Vacuum laminate once a week using a hard-floor head or soft brush, not a beater bar. About once a month, mop with a microfiber pad wrung out until it's barely damp and a small dose of cleaner made for laminate, working along the planks. Wipe up spills quickly, and never leave water sitting on the seams.
Why laminate needs so little water#
Laminate looks like wood, but it's built differently. A photo layer and a hard clear wear layer sit on top of a core of compressed wood fiber. The top surface shrugs off water, but the core doesn't. When water gets into the joints between planks, the core soaks it up and swells, and the edges lift into ridges that don't go back down. Pergo's care guide puts it plainly: don't use too much water, because it can damage the floor.
So the whole cleaning method comes down to getting the floor clean with as little liquid as possible.
How to clean laminate floors, step by step#
- Pick up the mats and move what you can.
- Vacuum the whole floor. Pergo recommends a vacuum with soft wheels and a parquet brush. Shaw's laminate care page says to use the hard-surface attachment, not the beater bar, so grit doesn't scratch or dull the finish.
- Mix your cleaner. Pergo's own instructions call for about a teaspoon of its floor cleaner in the mop's tank. More concentrate doesn't clean better. It leaves residue that shows up as streaks.
- Wring the microfiber pad until it's only damp. It shouldn't drip if you squeeze it.
- Mop in the direction of the planks, a few rows at a time. Pergo recommends this, and it also hides any faint marks because they follow the grain of the print.
- Swap or rinse the pad as soon as it looks dirty.
- Check for wet patches along the edges, around the dishwasher and at doorways, and dry them with a towel.
The floor should look dry within a couple of minutes. If it takes longer, you're using too much water.
What's the best thing to clean laminate floors with?#
A cleaner made for laminate, or a barely damp microfiber pad with plain water for light dirt. Pergo, Shaw and Quick-Step all sell their own, and that's what their care instructions are written around.
What to avoid matters more:
- Soap and soapy water. Shaw says not to wash laminate with soap, water, oil soap or other liquid cleaning products not made for it. Quick-Step's laminate cleaning guide also rules out natural soap detergents. Soap leaves a film that dulls the surface and grabs dirt.
- Abrasives. Shaw warns against steel wool, abrasive cleaners and strong ammonia- or chlorine-based cleaners.
- Wax and polish. Laminate has a sealed resin wear layer. Nothing soaks in, so wax just sits on top as a smeary, slippery film.
- Pre-soaked disposable mop cloths. Quick-Step tells you to skip them.
Can you use a steam mop on laminate?#
Assume not. Steam pushes hot moisture straight into the joints between planks, which is exactly where laminate is weakest. Neither Pergo's nor Shaw's care page mentions steam, and silence isn't approval. If the care instructions for your exact floor approve a steam mop in writing, follow their conditions to the letter. If you can't find that, use a damp mop.
How to get streaks off laminate floors#
Streaks almost always come from one of three things: too much cleaner, a dirty mop pad, or residue left behind by a soap or polish you used before. Adding a second product on top makes it worse.
- Vacuum first so you're not smearing grit.
- Mop with a fresh microfiber pad dampened with plain water only.
- Go over the floor straight away with a dry microfiber pad or towel to buff it.
If the haze comes back after that, there's buildup from an old product. Repeat the plain water pass a few times rather than reaching for something stronger. Then go back to a laminate cleaner at the dose on the bottle.
Spills and tough marks#
Wipe spills up straight away. For coffee, tea, wine, juice or chocolate, Pergo says to start with a damp white cotton cloth. Scuffs from shoes usually come off with a dry microfiber cloth or a tennis ball rubbed over the mark.
Water-resistant laminate buys you more time, but not unlimited time. Pergo's AquaSafe floors should still have spills cleaned up within 24 hours, or 72 hours for floors that carry its 15-year wet warranty. That only applies to those specific product lines. On an older or unknown laminate, treat every spill as urgent.
How often to clean laminate floors#
| Task |
How often |
| Vacuum or dry dust mop |
Weekly, more in entryways and kitchens |
| Damp mop with laminate cleaner |
Monthly, or twice a month for floors that get dirty fast |
| Spills |
Immediately |
That schedule follows Pergo's own guidance. Kitchens and homes with dogs may need the vacuum every few days.
Protect it so it lasts#
Put a doormat at every exterior door. Shaw and Pergo both recommend this. Use felt pads under chair and table legs, and lift heavy furniture instead of dragging it. If you see raised seams, swollen edges or chipped corners, cleaning won't fix them. A damaged plank can usually be replaced, so call the installer before you try sanding or filling anything.
Laminate, hardwood or tile?#
Laminate and hardwood both want a nearly dry mop, while tile can take a lot more water. If your home has a mix, change your method at the threshold instead of running one wet mop through every room. See how to clean hardwood floors and how to clean tile floors for those surfaces. Wash microfiber pads after every use too, as in our mop head cleaning guide, since a gritty pad scratches. A monthly ChoreLists.com reminder for the damp mop is all the schedule laminate needs.