Amtico and Karndean are hard-wearing floors, but they’re not indestructible. Most of the dull, patchy or sticky LVT floors we’re called out to haven’t been worn out – they’ve been cleaned the wrong way. Here’s what actually works.
The everyday routine
Sweep or vacuum first
Grit is abrasive – under a shoe it acts like sandpaper on the protective top layer. Use a soft brush, or a vacuum on its hard-floor setting with any beater bar switched off.
Damp mop, don’t flood
Use a well wrung-out mop. Standing water can work its way into joins and edges and weaken the adhesive over time.
Use a pH-neutral cleaner
Choose a neutral cleaner made for vinyl floors and dilute it as directed. More product doesn’t mean cleaner – it leaves a residue that attracts dirt and makes the floor look dull or feel sticky.
Deal with spills promptly
Wipe them up as soon as you can – especially anything with strong dyes, like red wine, tea, coffee or hair dye.
What to avoid
- Steam mops – heat and moisture can damage the wear layer and loosen the adhesive. LVT manufacturers generally advise against them.
- Bleach, ammonia and harsh solvents – they can discolour and break down the surface.
- Scouring pads and abrasive powders – they scratch the protective layer.
- “Shine” and polish products not made for your floor – they build up in layers and turn patchy or yellow.
- Rubber or latex-backed mats – these can react with vinyl and leave permanent yellow marks. Choose mats that are suitable for vinyl floors.
- Dragging furniture – fit felt pads to chair and table legs.
When cleaning isn’t enough
Even with good care, the protective finish wears thin in walkways over time, and dirt settles into the embossed texture where a mop can’t reach. That’s when a professional deep clean makes the difference: we strip away old residues and worn finish, deep clean the texture, and apply a fresh protective coating – which is what brings back the even, like-new look.
Light surface scratches usually come out in the process. Deep gouges through the wear layer can’t be polished out, but individual damaged tiles or planks can often be replaced without touching the rest of the floor. More about our Amtico & Karndean cleaning and refinishing service.
Not sure what’s been used on your floor before? That’s exactly what the free survey is for.
We’ll test a patch on your own floor, so you see the result before committing to anything.