Our Ultimate Luxury Vinyl Tile Care Guide
Luxury vinyl tile is the perfect choice for busy, family homes that don't want to compromise on looks. They look good and are easy to keep that way! We've condensed our luxury vinyl tile maintenance tips into one handy guide to make it easy to care for your flooring.
Let's break down luxury vinyl tile maintenance so you have all the info you need.
Things to remember about Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Put a non-slip backing onto any rugs or other textiles on your flooring to ensure safety and to prevent them moving around your room.
Never push or drag furniture around on luxury vinyl tile. Always lift.
Strips of wood or hardboard can be used as runners for items that are too heavy to lift. They'll help to protect your flooring. This is a good idea for any items that have wheels or rollers - they could also damage your floor.
How to clean Luxury Vinyl Tile
General Advice
It's the ultimate easy-clean flooring, so luxury vinyl tile is a practical choice, especially for family homes.
- Most floors don't need much more than regular sweeping or mopping.
- Wash weekly to get rid of any stains or residue.
How to remove stains from luxury vinyl tiles
Sometimes stubborn stains just don't come out with your regularly cleaning routine. In that case, here's how to tackle stained luxury vinyl tile:
- A damp cloth soaked in hot water with a little washing up liquid can help lift the stain.
- Wipe with a well wrung mop and avoid soaking the floor.
- If the stain still won't budge, use a soft bristled brush, like an old toothbrush to remove the mark. Use small, gentle strokes to remove the stain so you don't damage the floor.
- Specialist flooring cleaners are available, which can be a bit stronger and get the job done. Double check the label to make sure they're suitable for luxury vinyl tile as well as being child/pet safe if that's applicable in your home.
- Whatever you use to clean it, always wipe your floor thoroughly with a damp cloth with clean water afterwards.
- Dry thoroughly before allowing anybody into the room to avoid any accidents.
- We don't advise harsh cleaning agents or steam cleaners on your luxury vinyl tile.
How to care for Luxury Vinyl Tiles
General care tips
Day-to-day maintenance of your luxury vinyl tile should be pretty easy. Sweeping regularly and mopping weekly should be abll you need to keep it looking great.
Here's a few other things to keep in mind:
- Doormats will trap a lot of dirt that would otherwise be carried throughout your home onto all floorcoverings. Clean them regularly to keep them at their most efficient and your floors looking flawless.
- Direct sunlight can fade your luxury vinyl tiles, so it's best to draw curtains or blinds when possible to reduce exposure.
Maintaining the finish of your luxury vinyl tiles
- Remove food stains, grease or any other spills as soon as possible. Mild detergent (such as dish soap) and a damp cloth should be more than enough in most cases. Always check the label of any cleaning agent to make sure it's suitable for your flooring.
- Some specialist flooring cleaners give your floor a georgeous sheen, but can also make it extra slippery. Take care not to use too much, and be cautious after cleaning.
- Don't wax your luxury vinyl tile, even if it does have a realistic wood finish! It'll make your floor unsafe and very slippery, as well as dulling the finish.
How to repair Luxury Vinyl Tiles
Can you easily fix luxury vinyl tiles? Yes. Scratches or holes can be fixed without the need to replace the whole tile. But even if one plank or tile is somehow severely damaged, you can remove it without having to lift up the whole floor.
Repairs
- The hero ingredient for this job is epoxy resin. It's a clear liquid that dries to a hard finish to mend the hole or scratch in your luxury vinyl tile.
- Find some acrylic paint from an art supply store or online that closely matches the colour of the area that needs to be repaired. Buying them from bricks and mortar store rather than online will make it much easier to find a perfect colour match.
- Mix the epoxy resin with the artist's paint and pour it into the damaged area.
- Level out the resin, removing any excess mixture, and leave to dry.
Replacement Tiles
- Loosen up the adhesive under the tile using a blow dryer or heat gun. This makes it easier to pull up the flooring.
- Before you replace the tile, clean the flooring where the old tile was.
- The new tile should be cut to size and then re-glued in the space.
- Remember to choose a replacement tile similar to those around where it'll be re-glued, to ensure it doesn't look out of place.
- A rolling pin or floor roller will make sure your new tile is stuck firmly in place, and will get rid of any air bubbles underneath.
Top Tips
DO
Vacuum regularly
Sweep with a soft broom
Put doormats and rugs by doors
Keep pets’ nails trimmed
DON'T
Over wet the LVT if attempting to remove stains
Use wax
Use a steam mop
Drag furniture across your LVT
Place in direct sunlight