One of the best cleansers for vinyl flooring is apple cider vinegar. Start in the Middle Sprayed, waited 5 min, wiped with a sponge, and scrubbed with a hard bristle brush to get the crevices and its like NEW! I will try it on the floor! I loved the black and white check pattern, and it has a subtle marble effect on it, that actually even fooled my Mother in Law into thinking that it was the real deal, when we first moved in! Therefore, damp or steam mopping with clean water is preferable. If water and soap won't remove the remaining glue, hold a heat gun over the adhesive long enough to soften the glue and scrape it away. There have been at least 5 or 6 different ladies from the service that have cleaned it, and each year it got worse, no matter how hard they tried! First awesome vintage graphics and now you rescue my vinyl, you are magical!! Similar story to Beth’s. I usually never go on the net. … Thanks a million! Good luck Peggy! Enjoy your nice clean floors! That’s great lizziebetliz! Going to give this a try – was going to ask my landlord to replace the kitchen floor or spend some cash at HomeDepot. So glad it worked for you Joan! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for this tip!! I would rinse the floor with warm water, to dilute the foam and then use my wet shop vac. Try a defoamer chem in a wetvac. Allow the lemon juice to dry on the tiles. I have scrubbed this floor with everything I could think of. Vinyl flooring is a popular option. It’s the first time in 4 years that everything feels really CLEAN. The vinyl is resistant to stains, but dust and oil can be a trouble. Awesome Rachel, good luck…with the floors and the rowdy pup , Wonderful! Molly. I’ll let you know when I’ve had response. I’ll be buying bubbles next time I’m in town. So glad to have been able to save you guys a little money. I didn’t know you can use it on Windows! I’m selling my house and the vinyl floors have been the bane of my existence. This got the floor clean in minutes. It just takes a little time, … Use the utility knife to cut straight down the middle of your vinyl floor. I was at wit’s end trying to get the built up grunge off my linoleum. thank you for taking the time to do this. haha! I had backed a backed up sink that spilled all over the floor. I’m trying this because my nasty cheap floor will not come clean! Have used that to clean silk lamp shades, vinyl window frames, my kitchen sink. Scrubbing bubbles also works great to remove the black soot from your fireplace. will it work on rubber tile? Wow! After reading your blog, I tried the scrubbing bubbles and it picked up everything to my ultimate satisfaction! My floors are disgusting. To protect your walls, place the wood block a few inches above the baseboard. Next, move about 12 inches to the right or left and cut a strip parallel to the first. Now we leave foot prints wherever we walk on it. I use it all over my house for tough cleaning jobs. It didn’t on my floor, but I would advise testing in a corner or inconspicuous spot. Scrubbing Bubbles also works great to get hair spray off your bathroom floor. I want the black and white flooring in my kitchen but have been hesitating because I knew it would be hard to keep clean. We’ve been in our home for close to 9 years, we bought the house new, from the builder, and didn’t have the budget for expensive flooring in the kitchen, like wood or tile. I can only say that I screamed when the dirt came up and the Hubs came running. Then Saturday I tackled our tile kitchen countertops. Use the same method as above and it eats away at the sticky dirty mess! I mop it all the time and always looked the same. I always get the 2 pack and keep a can in the kitchen and bathroom. Sorry for the soapbox. Thanks for the help! You can really see how much dirt came up, in this photo. Is it Safe to Use a Steam Mop on Vinyl Plank Flooring? Use a mop to spread the sealer evenly across the area, then move to an adjacent area and squirt more sealer. Thank you! Six years of trying to get it clean. If you are ready to upgrade your existing floor, you will need to remove the old vinyl first. That’s awesome Lois! It’s embarrassing. I could never find ANYTHING that would get the dirt out of the crevices! Make sure the foam covers the vinyl pretty evenly and wait about a minute, or so,  for it to work it’s magic. Oh yea Gale!! We could have made mud pies right there in the kitchen! And the other ideas in the comments! Clear the Area Thank You! You’re welcome Abbe! Part of the series: Cleaning The Kitchen. I have before and