Deep cleaner for linoleum???

**jennielynn1970** · 01-04-2009, 02:24 PM

I really need a deep down, super cleaner for my kitchen linoleum. I used to use Clorox 2 or Pine Sol, but nothing seems to be working enough. I'm thinking I need to get something, put it on, let it set, and then SCRUB like crazy to get it looking new clean. I dunno. It's shades of gray to begin with, so it's not like it ever looks not dingy. It's not the tile I would have chosen, but it was here when I bought the place. It hides dirt pretty well, but it's when you look closely that you know it really needs a deep down clean.

Has anyone tried the hard floor steamers?? Do they work???

Any suggestions??

**shais_mom** · 01-04-2009, 02:44 PM

I had the same problem before I covered my kitchen linoleum with carpet. I was always sticky and dirty looking. No amount of cleaner/bleach/wax would make it look nice longer than one day.
Good Luck!

**jennielynn1970** · 01-04-2009, 02:49 PM

Well, if I didn't have pissy cats, and one who purposely poops outside the box to let you know he is displeased with you (the old guy, Honeybun), I'd love to have more carpet, but have been yanking most of it out. Sigh....

**Catlady711** · 01-04-2009, 04:58 PM

I'm not 100% certain my kitchen floor is linoleum, but it came in a roll when they put it on years ago, it's cheap I'm sure and has fake tile looking indents where tile grout would have been.

I never could get mine clean either until one day I just decided that to clean it properly would require getting on my hands and knees with a sponge. Well 3 types of cleaners later and I still couldn't get it clean. I got mad and just dumped straight bleach (regular clorox) on one area, let it set for about 5 minutes, then wiped it up, scrubbing on the stubborn areas. My floor never looked so clean before! I still have to do that about once a year despite mopping and spot cleaning spills though.

**jennielynn1970** · 01-04-2009, 05:43 PM

I was wondering if just plain bleach would work. Or vinegar??

I'm just tired of dingy looking tile. It get mopped and mopped and mopped, and it just doesn't look the way I would like it to. I want to get a long handed brush and really scrub it too. I did that with a hand scrubber and killed my back.

I'll have to buy some clorox or something and see about letting it sit for a length of time. Maybe so many feet at a time??

I would love it if those steamers worked. I had one of the power scrubbers, a FloorMate, but that didn't get things clean enough, and just got yucky and smelly where it picked up the dirty water. No matter how I soaked it and all, it still smelled funky.

**moosmom** · 01-05-2009, 09:37 AM

JUST BE CAREFUL!!!! If you use anything that has "sol" on the end of it, such as Pine Sol, Lestoil, make sure you rinse the floor thoroughly and keep cats out till it's dry. Some cleaners contain a very toxic ingredient (can't remember what exactly it is) that can cause cat's renal failure (kidneys shut down). When cats walk on a wet floor, they then lick their paws which causes the ingestion of the toxic stuff. Be safe!!

**shepgirl** · 01-05-2009, 09:45 AM

Could it just be a buildup of wax on it? Lots of people just pour on that self waxing on the floors time and again and it tends to build up. I remember when they had the wash and shine solutions and people used those - all it did was push the dirt and mix it with the solution that was left to dry to a sparkling shine. After some time you just knew the dirt was sruck in there.

**Vela** · 01-05-2009, 10:57 AM

If you strip it with regular bleach, which will clean the dingy, you have to put a new linoleum finnish back on it or else it will be dull and dirty looking again right away. When you use bleach, it strips all of the finish off of the floor. JUst make sure you replace it with a sponge mop after the bleaching and you will be fine. You can buy it at Home Depot or most stores, easy to find.