Best way to (easily) clean light-colored kitchen linoleum?

[Flaxbee]

I currently am renting a cute little house with hardwood floors through most of the place, except the kitchen, which is covered in a light (mostly white, some tan) linoleum. I keep the floor swept/vacuumed, but I have never taken the time to scrub the floor. I scrub every other surface in the house, but I will admit that I avoid doing more to the kitchen floor than cleaning up spills, sweeping, and vacuuming often to suck up the kitty-fur tumbleweeds.

As a result, the floor needs to be deep-cleaned.

What is the best way to do this? Is there some non-toxic cleaner that will magically return the linoleum to its pristine white state? Or some super-wonderful mop I can use?

As an aside, why the hell do people ever use light linoleum anywhere?

Thanks in advance for any helpful hints.

[Curmudgeoness]

1. This is not the greenest product,

but I found this out on time when I was a klutz and spilled a lot of Fantastik on an apartment linoleum floor that was so filthy looking, but scrubbing did nothing. By the time I got a rag and cleaned the spill up, I had a beautiful white spot on the floor. I poured a whole bottle on the floor, spread it around with my hands, left it sit for a little while, and wiped it all up. I was shocked at how beautiful that floor was under all the wax/dirty/whatever.

[Flaxbee]

3. Huh. Interesting. Will keep that in mind. I don't think these floors have heavy wax, but

dirt has accumulated in the little linoleum crevices and I really want a clean floor (before we move ... not motivated to do it before then!)

[Lars39]

2. Ace Hardware has a scrub brush with a broom handle that is specifically for linoleum.

I couldn't afford the shark steam thing so that was my solution. I used an ammonia solution, scrubbed, then mopped, doing small sections at a time. Not the easiest, but it got that &*#%^%# off-white linoleum clean.

[Flaxbee]

4. OK, I'll look for that - we have an Ace nearby.

I'm not averse to scrubbing, I just don't want to be on my hands and knees, and I don't want to do it often!

[Lars39]

5. It got the grime in the those itty bitty crevices, too.

I hear ya 'bout the knees...

[Curmudgeoness]

6. I always get down of the floor to scrub it

but I can't handle the pressure on my knees either. So I sit with my legs crossed in front of me and scrub that way. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[Flaxbee]

8. I just resent having to spend the time to sit on the damn floor and scrub it.

I have other things I actually WANT to do.

But duty calls.

Harumph.

Gotta do what you can to protect the knees, though.

[Curmudgeoness]

9. Hey, I'm not saying I like it.

And I'm not saying I do it often. But I am saying that this is my answer to saying my knees while scrubbing the floor....you know, maybe once every 3-4 months.

[haikugal]

14. About the knees...

I haven't done it yet on my very dirty light colored kitchen floor (dogs, cats..people walking dirt in and me not well) but....I plan to use a foam garden kneeling pad. I think it will help.

I use biogreen clean and it does a nice job on almost anything. I don't have wax buildup so can't speak to that.

[Curmudgeoness]

15. That is a good idea.

I don't have one, but have considered one for working out in the yard and garden. It never occurred to me to use one in the house. Duh. So far, sitting instead of getting on my knees works for me, although it probably takes me longer to get done since I can only do a small section that I can reach at a time.....but I get it done.

I am going to get myself one of those to see if it works.

[haikugal]

16. I'm going to try it tomorrow...

I'll be working on small areas as I go as well. I'll let you know what happens...I think as long as I can have 3 points of contact and a free hand I'll do fine..

[Flaxbee]

7. Good to know. I really don't understand why builders use linoleum - it's cheap, but really

frustrating.

And I really do not want to spend my time grubbing around on the damn kitchen floor! Argh! Why can't easy-to-keep-clean materials be convenient and inexpensive?

[Lars39]

10. I would dearly love the original linoleum that looked like rugs and had pretty patterns.

From reading about them, the pattern went all the way thru, so even worn spots looked ok.

[TexasBushwhacker]

18. They still make it

It's actually a much greener product than vinyl tile. It's made of solidified linseed oil, tree rosin, sawdust, and chalk, plus pigments, so it is biodegradable and safe for landfills. The tree rosin is naturally anti-bacterial, so that's why you still see it in hospitals and schools to this day. The term "linoleum" became generic for all tile, so true "lino" now has the trademarked name "Marmoleum".

Linoleum/Marmoleum comes in dozens of colors:

http://www.forbo-flooring.com/Commercial-flooring/Products/Linoleum/The-next-generation-of-Marmoleum/

[dipsydoodle]

11. Surely the main issue

is whether its real lino, made of natural fibres, or vinyl. If its real lino I'd use meths to clean of any dirty wax deposits and the clean the residue off with baby wipes - the cure of most ills. If its vinyl then almost nothing is likely to damage it.

[Johnmichelsr]

12. Spam deleted by Elad (MIR Team)

[hrmjustin]

13. Welcome to DU!

[kaanguler]

17. this topic

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[MADem]

19. Here....

http://thehousingforum.com/how-to-clean-linoleum/

If it were me, I'd go straight to the ammonia....