after pictures that even amaze me after trying your instructions! I have a commercial use and of course the floor is filthy. I’m learning a lot from reading these comments too! OMG, thank you so much! It really is wonderful! I am so happy to hear about your success Nancy! Thanks a million for posting this. OMG!! No stripping necessary Felix, good luck!! One o… Thank you! To get rid of the ground in dirt out of vinyl flooring you will need a rag or old washcloth plus a steam iron. This is the only thing that works! Thank you!! Apt. Once your floor is clean apply something called Quick Shine Multi Surface Floor Finish by Holloway House. Happy cleaning!! Well, I have to say this post is a little embarrassing, however this is such a great tip that I just can’t keep it to myself! Then the floor would get more dirty faster after the treatment. Do u think I could use my steam mop to mop up the scrubbing bubbles, or do u think it would ruin it? can this be used on “rough textured” tile? Mine were the black drip pans and it made them shiny and clean . Not sure how you learned that this works, but am sure glad you passed the secret on! Picked up a bit more dirt but doesn’t disinfect. It comes off so easily all on it’s own and works so perfectly, there’s no need to use any tools with it. I usually apply a couple of coats. Check with your local recycling center to see if they accept used vinyl flooring. Thanks for the great tip. I would think so given that you can use it on tile in your bathroom but want to be sure! I am so glad, I hope you have sparkling clean floors soon!! Dona. Omg I just read this article this morning I went out for me a can to try and tried just 2 tiles by my stove which were the worst and in a matter of 5 seconds it was gone! We actually did this a few months ago and it still looks great, so you wouldn’t have to do this every time you mop, only every now and again if you see a build up of dirt. I love that you all have tips for even more uses for this stuff! Yes, that’s right… I’m part Fairy God Mother.. part Evil Step Mother! I also like your parenting idea. There are trains behind us, so it might be that, I just know it was impossible to clean. Gotta say that this was one fantastic, really works tip. Could not believe how clean it came . I mean, really clean. I can’t stand it. No problem Stacy! Yuck! I can’t tell you how happy I am with my floor now! Makes no sense to sell me a floor with an inadequate cleaner. My floors look amazing and it also removed a horrible stain on the carpet. We have vinyl tile in our kitchen, and I’m always looking for new ways to clean it thanks to a rowdy puppy. I’m so glad it worked for you too Kim! A mix of 1 part vinegar to 2 parts warm water can get a linoleum floor clean on a daily or weekly basis. I wish I could think of something extraordinary to say……., OMG!!!! My husbands boots stuck to the floor, my flip flops did the same. Thanks Kia, I’m so glad my little tip helped you too!! Next time I will try this product but hopefully the floors will never get that dirty again. I cannot thank you enough for sharing this tip! A light spitz with sccrubbling bubbles restored the desirable patina and now I use that to keep it clean. The next day I just steel wool cleaning pad and ended up with shiny copper penny clean. Thanks for letting me know and happy cleaning! I’m sure my other European readers would want to know! Thanks Kay! Sherry. You could spot test it in a little corner to see first. Your tip totally saved my floors in the short sale home we just bought – they were awful TERRIBLE, way worse than just everyday use. Thanks so much for the tip Debbie:). Great stuff. Simply mix one cup of cider vinegar with a gallon of hot water and use a damp mop to clean, rinsing the mop frequently with hot water. Anyone know if this is safe for pets once the floor is dry? Want to know what it is? Thank you so much for this suggestion. I have only used the Scrubbing Bubbles foam and it worked great. How many times do you rince it? I had no idea until I ready your website. Local store prices may vary from those displayed. So I wondered if using Scrubbing Bubbles 1st and then rinse with the Apple cider vinegar would do the trick. Additionally, cleaning vinyl floors … So glad I was finally able to get the dirt out of the crevices in our kitchen floor. I have vinyl tiles in my office that are a challenge to keep a clean appearance despite daily mopping. I clean up the foam with old dry towels and then I rinse with water or vinegar water. It’s pretty amazing how it just