Our Malmo™ floors are not just beautiful, they’re also incredibly hardwearing. Carefully crafted to withstand the rough and tumble of everyday life, they just need the right TLC to last a lifetime.
Back to basics
- Unsurprisingly, gentle, regular cleaning of your Malmo™ floor is best.
- Vacuum or sweep with a soft-bristle broom on a regular basis as needed. If vacuuming, ensure that you’re using it on the “hard floor” setting (not using the beater bars or anything with a hard metal head).
- Make sure no grit or similar hard objects are stuck in the brush bristles or vacuum head, as they may scratch the floor.
- Damp-mop weekly (or as needed) with a mild, non-abrasive floor cleaner and a microfibre mop.
- We recommend Bona Tile & Laminate Floor Cleaner, and a swivel-head flat mop with replaceable cloth cover.
Prevention is better than cure
- Use furniture protection pads under all furniture feet to avoid scratches and indentations.
- Lift, don’t drag or slide your furniture and appliances. You may want to place plywood or hardboard panels over the floor when moving such items.
- Place doormats at entryways; latex-backed mats help to trap grit that may scratch your floor. WARNING: Discoloration can occur from rubber backings and dyes used in floor mats and rugs, particularly when exposed to heat. As such, ensure you pay particular attention to the manufacturer’s instructions if using underfloor heating.
- Avoid damage and accelerated wear from castors, chair feet and high footfall by placing mats in these areas.
- Protect your floor from exposure to direct, continual and/or intense sunlight by using blinds or curtains, particularly during the height of summer. Malmo™ floors are fade resistant, however this is to avoid accelerated discolouration, and increased board movement of rigid LVT flooring caused by high floor surface temperatures.
Accidents happen
- Wipe up any spills, stains or tracked-in dirt straight away.
- Floor paints and driveway sealers can permanently discolour your floor.
- Cigarettes, matches and other hot objects dropped onto the floor can also
- If you are unlucky enough for any of the following to land on your Malmo™ floor, try these remedies…
Grease, chocolate, juice, coffee, egg: pH neutral or alkaline cleaning product mixed with lukewarm water.
Asphalt, oil, rubber, soot: Chemically pure petrol or white spirit.
Stickers, glue: Chemically pure petrol or denatured alcohol.
Blood: Cold water.
Faeces, urine, vomit: pH neutral cleaning product mixed with lukewarm water.
Rust: Neutral cleaning product mixed with lukewarm water.
Ink, lipstick, chalk, crayon: Chemically pure petrol or white spirit.
Chewing gum, candle grease: Chill with cold water or ice and carefully scrape off.
Asphalt, oil, rubber, soot: Chemically pure petrol or white spirit.
Stickers, glue: Chemically pure petrol or denatured alcohol.
Blood: Cold water.
Faeces, urine, vomit: pH neutral cleaning product mixed with lukewarm water.
Rust: Neutral cleaning product mixed with lukewarm water.
Ink, lipstick, chalk, crayon: Chemically pure petrol or white spirit.
Chewing gum, candle grease: Chill with cold water or ice and carefully scrape off.
- Ensure that no cleaning product or residue remains on the floor after the stain has been removed, and never use strong solvents such as acetone or thinner.
What to avoid
- Never use steel wool or any other abrasive, rough or scratchy sponges to clean the floor.
- Avoid using:
- General purpose cleaners.
- Detergents or abrasive cleaners.
- High pH, harsh chemicals.
- Low pH, acid based cleaners.
- Bleach, or any products containing bleaches.
- Chlorine, ammonia, or ammonia-based cleaners.
- Oil based cleaners.
- Paste wax or solvent-based polishes.
- Do not wet or steam mop – your Malmo™ floor is water resistant, but not designed to endure water saturation or steaming.
- Stiletto type high heeled shoes may damage the surface of the floor.
Good to know…
- All Malmo™ LVT floors feature a protective coating (UV for Rigid products, Aluminium Oxide for Stickdown). This is what helps to make it so hard wearing, and means that no sealing or ongoing treatment is needed during or after installation. For more information about the construction of our products, click <here>.
- If Malmo™ is water resistant, why can’t it be wet or steam mopped? Good question! This is because excessive amounts of water can penetrate into the joints of the boards and build up beneath them over time. Hot steam may affect the product surface, and with Rigid products in particular it may cause warping and movement issues.
- Why do we specifically recommend Bona Tile & Laminate Floor Cleaner? It’s designed especially for use on hard floors including LVT, so is effective enough to clean the floor but without damaging it. Other multi-purpose cleaners may leave a residue on the floor that can build up and make it feel tacky, dirty, or create a film that then peels.
- All Malmo™ products are suitable for use with encased water piped underfloor heating (UFH) systems, however, you must ensure that you fully understand the usage limitations and operating instructions of your chosen system. As mentioned above, you need to pay particular attention to the types of mats and rugs used over your floor, as they can trap the heat and long term affect the surface of the floor.
- Bear in mind that light colours require more frequent cleaning.