Cleaning oil stains from vinyl floors can be an arduous task. They’re usually caused by someone spilling cooking oil on the floor and then walking around with shoes that have the sole covered in oil. This kind of spill is not only hard to clean up, but it also leaves behind an oily residue that attracts dirt and makes the area look disgusting. Fortunately, you can clean your floor and remove sticky residue from vinyl floors reasonably quickly.
How to Clean Oil off Vinyl Floor
The Tools and Materials
Nope we aren’t talking about a vacuum for vinyl floors. Cleaning oil off vinyl floors is a whole different thing. The first thing that you’re going to need is a bucket filled with warm water. You can also add some dish soap if you want, but it’s not necessary. Next, buy some paper towels or an old rag and tear off a bunch of pieces so that they can be used throughout the cleaning process. Buy yourself a scrub brush, too. Remember to wear gloves during this process because you’ll most likely be dealing with hot water. Vinyl tiles for floor coverings are available at this website www.carpettilewholesale.co.uk
Preparing Your Work Area
After assembling everything that was just mentioned above, fill up your bucket with warm/hot water. First, make sure that there’s enough to cover the affected area. After that, tear off some pieces of your rag or paper towels and place them in the bucket so they can soak up some of the water. Then take your scrub brush and wet it with warm/hot water.
Removing The Oil Spill
After everything is set up, you need to remove the oil spill from your floor and ultradeck from menards composite. Since this type of spill usually happens over a large surface area, you’re going to have to get down on your hands and knees and wipe away all remnants of cooking oils using paper towels or rags. Again, I suggest looking at the section below for more detailed instructions.
Once completely clean, pour out any excess water that may be in the bucket, then take your rag or paper towels and pat dry any remaining moisture.
Cleaning The Residue
Now it’s time to clean up the sticky residue that was left behind after removing the spill. Since there are usually some greasy spots where you spilled cooking oil on your floor, I suggest using some hot water to rinse them away while scrubbing at the same time with your brush. Once again, follow the section below for more details.
After this is complete, squeeze out any excess water from your rag or paper towels before throwing them into the garbage. You can also use these rags/towels to squeegee off any remaining moisture. Doing so makes sure that no one slips and gets hurt while walking across the floor.
Other methods to remove oil from vinyl floors
Cleaning Your Floor With Baking Soda and Vinegar
If you don’t want to buy cleaning products from the store, baking soda and vinegar are two great substitutes for cleaners such as Pine-Sol. You can buy both of them at your local grocery store, and they’re pretty inexpensive. The only thing that you need to be careful about is making sure that the area is covered by a sink or even a small bucket like previously mentioned. Otherwise, this solution may end up causing damage to your floors because of all the acidity in the baking soda and vinegar.
Mix equal amounts of baking soda and white vinegar into a container (a spray bottle works best). Then, using a mop or cloth soaked in the solution, wipe down the area where you spilled oil. Once completely clean, rinse off with water and squeegee to remove any excess moisture.
Cleaning Your Floor With Dish Soap And Baking Soda
This is probably the simplest way to clean up spills on vinyl floors that have been caused by cooking oils. All you have to do is sprinkle some baking soda on your floor and then add a few drops of dish soap on top of it. Then, using either a rag or an old mop, soak up as much of the mixture as possible—remember not to use so much soap that it starts foaming. If there are still some streaks after this process has been completed, I suggest using a wet rag to wipe them away.
Cleaning Your Floor With Ammonia And Dawn Dish Soap
Ammonia is another ultra-effective cleaner that you can buy at your local grocery store for next to nothing. If you don’t have any in your house, go out and get some right now. It’s so worth it when it comes to getting rid of stubborn cooking oil stains on vinyl floors, even though it’s slightly more dangerous than the previous alternatives.
Here are two ways you can use ammonia to clean up spills on vinyl flooring. The first method calls for using vinegar to substitute water when cleaning with this product. This solution will help neutralize any leftover acids on your floor.
Method 1: Using Ammonia And Vinegar
Using a spray bottle or mop, apply vinegar to the affected area of your vinyl floor. Wet some paper towels/rags with an ammonia and water mixture (50/50). Place this on top of the spill that you just sprayed with vinegar before covering it with another layer of paper towels or rags. After about 15 minutes, remove the covered items on top and let the excess moisture sit on the spill for another 20-30 minutes. Use your rag or squeegee mop to remove as much moisture as possible before throwing away both sets of towels/rags used in this process.
Method 2: Using Ammonia And Dawn Dish Soap
Similar to method 1, this process also makes use of Dawn dish soap. First, sprinkle some baking soda on your vinyl floor before adding a few drops of this product to it. Then using either an old rag or mop, soak up as much of the mixture as possible. Once most of it has been absorbed, take another clean rag soaked in water and wipe down the area where you spilled oil before rinsing with hot water and squeegeeing all excess moisture away.
Final Words
As mentioned earlier, spills caused by cooking oils are one of the trickiest ones to get rid of because they lead to slippery floors that can be dangerous for both children and pets (not to mention adults). As long as you’re using the suitable method, whether one of the three listed above or your own personal variant, you won’t have to worry about any of these problems occurring. That’s because they all contain key ingredients that can break down slippery substances without inflicting damage on the floor itself (which is what makes them so effective).
For more tips and tricks to care for your vinyl floors and other home renovation ideas, check our website, or follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram!