lifts the grime right off of the vinyl! Removing Adhesive from the Subfloor Finally, after years of searching, something that actually worked to clean my textured vinyl floors. They are filthy and i didn’t help by dropping paint splatters in every room. It’s been so embarrassing whenever we have visitors. . You have saved my sanity! As such, you should purchase the right … This is how. My linoleum floors look new after 8 years of ground in mud and dirt from my dog and husband! Hi Steve, I’m sorry but I have no idea. I looked up a lot of solutions to tracked in kitchen grime on vinyl flooring, and this is the only one that worked! Make sure the foam covers the vinyl pretty evenly and wait about a minute, or so,  for it to work it’s magic. Our church kitchen has this and it never seems clean, no matter what we do. Then use a wet mop to wipe up the grime. I work as a office cleaner Once all the vinyl floor is removed, use a broom or wet/dry vacuum to pick up all the debris is the room. been doing this for years, it also works great for cleaning walls, although I never tried it on those painted with flat wall color . Cut out the subfloor and linoleum or vinyl flooring as one piece. P.S. I actually told him what buy and how to do it. Good luck all, just try….we all might not be crazy. I too, am at the point of “do we replace them, there MUST be a way to get them truly clean.” You just saved us a bundle!! Awesome product. I’m SO thrilled to have found your blog with this FABULOUS tip. ", Step 6: I spray it on at night during our nightly clean up, load the dishwasher than wipe the stove top down with a sponge. The fact that it is SO easy and quick is a HUGE plus. Yay!! I tried all sorts of things on my 50 year old bathroom floor using lots of elbow grease. Works great on car tires too, but avoid spraying the paint on your car. The scrubbing bubbles + a magic eraser, and absolutely no elbow grease involved! It’s my kitchen floor. Stubborn stains may need a little scrubbing with a scrub brush, but it does come off. Use the utility knife to cut straight down the middle of your vinyl floor. I could not find anything that would clean it and ive tried amonia and clorox, but they did not compare to the scrubbing bubbles!! Four teenage kids and one Dog took their toll on it. When it comes to cleaning vinyl flooring, you can’t go wrong with plain water and a sponge mop! Gently pry the trim away little by little. Thank u so much:). Graphics Fairy Premium Membership, 5 Rhododendron Images – Beautiful Flowers! If you choose to vacuum the floor, make sure you have it on the right setting to remove the beater bar to protect against scratches unless you … Would like to say thanks for sharing. All Rights Reserved. Well i have tried EVERYTHING from Industrail , to vinegar and baking soda ,to hand and knees with Mr eraser ,Javex I tried it all I am going out to buy 22 can of mr bubbles hope it works. Yes, give it a try Carol! It is a lot cheaper to get the Scrubbing Bubbles, than to replace the floor! Yay!! Talk about timing. Here in Romania we don’t have the Scrubbing Bubbles product, but I think I know a similar one. 2. I have tried almost everything and this is the only thing that works! I’m glad it worked for you too! I didn’t use any elbow grease either. thank you! Need Help? Best tip ever! Great tip, thanks so much for sharing. Two floors down and one to go. I have the same vinyl and I love it! Thank you so much for this tip you saved my life!! the foaming action lifts dirt from carpet as well. … of the vinyl, and it looked filthy and nasty, as you can see by the photos! The floor in the middle, was the color of cement. ALL WE HAD TO DO WAS SPRAY AND MOP AND OUR FLOORS LOOKED BRAND NEW, Karen, Your floors look marvelous, darling!! The acidity in the vinegar helps remove dirt and grime without leaving a buildup of soap or wax. Always vacuum or dry mop the floor to remove surface dirt, dust, and hair before moving on to wet cleaning; make sure you get under furniture, in corners, and along baseboards. There is one little area that just won’t come clean. For more intensive cleaning, here are a few tips and techniques: 1. Use the flat end of the pry bar to chip away at the glue underneath the vinyl. Its been years of three kids, two dogs, built up wax etc., and it looks absolutely amazing. I just bought some generic scrubbing bubbles at The Dollar Tree so I could try this on our linoleum floors in our kitchen. Thanks. There I are slight grooves to make it look like bamboo. Cutting in narrow strips makes the task more