Removing Ground In Dirt From Dirty Linoleum Floors
Before we were able to renovate our master and guest bathrooms a couple years ago, they had the light colored linoleum floors in the picture above. It wasn’t the worst looking linoleum in the world, but they frustrated me to no end by being seemingly impossible to get completely clean.
The issue was the same one that affects most linoleum flooring — rather than being smooth, it had lots of little nooks and crannies for dirt and grime to hide in. Not even the most vigorous mopping was enough to lift the stubborn ground in dirt out of those old linoleum floors!
Luckily, I eventually had a moment of inspiration for how to deep clean linoleum floors and banish that grime for good. The inspiration came from the post I wrote about getting tough stains out of your carpet using your clothes iron.
After seeing how well the technique worked on carpet, I started wondering if the same technique could possibly work on the stubborn ground in dirt that was driving me crazy. The potential embarrassment of someone seeing me iron the bathroom floor notwithstanding, there was no reason not to give it a try, so I did!
It ended up working like a charm when nothing else did! And now I’m passing the technique along to you so you can deep clean your own dirty linoleum.
How To Deep Clean Linoleum Floors
You’ll need:
- Clear ammonia
- Hot water
- Clothes iron
- Clean washcloths
Directions:
Start by plugging in a clean clothes iron near the area you’ll be cleaning, then fill a dish pan or bucket with equal parts household ammonia and hot water.
Dunk a clean washcloth into the ammonia solution and wring it out a bit. You want it to be damp, but not dripping.
Lay the damp cloth on a dirty area of flooring, then place your hot iron on the towel. (It will get steamy, so be careful!)
Move the iron around the towel constantly for about 30 seconds or so, then check the underside of the towel to check your progress.
If there are spots of dirt on the towel, that means it’s working! The cloth alone may not lift all the dirt out of the floor, but any lingering dirt will be easy to wipe up afterward. (You could do this with a sponge, Magic Eraser, or the same cloth you ironed with.)
Continue this process until the whole floor is. You don’t need to use a clean towel for each section of floor, but you should switch your towel out for a clean one when it starts to get grimy.
BONUS: Keep Your Iron Moving To Avoid Discoloration
Once your iron is hot, make sure to only set it down on the towels and not the actual flooring to avoid damaging or discoloring the linoleum. And keep it moving when you have it on the towel too! I didn’t experience any discoloration or other damage, but if you’re concerned, find an inconspicuous area to do a spot test before attempting this in a more visible area.)
The Takeaway
I’m not exactly sure how many people suffer from this ground-in dirt dilemma, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one! If you have dirty linoleum and have all but given up, I highly recommend giving this method a try! Just be prepared for the confused stares of your family members when they see you sitting on the floor with your iron! ;-)
More Floor Cleaning Tips
- Looking for more floor cleaning tips and tricks? Check out these posts:
- 11 Cleaning Hacks For Sparkling Floors
- Hazy Hardwood Floors? This Is The Best Fix For Them
- How To Make A Simple Floor Cleaner That Cuts The Grease
- This Is The Perfect Mop For People Who Hate Mopping
Have you tried to clean old linoleum floors? What technique did you use?
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