold in any building store. This will protect the soft coating from mechanical impact.

1. Bleaches. The use of bleach leads to a loss of color and the appearance of stains, so if you use a cleaning product that contains chlorine, always dilute the concentrate with water. Better yet, use more gentle means to wash linoleum.

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How to care for linoleum?

Household linoleum is mainly intended for residential premises. It is much cheaper than other coatings, because it is made of materials with medium performance characteristics, and often does not have an upper protective layer.

Therefore, in order to maximally protect the PVC coating from mechanical damage and extend the service life, you can carry out such care for linoleum at home.

We protect the floor

Self-polish the surface with a polymer mastic or polish. With this treatment, a thin film is formed, giving additional resistance to wear.

The film will protect linoleum from many threats:

• Contact with liquid.
• Mechanical damage.
• Effects of ultraviolet radiation.
• There will be no marks from the wheels of furniture, as well as from shoes.

Important! Protective films differ in color shades( glossy, matte), and in density( light, hard).Apply the protective agent on the coating in two layers and withstand the material without load for at least 8-10 hours.

Prevention of scratching

To prevent cracks in the linoleum, grease the coating with linseed oil or linseed oil 1-2 times a month.

Important! Spread the oil with a sponge, and then rub it dry with a soft rag.

Choose the right means for

Linoleum care products, choose the type of coating that is classified by type:

1. Natural linoleum.
2. Household linoleum covering.
3. Commercial linoleum
4. Non-commercial linoleum.

Important! For each type among the household chemicals of different manufacturers there are special series of means. When buying, read carefully the labels .

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Preventive measures for linoleum care

1. To protect the PVC coating from mechanical damage, put a protective mat or a grill at the entrance to the apartment to clean the shoes of dirt and small stones that can scratch the linoleum.
2. Furniture in an apartment with wide legs or plastic wheels protect with felt stickers.

Important! Do not use rubber for stickers on the legs, as it will leave indelible stains on the surface.

1. Protect the coating from contact with shoe cream, alcohol-containing substances, lipstick.
2. Do not allow cigarettes or burning matches to drop onto the PVC coating.
3. Do not drag heavy things over the linoleum, as it can tear. If you need to move objects, then lift them and use the wheels or rug.
4. To protect the linoleum from direct sunlight, use curtains and blinds on the windows. This will avoid discoloration of the surface.
5. Remove contaminants from the surface immediately so that they do not absorb into the coating. Old aged stains are much harder to remove.
6. Do not use chemical solvents, abrasives or bleaches for cleaning.

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Linoleum wash

In the first 2-3 days after laying the PVC coating, wet cleaning should not be done, as linoleum should properly lie down and "get used" in the new environment. Do not forget to use our advice and treat the coating with a special protective compound to protect the surface from damage and protect it from dirt.

Other rules are simple enough:

1. Before daily rubbing linoleum must be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner or a broom, as otherwise, on the surface will be visible divorce.
2. Wash the linoleum with a soft rag.
3. You can wipe the floor with a damp cloth and wash with water if necessary with soap or powder.

Important! To clean the surface of strong contaminants, use a special care for linoleum. But apply them neatly, in small quantities, and then they will clear the floor covering from old stains and grime.

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Folk remedies

If you decided not to use household chemicals and provide quality care for linoleum at home using folk remedies, use the following tips:

1. Strong soiling on the surface is removed with a soap solution with vodka( 200 grams of vodka, 1 hour1 liter of water in a liter of liquid detergent).After treatment, rinse the problem area with water and wipe the surface dry.

Important! This method is well suited for washing linoleum light shades.

1. Fill the shed grease onto the surface with a paper towel and then treat with dishwashing detergent. If necessary - use turpentine, and then rinse the surface with water and wipe dry.
2. Remove stains from coffee, as well as food colors, using gasoline or kerosene. The cleaning procedure should be carried out carefully, since the solvents are not "friendly" with the coating. If after removing the stain still left a trace, then treat it with lemon juice.
3. Fresh green stain remove using two solutions: acetic acid with manganese and acetic acid with hydrogen peroxide. Proceed as follows:
   • Cotton swab slightly moisten in the first solution and wipe the stain.
   • After a few minutes, rinse the area with plain water.
   • Apply the second solution - the stain discolored and disappears.
   • Repeat the procedure if necessary.
4. Spot the green stain with hydrogen peroxide and camphor alcohol. Dampen the swab in the medium and wipe the stain. After the treatment, wash the linoleum with warm soapy water and wipe dry.

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How to return linoleum shine?

1. To "age" the obsolete linoleum, you can rinse it with milk mixed with water in a 1: 1 ratio.
2. To clean the PVC coating, use water where the potatoes were brewed. First, cool the hot solution, and then wash the "potato" water surface.

Important! In order for the PVC coating to preserve its howling appearance, never use the following cleaning products:

• Soda and other alkalis.
• Abrasives.
• Bleaches and solvents.
• Aggressive means for disinfection of the floor.

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How to clean linoleum after repair?

After repair on the surface remain:

• Mounting foam.
• Cement mortar.
• Whitewash.
• Other construction rubbish.

Important! Therefore, in order not to face the problems of cleaning linoleum from traces of repair, we advise immediately to protect the PVC coating with polyethylene film or old newspapers.

If, however, the forged dust and other construction "troubles" got under the protective layer, proceed as follows:

1. Dry clean and collect all construction debris - preferably do it not with a broom, but with a vacuum cleaner.
2. With a spatula, scrape off the putty.
3. Remove dried wiping foam with a well-sharpened knife. Carefully, trying not to damage the coating, scrape off the foam. On the problem site, put a wet rag for 10-12 hours, so that the foam is soaked. After the treatment, wipe the surface with a damp cloth.
4. For complex spots, apply "646" or "White Spirit".
5. Wash off dust and white coating with warm water. Do not change rags and water more often.
6. In the final step, add a little vinegar( manganese) to the water tank. Wipe clean the cover with a clean soft cloth and a prepared solution.
7. After cleaning the PVC coating after repair, be sure to wipe it dry and apply a thin layer of linseed oil or linseed oil. Properly polish the surface to give the linoleum a fresh look.

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Repair of linoleum

Care of linoleum is not only to clean it, because over time, the surface of the coating can form blisters, as well as crevices at the joints.

We offer a few simple ways to get rid of problems:

1. If the linoleum is swollen, puncture the "vial" and release the air. A small hole after the puncture is "filled" with a hot iron: put a piece of paper on the puncture and iron it with a heated iron.
2. If the swollen linoleum was on the glue, then pour a syringe under the surface of the glue, and properly press the coating to the floor with any heavy object.
3. You can restore the pasted seams with a thin strip of the same linoleum. Insert a strip into the seam and melt with a soldering iron.

Important! This tip is not suitable for all types of linoleum. To avoid the problem of formation of clefts, calculate the laying of the coating in such a way that the seams are in inaccessible places for the feet( under the carpet, furniture, etc.).

1. If the surface of the linoleum is damaged( for example, by a hot kettle), then make a patch made of linoleum suitable for drawing. Seal the seams with colored mastic.
2. For the care of linoleum, use a special mastic, consisting of turpentine and rosin in a 4: 1 ratio. In this mixture, you can add paint to the color of the linoleum, to give the coating a fresh color.

We hope that the advice and recommendations described in the article will help you to care for linoleum correctly, and the coating will justify its qualities - durability, brilliance, strength.