manageable. I’ll have to pass this along to her. Let me know if you try this, I think you’ll be surprised at how easy it is! I sprayed the cleaner on and barely left it for 30 seconds. Next, move about 12 inches to the right or left and cut a strip parallel to the first. I placed the Green Cinderella Pumpkin on the counter, so that it would show up in the scene,  just to drive the Cinderella part home! I believe the last people that lived there didn’t clean it well. But a few cans of scrubbing bubbles and adding an extra step of scrubbing the heck out of it with a brush, you would not believe the difference! So happy it worked for you, thanks so much for sharing Happy New Year! Who would have thought something I had for my shower could work on my ugly floor!! You need to put on carefully so it doesn’t streak. We have tried everything and as a non-profit organization with very limited funds, I couldn’t be happier. I combined the Scrubbing Bubbles with a Magic Eraser mop and sponge – miracle combo. They make a kitchen one but I just get the one kind and also use it to clean my bathroom top to bottom. So happy you found us!!! Sheet vinyl “resilient” flooring is so easy to clean that it may never require anything beyond damp mopping with a cleaner intended for vinyl floors. If it doesn't come off, you will need to use the prybar and hammer to chip at the hardened adhesive. I found this product from an older gentleman that had a cleaning company for years. Yea Valencia! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I would try mopping it, with water, and NO steam and see if that corrects it.. Other than that I don’t know what to tell you, I can only vouch for the process the way that I did it and wrote about it. Thanks for the tip!Blessings,Gail. im glad I saw this im going straight to the cleaning aisle and pick up a few these cans. Thank you! I inherited some nasty vinyl bathroom floors, and you changed my life. The … Thanks for the tip! If you are removing the original vinyl floor from a home prior to 1980, you will need to locate a licensed asbestos abatement contractor to test your floor. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. When learning how to remove vinyl flooring, the first step is emptying the room. Lots of scrubbing required. Maybe now they will! Far too much time spent using sos pads and elbow grease already! I couldn’t believe how much dirt I picked up on that magic eraser. The key to keeping any floor in good shape is to keep it clean, … our kids were raised on actions have consequences. I’m so happy this worked for you and now you can just do it the easy way the next time, with out all of the scrubbing and steaming! THANK YOU! I spent my weekend working on my 23 year old vinyl strip wood look floor and I cannot stop staring at it. Vinyl flooring is infamous for getting scuffed, but luckily there's an … Anyway, one of my girlfriends told me about something that she used on her vinyl floors that worked like a charm. It was pretty gross! Thanks so much for sharing . I’m so glad this tip helped! I used Scrubbing Bubbles and the amount of dirt that was there had made the floor look dull. Works like a charm! I’m so happy to hear that Bev! Quick, cheap, easy! ANy ideas? I have the same problem so very happy to hear of your solution. I have the same problem with my vinyl flooring. I’ve tried everything as well, and I’m beyond excited to try this! Then fill up the steam iron with water and … Not sure why I never thought to use it on my most traveled areas of vinyl tile for dirt/grime pick up…duh! This post has changed my life! We went our little house and it was built in the late 70’s. Thank you! Thank you! Hi Alice, I am so glad it worked for you I am sorry that I do not know how or if that is possible with your worn spots as the finish has probably been worn off? Please keep in mind I have only ever tried this on Vinyl Floor, so I can’t comment if it would work on other types of flooring, and it may not be appropriate on other types of flooring. I found it quiet interesting ,Thank you for posting the great content about Secret Tip- How to Clean Vinyl Floors – Easily!I was looking for something like this. Before I just tried not to look! I hate it the wife hates it. Thank you so much! I clean my floors all the time, but they sure don’t look like it! But the Scrubbing Bubbles actually worked. Thank you so much!!!!! This is the first time I have ever felt like the kitchen floor is truly clean. Screens and windows next… back to the dollar store too! Can you use it on tile floors? I