How to remove stains from vinyl floors

How to remove stains on floor

Floors for Paws’ latest guide to removing common stains from vinyl flooring, and how to keep it clean.

The flooring we have in our homes and businesses, takes a hammering in terms of foot/paw traffic. The reality should be that indoor shoes (slippers etc.) should be worn in the home but it isn’t always practical in a commercial setting! Inevitably there will be spillages and stains too, as well as daily dirt and grime. At Floors for Paws, not only is our vinyl flooring the best flooring for dogs, but it is popular with owners too as it is low maintenance and easy to clean (no more relentlessly scrubbing carpets!)

If your vinyl flooring does become victim to various stains, this guide will help.

Removing food and drink stains from vinyl flooring

  • Red wine requires prompt action as it can stain quickly. Add soda water to the stain – the bubbles dissolve the pigment and prevent staining. Leave for thirty seconds then soak up the liquid with paper towels, blotting it up rather than rubbing it.
  • You’ve seen what your Friday night vindaloo does to the takeaway tubs so imagine what it will do to your floor! Wipe up curry spills with a damp cloth before applying a paste of water and white vinegar in equal amounts. Rub the stain gently with the paste and wipe with a clean cloth.
  • Tomato ketchup that has dried can be tough to remove but a paste of two tablespoons of baking powder mixed with one teaspoon of water will do the trick. Apply the paste to the stain, leave for a few minutes then gently scrub with a clean cloth.

Removing wax spills from vinyl flooring

Carefully remove any dried on wax, being careful not to scratch the vinyl. Using EcoSpirit (a white spirit substitute) on a soft, clean cloth, simply rub the affected area gently until the wax has gone. Then use a damp cloth with a tiny drop of washing up liquid to wipe over the area to remove any white spirit residue.

Removing paint stains from vinyl flooring

Spills of emulsion and oil paint need to be treated differently. With emulsion, wipe (don’t scrub) away any excess and scrape off any dried paint without scratching the vinyl. Soak with a solution of washing up liquid before scrubbing any stubborn paint. Oil paint should be wiped away quickly and the vinyl allowed to dry. Dry oil paint can be removed with rubbing alcohol, before rinsing the vinyl and drying thoroughly.

Removing ink stains from vinyl flooring

While fewer of us use ink pens, ink remains one of the worse spills you can have as the high percentage of pigment stains really rapidly. Soak up the ink as quickly as possible, without spreading it. Once the remaining ink is dry, wipe the area with a kitchen towel sprayed with hairspray. This will not damage the surface coating of the vinyl and is not abrasive. NB nail polish stains can be dealt with in the same way.

Removing grease and oil from vinyl flooring

A bit trickier to deal with, oil or grease stains can be treated by sprinkling with bicarbonate of soda. Let the bicarb soak up the liquid before wiping away with a damp cloth. If there is any remaining stain, a solution of washing up liquid in warm water, applied with a cloth, will help. If the stain is persistent, a commercial degreaser may be needed.

Our top tips for removing stains

  • Act quickly – the sooner you wipe a spillage, the less likely it is to stain
  • In high risk areas like the kitchen or bathroom, or underneath dining tables, consider mats or rugs.
  • It is easier to deal with spillages and remove stains from vinyl that is in good condition and that has been maintained well

Vinyl flooring from Floors for Paws

At Floors for Paws, we offer three ranges of vinyl flooring, all of which are low maintenance and easy to clean. Our luxury vinyl range and our Pawsafe Domestic range are available as planks or tiles and are ideal for homes and offices. They have a textured surface layer to minimise slipping plus an extra-soft comfort layer for cushioning. For business premises including veterinary practices, doggy day care centres, and pet-friendly cafes, our Pawsafe Commercial range is supplied as vinyl on the roll.  Both Pawsafe ranges have been developed in conjunction with, and endorsed by, CAM (Canine Arthritis Management).

For further help or advice about caring for your vinyl flooring, see our blog posts about cleaning and maintaining vinyl floors, call our friendly team on 01522 300218, or send us an email to info@floorsforpaws.com

Does Dog Pee damage laminate flooring?

Dog hiding eyes

Unless you are a quick draw on the mop; dog urine will damage laminate flooring, real wood flooring, engineered wood and tile grout.

Dog pee generally has a PH neutral reading at first but if left it will become acidic. This is what damages certain types of flooring. (It is also what causes the strong odour)

Unfortunately with a lot of flooring the pee will be absorbed into the floor itself or underneath and this is what can make the issue very difficult and expensive.

If you have these types of floors you need to clean the spill/accident immediately to prevent damage to your flooring.

Laminate:
The effect it will have on a laminate floor is that it can cause swelling of the planks, and create a nasty odour once it seeps through to your sub-floor. Once the pee has penetrated the top of the laminate you will need to lift the whole floor in order to clean up the mess.

Real wood/engineered flooring:
Without immediate attention dog pee will damage your wood flooring, so you must wipe up spills as soon as they occur. If this is not possible you will need to sanding down the top layer of the  flooring to remove stains/damage.

