Can you use pine sol on laminate wood floors

Pine-Sol is one of those things that I’ve always kept in the house because I knew it was useful, even if I didn’t know exactly what for! My mum had some under the sink, beside the washing-up liquid and the bin-bags, when I was a kid. When I had a house of my own I found myself doing the same. 

It wasn’t until we tore up that grubby carpet (finally!) and replaced it with some nice, shiny laminate flooring last winter that I got my answer.

This versatile family favourite has many uses, the most obvious being those proud claims on the bottle about killing 99.9% of germs. But it’s much more than just disinfectant for work surfaces. 

It also has several super-useful qualities when it comes to dealing with a variety of pest-issues: be it a fly spray, keeping rodents away from the garbage and even disencouraging the family pooch from marking their territory on the kitchen floor!

Plus it’s a weed killer, paint-stripper, laundry cleaner…Have I left something out?! As a whole it’s just an all-round useful guy to have around. Well worth a place under every kitchen sink (They’re not paying me for this, honest!) 

And then the one I found when I needed to get rid of some grubby stains beneath the breakfast bar- it doesn’t just work wonders on wood, but even on laminate floors, woods cheaper, look-a-likey cousin (twice-removed).

Contents

• Is it safe to use Pine Sol on laminate floors?
• How do I clean laminate floors using Pine Sol? (step-by-step guide)
• Are any special precautions necessary?
• What are the benefits of mopping with Pine Sol?
  • What are the alternatives to Pine Sol for cleaning laminate floors?

Is it safe to use Pine Sol on laminate floors?

Absolutely! In fact, it’s built to excel at removing the very stains that most trouble owners of laminate flooring- namely the dirt and dust build-up that take away the shiny wooden effect you bought it for in the first place.

How do I clean laminate floors using Pine Sol? (step-by-step guide)

Though you can use ordinary mops, they aren’t actually best-suited to the particular requirements of laminate flooring. They can leave more moisture than ideal as well as picking up more dirt and the added risk of scraping. The ideal mop for the job here is a flat-head micro-fibre mop with their attachment at the end to spread the solution and absorb any excess moisture. Pine-Sol do their own mop too but any micro-fibre one will do. Now onto the job itself…

Step 1: Give the floor a good sweep with a soft broom to get rid of any dirt or dust, so you don’t risk scratching the floor when you start mopping up. 

Step 2: Dampen (but don’t soak!) your mop.

Step 3: Mix a ¼ cup of Pine-Sol cleaner with warm water.

Step 4: Mop your floor, being careful not to let liquid pool on the floor itself, which can cause nasty streaks.

Step 5: After mopping rinse the mop in clean water and give it a wring out again so it’s damp, not wet.

Step 6: Go back over the floor to rinse away any cleaner residue that might be left over.

Are any special precautions necessary?

The main precaution here is to remember to dilute the cleaner itself. If you use unconcentrated Pine-Sol on your floor you could damage it for good. So give it a quick check with the solution you’ve made, dabbing some on a small section of the floor: if there’s any discoloration you know you need to add a little more water to your solution.

What are the benefits of mopping with Pine Sol?

First off are the obvious economic benefits. A 24oz bottle will only set you back a couple of dollars and it will do the job for a good few cleans, so it’s an extremely cost-effective option.

As if that isn’t enough (and it usually is!), as a disinfectant it kills potentially-harmful bacteria and funghi, as well as any lingering unpleasant smell (whether they were left by you, the kids or the pooch!)

What are the alternatives to Pine Sol for cleaning laminate floors?

If you can’t get hold of some Pine Sol or- for whatever reason- don’t want to use it, don’t worry, there are plenty of alternatives on the market.