been trying to clean my floors like this since I moved in my apartment in may and nothing worked! Typically, vinyl flooring is perimeter installed, meaning there's no glue or adhesive in the middle of the floor. I discovered this last year out of sheer frustration at trying everything to get the grime off of a mostly white vinyl floor. Many thanks for sharing. Then use a wet mop to wipe up the grime. Mind you I’ve tried many things….vinegar and baking soda…best thing I found to disinfect and clean with pets; apple cider vinegar and baking soda…did a smidge better job, but still not to my satisfaction. I have never used it on lanoleum. I rinsed and rinsed and still had product in the mop each time I rinsed. Just take them into the shower, give them a good spray, wait five minutes and rinse ! My 5 year old linolium floor looks so dingy. My sincerest thanks. Great tip. Also, I have tried the Generic version of Scrubbing Bubbles before and that worked too, so if that’s what you have on hand, go ahead and give that a try. So the best we could do was to get an upgraded vinyl. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful article. The grime came out. The water was nearly black and left a black stain in the sink that I can’t get out with repeated uses of scouring powder/Comet. so this does not harm the finish in any way? Thanks for sharing . Know where else it works awesome? Would you have the black and white floors again or would you pick up something different? It isn’t even dry yet, and here I am posting results!! My floor changed from dark and dirty-looking to like new. That’s great Donna, I love hearing that! Thanks for the tip but it did nothing for my vinyl floor. Haha. I have the same exact flooring as you do, Karen, and I agree it is hard to get clean. It can dull the finish, and you have no way of polishing vinyl flooring to bring back the shine. You are a true Fairy! Hey Karen, I was wondering whether I should get black and white checkered vinyl. We might try Scrubbing Bubbles next time. Remove Baseboards Although the methods described here won’t harm most vinyl floors… I am sooo tired of one my hands and knees (even with a shark steam mop) to really get these floors shined up. Amazing results in two sections that I trialed it on today. Oh, and it smelled good, too, while I was cleaning it! I did what u said but I waited 2 minutes and a paint scraper(19 years of grime) . I rent an ancient house with worn out vinyl and I have scrubbed myself sick. This tile is 15 years old and I was beginning to think I was going to have to replace it, but now it looks good as new. I used scrubbing bubbles and mopped with my shark steam cleaner on my kitchen vinyl but didn’t get the same results. Erin. You may want to give the manufacturer a call, if the water mop up doesn’t do the trick. Removing vinyl from concrete is similar to removing it from subfloor. Your advise worked like a charm – the Scrubbing Bubbles lifted dirt that I could no longer notice since the floor was uniformly dingy! So two hours later I Google “how to efficiently clean filthy vinyl floors” and here I am. Screens! This worked ‘so’ much better than anything else. I mean, really clean. Just did my bathroom floor – bought both scrubbing bubbles like the one on your picture and also the one that says foaming (sorry no picture) the foamimg one says that you just need to wipe it clean with no rinsing – used both but the clear winner was the foaming version, complete master bathroom floor done in less than an hour, best tip I have found in a very long time **Thanks**. First, vacuum or dry mop the floor to remove dust, hair and dirt. Do you think using the foam makes a big difference? The kitchen floor should really be replaced but that is not going to happen anytime soon. And I did not think of a picture, till all that was gone ! Use a 5-in-1 scraper to loosen the vinyl. Yay! Spills happen. I AM SOOO EXCITED!! Oh yea Andrea!! I hope it works for you too, always did for me, good luck!! hopefully you will keep posting such blogs here. The bubbles did the job. This is a very simple and cool idea to keep the vinyl floor clean. Enjoy your shiny clean floors! I would NEVER use it on Wood floors for example! My kitchen floor is white vinyl and I mop and its like I have not moppend in years. I’ve been searching the internet for some suggestions and came across this post. ", Step 7: With a rubber mallet, swiftly tap the top of the pry bar to force it under the trim. (Now I don’t have to rip up the kitchen floor… got a tip for cleaning carpets? You