Tile Grout:
If dog pee is absorbed into the grout lines you will need to apply a bleach solution to bring the grout back to white. If you are a dog owner it is advisable to use a dark coloured grouting, however  the smell will impregnate all unsealed grout lines so cleaning can become a chore.

The solution: Floors For Paws
Floors For Paws is 100% waterproof and hypo-allergenic. It will not absorb pee or allow it to seep through. You can rest assure that however long it is left on our flooring it will not stain or mark.

Wherever your dog goes; go Floors For Paws https://www.floorsforpaws.com/free-samples/

Dogs and Carpets

dogs and carpets

As Dog lovers we all know the limitations of carpets in a pet friendly house.

To begin with your family relishes the soft cushioned underfoot feel of the carpet; it looks great for the first few weeks and we don’t mind giving it a vacuum every few days. After 12 weeks of the dog trailing its wet paws over it, we need to go a bit deeper with the cleaning, so we use a carpet shampoo. That brings it back to nearly its best. Three months later its ready for another clean, but the stains aren’t coming out. ‘Right’ we say ‘we are going to have to get this deep cleaned!’

The cycle continues for a couple of years and we now have every carpet cleaning chemical known to man in our kitchen cleaning cupboard….and yet the carpet is looking dirty and tired.

Not only that – the allergens in your carpet are building and building and no amount of cleaning can get them out of the fibres. Not good.

Say good bye to scrubbing, say goodbye to stains. Floors For Paws offers a unique solution for dog owners’ homes. Anti-stain, Anti-slip, Anti-Scuff and hypo-allergenic.

Preparing your floor for Floors for Paws

Preparing you floor

To ensure you have a lifetime of hassle free flooring it is essential to have your sub-floor prepared in the correct manner. If you have a perfectly smooth and dry sub-floor you can simply adhere Floors For Paws directly onto it. Unfortunately this is rarely the case, so we would like to look at the best solutions.

Latex sub-floor
This option is a quick and trusted process to ensure your FFP is fitted onto a suitable base. It is used on existing concrete floors that need to be smooth and levelled. Quick drying options such as the Stopgap 300 is ready to walk on in 2 hours and to work on in 4. This solution is also ideal for going over existing tile floors (who wants to take out all the tiles and build up again!) The photo below shows a kitchen diner before and after being latexed. As you can see the grout lines show through while it is drying but as long as 3-4mm is applied onto the tiles the surface will dry completely smooth.


1. Tiled floor


2. Two hours post latex


3. Floors for Paws Greenwood flooring

SP101 Ply board – Flooring Grade
Ply board should be used over existing wood flooring, or when you need to bring up the level of the floor by over 4mm. In the case below the carpet that was removed was 10mm and therefore too deep to apply a latex without the need for Grano chippings. This depth of latex would take two months to dry! The 9mm ply board is cut into place and secured with mechanical fixings at regular intervals to ensure no movement. The ply board is then ready for FFP to be adhered directly onto it. We recommend a minimum of a 6mm ply board base.


4. Build up with 9mm ply


5. Floors for Paws Wychwood flooring

If you are not a DIY nut; don’t worry because our recommended installers can carry out the preparation and installation for you.

Here our superb installation engineer John carries out fitting of 130 sqm of Greenwood to Rigsby Wold Holiday cottages new accommodation. For more details on this Dog friendly holiday please visit Rigsby Wold Holiday Cottages.

Call us today to discuss any aspect of your project on 01937 830948.

The Best Flooring for Puppies

Puppy on Floors for paws

The Best flooring for a new puppy

We all know the excitement of bringing home your new puppy; those doleful eyes that make you want wrap your puppy in cotton wool and never let it leave your sight -The proof that love at first sight is real and the kids say ‘you’re the best parents in the world!’

Success; everyone is in love and happy. Now for the practical……

Short of taking your puppy into the garden at 15 minute intervals your puppy is going to pee (and worse) on your carpet at some point. (Crate training can be a good way to avoid this, but personally I find making a puppy sleep near their own mess is a little mean)

So as you clean your carpet for the seventh time in two days you start to think; ‘I need a new floor – ceramic will be good. Its wipe clean – problem solved.’ Unfortunately your little puppy will be like Bambi on ice on smooth flooring, and your vets bills will far out weigh the cost the new floor.

Laminate? Prone to scratching, and moisture underneath the top covering

Stone? Urine can soak into the stone

Wood? Scratches and stains

So What is the best flooring for puppies???

Floors For Paws is stain proof, waterproof, Anti-slip and Anti-scratch. Wherever your dog goes: go Floors For Paws. The world’s best flooring for dogs & dog owners.

For more information on our products and to browse our selection, click here to explore our PawSafe Domestic Range.

If you want the best flooring for your puppy, simply call us today on 01522 300218 to find out more, or  drop us an email to info@floorsforpaws.com