Will Vinegar Damage Vinyl Floors? (Quick Answers)

Vinegar is known as a natural nontoxic floor cleaner because it has an acidic nature. However, not all types of flooring can withstand vinegar as a floor cleaner. But possibly you might not know which are those flooring types.

So, in that case, if you own vinyl plank flooring at your home, such factors will raise a question in your mind that will vinegar damage vinyl floors or not?

Therefore, this article is going to discuss this most asked question here and also going to answer all of the aspects related to this question for your better knowledge.

Will Vinegar Damage Vinyl Floors?

Vinegar will not damage vinyl floors. In fact, vinegar and water solution works as a pretty good vinyl floor cleaner. Vinegar has acetic acid that can clean dirt, grime, and grease from the floor’s surface and can repel bacteria as well. Both white vinegar & ACV can be used as a vinyl floor cleaner.

Is Vinegar Safe For Vinyl Floors?

Vinegar is just the right kind of vinyl floor cleaner. It’s safe and can be used for making homemade vinyl floor cleaning solutions just by mixing vinegar with water.

Vinegar has acetic acid which is known for dissolving and cleaning dirt, grease, grime from vinyl flooring. As well as it’s powerful enough to destroy bacteria.

Both types of strong vinegar (white vinegar) and mild vinegar (apple cider vinegar or ACV) can be used for cleaning the vinyl floor surface. But either type of vinegar must be mixed with water before using it on the floor.

So, vinegar is a harmless element to clean your vinyl floors and to keep the floors fresh.

Why Should You Clean Vinyl Floors With Vinegar?

Except for being a safe vinyl floor cleaning element, vinegar has many other goodnesses too. And those can intrigue you to know why you should clean your home’s vinyl flooring with vinegar.

And to give an answer to your eagerness, all of the main reasons are explained below.

Acetic Acid

Vinegar is made of acetic acid, therefore, it can be a pretty good cleaning element and disinfectant. Since it makes a pretty good cleaner, you can use it for deep cleaning the vinyl plank flooring.

And it will work as a good alternative to commercial vinyl floor cleaners. You will get the same effective result as any shop-bought floor cleaner.

Dissolves And Cleans Floor

Due to having acetic acid in vinegar, it can dissolve any stubborn grime, dirt, and grease from the floor surface. It works really well in melting grease from the vinyl floor surface. It will dissolve the grease and will clean the floor nicely leaving no residues behind.

Terminates Bacteria

Vinegar terminates bacteria from the flooring surface. Because vinegar has acetic acid in it which makes it a very powerful element that can be used for terminating bacteria from the flooring. Therefore, vinegar makes a great and cheap disinfectant as well.

Doesn’t Leave Residues

Vinegar has another excellent quality that surely would make everybody want to use it for cleaning vinyl floors. And that quality is,, like other soapy cleaners, vinegar doesn’t leave any residues after cleaning the floor. It will thoroughly clean the floor.

Keeps The Floor Shiny And Fresh

Just like any other vinyl floor shining cleaner, you can use vinegar. The vinegar solution will leave a natural finish, shine, and freshness after removing all dirt from the floor. And it’s cheap as well.

Cost-Effective

Vinegar is cheaper than any commercial vinyl floor cleaner. In fact, every household has vinegar in their kitchen. So, you don’t have to spend extra money to buy any cleaner to clean your vinyl floorings.

Vinegar will remove dirt from the floor, will clean the floor thoroughly, and will leave a fresh-looking shiny surface.

And all of these benefits you will get just by using only one product, instead of different products to clean your vinyl floor. So, vinegar is such a cost-effective product to use on vinyl floors.

So, all of these reasons explain why you should clean vinyl floors with vinegar.

How Do I Clean My Vinyl Floors With Vinegar?

You must be wanting to know how you can clean your vinyl floors with vinegar. So, to make cleaning easier for you, an easy step-by-step guideline has been provided below.

Clean The Floor

Before you start cleaning the vinyl floor, you need to clean the floor first. You have to start with sweeping the flooring. For that, you can use a traditional broom or a dust mop. Both will remove dust from the vinyl flooring.

Or else, if you want to clean every tight corner, you should use a vacuum cleaner. Vacuuming the floor will remove all fine dust particles, dirt, and debris. Therefore, the floor will be dust/dirt-free.

