Although laminate floors can hold up well to dirt and foot traffic, they should be cleaned on a regular basis. Routine care and maintenance can help prolong the life of your laminate floors. Preventative measures, such as taking off shoes before walking on laminate, or putting area rugs in high traffic areas (e.g. living room) can also go a long way towards averting floor damage.

Laminate floors are manufactured with wood materials and therefore should not be wet mopped. Instead, damp mop your laminate floors with water and a cleaning solution approved by the manufacturer. Although laminate may seem durable, they can still be damaged by spills and furniture. When moving furniture, always lift. Also note that while laminate floors may look like hardwood floors, they cannot be polished, waxed or refinished.

When cleaning hard-to-remove stains, always use a manufacturer-approved cleaning solution and a clean white cloth. Tough stains as a result of crayons, ink and shoe polish can be removed with acetone (e.g. nail polish). Let solid stains, such as gum and candle wax harden before scraping it up with a plastic scraping tool. If you're uncertain as to how you should care for your laminate floors, refer to the manufacturer's recommendations. Also check out the laminate care section on FindAnyFloor.com.