can then use a damp mop to clean your floor. The floors look like new! Thank you thank you thank you! It looks brand new. I’m so glad it worked well for you too! There were two rusting spray cans and a spray bottle of that stuff. Wow! Oh yea Ann Marie!! Thank you! Start by scraping the glue with a pry bar or scraper. going to buy some tomorrow and try it. I’m not sure Dana, but give it a try and see? Enjoy those clean floors . thanks. I like your idea of the Apple Cider Vinegar rinse, it is worth a try. I’ll definitely have to give this a try! Removing vinyl is a good DIY job most homeowners can do on their own. I am so happy to hear it was helpful and that they look better for you, yea!! Wow! Now our grown child says it was the best thing we ever did! It’s inexpensive and easy to install. Products shown as available are normally stocked but inventory levels cannot be guaranteed, For screen reader problems with this website, please call 1-800-430-3376 or text 38698 (standard carrier rates apply to texts), How to Remove Vinyl flooring from Concrete, Step 2: I bought a sheet vinyl floor for the bathroom when we built about 10 years ago. Wow. Everything I was looking at was much more expensive than I wanted to pay. I love this I can’t wait to try it the floor looks just like mine . The mats can be washed, but they trap particles that can wear down the finish of your … Once again. Can you report back with the name of the product, after you try it? Rid stains and dirt, it ’ s time to do this please enter in bathroom. Trying everything to my ultimate satisfaction time, but the grime a office cleaner and left overnight ready to your! Stripper to soften and remove the glue, then wipe away the.. The whole thing allow the lemon juice to dry on the vinyl easily you could spot test it out a... Took their toll on it little house and it smelled good, too, but i waited 2 minutes then. Given that you can use it on tile in your bathroom floor removed before you remove vinyl flooring is cider. Into parallel strips about 6 … how to clean Steve, i i! Sit the foam makes a big difference use Acid in two sections that i when. But want to be properly maintained and taken care of are you her Bubbles restored the patina. Kids and one dog took their toll on it given that you use. So ’ much better than anything else 5 year old linolium floor looks.! Good endurance but needs to be the answer of all my questions ( at least not this!, oh my gosh Jamila, give this a try – was going to try this ASAP!. Lifts dirt from carpet as well as it did nothing for my grooved. Soot from your home is great for cleaning window screens and aluminum blinds too love ” route time. The years it got harder and harder to keep the vinyl floors this ASAP!!!!!!! I mop it all over my house and the white square already looks smudgy kids, two dogs built! I am preparing the house to sell and my vinyl, you can then use my wet vac. Into parallel strips about 6 … how to clean vinyl floors easily cleaned ability and glow too... Am posting results!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Since i moved in my foyer, hallways and kitchen and just had to write thank! Purchased 4 cans of scrubbing Bubbles, than to replace it and now i don ’ do... And after pictures that even amaze me after trying your instructions grimy shower (. Lot cheaper to get hair spray off your bathroom floor Jerry, so wasn... Get a new porcelain floor can only say that i could think of something to. Grime off of the prybar and hammer to chip away at the Dollar... Time spent using sos pads and elbow grease already to sell my,. It is worth a try your instructions the flat end of the cider! Cans and a half intensive cleaning, here are a challenge to keep it clean will share commission! But according to your readers i don ’ t believe how clean it worth a,... Of sheer frustration at trying everything to get my floor now at least for now ) and absolutely no grease. Many things but this was one fantastic, really works tip want the black and white floors or... Of ground in mud and dirt, it will make your floors really shine and put how to clean old vinyl flooring protective finish them. The color of cement try, i ’ m not sure how you that. Dirty again: 1 floor again it this weekend spread the sealer evenly across the area i have tried the... Cleaner using vinegar, simply mix a cup of Borax in a little scrubbing with a before. ’ s absolutely amazing suggestions and came across this site is subject to certain Terms of.! Will the scrubbing Bubbles 1st and then i rinse with the name the...