Remember that you never should start cleaning your vinyl flooring without sweeping or vacuuming. Because if there are abrasive particles, those can damage the floor while cleaning.

Prepare The Vinegar Solution

The next step is preparing the vinegar solution. Now it depends on you that what type of vinegar you want to use for cleaning purposes. You can both use white vinegar( strong vinegar) and apple cider vinegar (mild vinegar).

If you want to disinfectant your vinyl floors then white vinegar would be a better option. And if you want to get rid of unpleasant odor then apple cider vinegar should be your choice. But again yes, both types work the same on the flooring.

Then take a gallon of water, pour it in a bucket, and mix a cup of your chosen vinegar. And there you are done preparing the vinegar-water solution.

Clean The Floor

Now take a soft mop or cloth and dip that into the vinegar-water solution-filled bucket. And then wring out the mop/cloth leaving no dripping water. Remember that you need a moist mop/cloth not a watery mop/cloth.

And then, gently mop all over the floor but in between, you must rinse the mop/cloth often with clean warm water to avoid spreading dirt on the floor.

Removing Scuffs

After cleaning, if you notice any scuff on the floor, apply some jojoba oil or WD-40 lubricant. And gently rub the area with a gentle scrubber and then clean the area with the vinegar-water solution to clean any lubricant traces.

Removing Stubborn Mess

Before mopping the floor, if you see any stubborn mess, add 2/3 drops of dish soap in the vinegar solution to dissolve the grease or stubborn mess. Then rub to remove it and clean the messy/dirty area again with a plain vinegar-water mixture to clean any leftover residues.

Removing Stains

If you’ve got any stains on the flooring, apply a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Soak a cloth in the solution and rub gently on the stains until they are removed. And then, clean the floor with vinegar solution.

**Follow steps 4,5, and 6 only if your vinyl flooring is too dirty, has scuffs and stains. Otherwise, following till step 3 is fine.**

Is White Vinegar Safe For Vinyl Floors?

White vinegar is safe for vinyl floors and perfectly works on the floor as a vinyl floor cleaner. As it has acetic acid which is greatly known for dissolving and cleaning dirt, grease, grime from the floor. Also, it efficiently terminates bacteria from vinyl floors.

Also, white vinegar is just harmless for cleaning vinyl floors like Apple cider vinegar.

What Is The Best Way To Clean Vinyl Flooring?

Except for vinegar cleaning, the best way to clean vinyl flooring is using good quality commercial vinyl floor cleaners. You can purchase any cleaner like Murphy’s Oil Cleaner, Mr. Clean, etc., and use it to clean vinyl floors.

But before applying, read the instructions thoroughly. As you may need to mix some cleaner with water before wiping the floor with it. And some you can directly spray on the floor and wipe it with a microfiber mop.

What Is Safe To Use On Vinyl Flooring?

A list of the safest products that can be used in vinyl flooring has been included here for your convenience.

Homemade Cleaner

White Vinegar And Water Solution
Apple Cider Vinegar And Water Solution

Commercial Cleaner

Bona Stone, Tile, & Laminate Cleaner
Murphy’s Oil Cleaner
Me. Clean
Pine Sol
Better Life Natural Floor Cleaner
Quick Shine Floor Finish And Polish

How Do You Care For Luxury Vinyl Flooring?

Taking care of your luxury vinyl flooring will become an easy job for you if you follow these tips listed below.

Always use a soft hair broom or dust mop to remove dust.
Use any mild and nonabrasive vinyl floor cleaner
Never use a vacuum cleaner that has a beater bar
Avoid pulling, pushing, or dragging furniture on the vinyl floor surface.
Water spills must be cleaned instantly

Is Pine Sol Safe For Vinyl Floors?

Pine Sol is a safe floor cleaner for vinyl floors. As Pine Sol produces floor cleaners particularly for vinyl floors. So, Pine Sol makes a very good gentle and mild vinyl floor cleaner.

Can You Use A Swiffer On Vinyl Plank Flooring?

You can use a Swiffer on your home’s vinyl plank floor for cleaning purposes. Swiffer is an affordable and standard cleaning appliance that is easy to use too.

So, you can use Swiffer wetjet, spray mops, stick mops to clean vinyl floors, they are non-abrasive and will not cause damage to the floor.

Vinegar has a natural cleaning element so it is harmless to the vinyl floor. So, you can use vinegar and water solution as a vinyl floor cleaner without worrying.