How To Clean A Linoleum Floor That Is Yellowed [Quick & Easy]

Knowing how to maintain linoleum flooring in your bathroom or kitchen is vital. Although linoleum is a durable and robust floor covering, regular cleaning and polishing are required to keep it looking new.

Linoleum can turn yellow with time, especially if it has been subjected to a lot of waxing or spills. In addition to making the floors appear cleaner, waxing linoleum can also retain dirt and dust.

Floors that have been coated with waxes for years can look shabby. Linoleum yellowing can be removed using a commercial linoleum cleaner or a homemade cleaner made from a few inexpensive household ingredients.

Causes Of Yellowing Floor

There is a lot of linseed oil in linoleum flooring. Natural ingredients, including wood dust/flour and cork dust, can also be found in a basic vinyl sheet’s composition.

  • Your linoleum flooring will turn yellow if it is exposed to oxidation. As the surface ages, the color may change to yellow. Because of the flooring’s low cost, most homeowners may quickly and affordably find a suitable replacement.
  • Your linoleum floor may also turn yellow if it is exposed to sunlight insufficiently or excessively.
  • Rug use on linoleum floors can cause the linoleum to yellow or change color unevenly. Direct sunshine can alleviate some of these problems, but it may take some time before you see any results.
  • When moving or cleaning furniture, they utilize rubber stoppers to keep their floors safe from harm caused by heavy objects. On the other hand, a Rubber may not be the best choice for a linoleum floor. Yellow stains caused by rubber’s antioxidants can be challenging to remove altogether.
  • Linoleum flooring is not a good option for chemical cleaning. Some chemicals can cause extra harm to your floor.
  • Age, insufficient sunshine exposure, and rubber casing deterioration are all potential reasons for the yellowing of linoleum floors.

Linoleum flooring is a durable and cost-effective option for home improvement projects. It can live for as long as 20 years with good care and maintenance.

Can You Bleach Yellowed Linoleum Floor?

Linoleum that has yellowed can be restored to its former luster with the use of bleach. However, dilute bleach with water before using it on a linoleum floor to avoid damaging the surface.

Using excessive amounts of chemicals on a linoleum floor might cause further damage to the surface. It’s possible that you’ll have to make your floor shine more frequently if you want to keep it looking new.

Bleach can be used to remove yellowed linoleum flooring in the following ways:

  • Bleaching a yellowed floor with bleach is a safe and effective method. However, if necessary, dilute the chemical with a large amount of water. To avoid a sticky floor after mopping, always clean the floor thoroughly before moving on to the following area.
  • It is best to apply bleach at the end. Consider adopting natural alternatives before resorting to bleach as a last resort. A vinegar and water solution, powder detergents, sunlight, and lime and baking soda combination can all be used to remove minor stains.

How To Clean A Linoleum Floor That Is Yellowed – Complete Process

Use The Sunshine

The sun’s rays can regulate your flooring’s color changes. Your floor can turn yellow if exposed to too much sunlight, but it can also turn yellow if exposed to too little sunlight.

The sun’s UV radiation accelerates the oxidation of the flooring. A yellowing and old linoleum floor can be whitened by opening a few windows.

Sun remedies are especially effective in areas beneath furniture and rugs. Your linoleum floor can be whitened with the power of the sun.

Before deciding the amount of light to let in, make sure the room is clean. Adjust the intensity of the light and the duration as needed, giving particular attention to the troublesome areas.

Baking Soda & Lemon Juice

Linoleum floors may be cleaned organically with lemon juice and baking soda. You may use the combination to quickly and easily remove persistent yellow spots from your floor’s delicate surfaces without causing any harm.

Cleaning solutions based on lemon juice and baking soda are likely to remove stains on linoleum or on vinyl floors, regardless of the color of the stain.

Clean your linoleum flooring by using a paste made of lemon juice and baking soda straight to the yellow stains. Small spots can be cleaned using a toothbrush, while larger blemishes can be tackled using a firm-bristled brush for darker yellow floor stains.

Rinsing the stained area with a mild detergent and allowing it to sit for a couple of minutes should remove the yellowish hue from the floor.

Clean the floor with a moist cloth after thoroughly rinsing the lemon juice and baking soda from it. To get the best benefits, it’s best to stick to a regular maintenance schedule.

More than one wash may be necessary to remove some stains effectively. Linoleum can be cleaned in a variety of ways; however, the use of water or cleansers containing ammonia is not suggested.

Linoleum, which is made of wood, is vulnerable to water damage, but a tiny amount of water will not have a significant impact.

Always clean up spills as quickly as possible and ensure the area is totally dry before starting the next step. It is possible to locate yellowing areas on your floor by performing routine inspections.

Check for signs of color change under furniture, in dimly light places, especially in high-traffic areas. Regular sweeping of the floor surface will help to keep it shining.

Water Linoleum Cleaner & Bleach

According to experts, to remove yellow stains from linoleum, mix equal parts bleach and water and let sit for 30 to 45 minutes. Reapply bleach to particularly persistent stains with a sponge or mop.

While the bleach mixture is still on the floor, sprinkle some baking soda on top to speed up the whitening process and remove the stain more quickly.

Bleach & Powder Detergent

The yellowing marks on linoleum floors can be removed with a powdered cleaning product that contains bleach. According to the website Creative Homemaking, you should soak the soiled area of the floor and then apply the detergent directly to the yellow spots.

Detergent can help to break up the sealant if you leave it on for a while. Get rid of the cleaning agent with a sponge that is slightly damp.

Water & Vinegar

Linoleum floors that have turned yellow can be cleaned by applying white distilled vinegar to them for 10 to 15 minutes and then wiping off the vinegar.

Baking soda mixed with vinegar can be used to remove yellow stains from hard-to-remove surfaces. Following the sponge washing, thoroughly rinse the area.

Ammonia-Based Cleaner

A floor cleaner containing ammonia should be purchased and used to remove the yellowed wax off the floor. You’ll need a scouring pad or hard sponge to scrub the floor and a mop to remove the solution from the floor.

You’ll need to reapply a coat of floor wax or clean the floors with club soda one more time for a beautiful sheen.

More Tips & Ideas

Modern “linoleum” is actually vinyl flooring, despite the fact that many people still refer to it as linoleum. The preservatives used to prevent rubber backing from drying out and becoming brittle may also react chemically with the vinyl, resulting in discolored or yellowed spots on the floor.

In some cases, the treatments above may be able to help, but in most cases, the stains generated by this reaction are irreversible.

To avoid stains, check the labels on any floor rugs on see if they are safe for vinyl flooring. Your bleach-induced yellow spots may actually be dye stains generated by the colors that have been added to the chlorine bleach.

Prevention & Care

Sweep a microfiber mop across high-traffic linoleum as often as possible to remove dust and debris. You should damp mop the floor every week with a 1/8-cup vinegar solution mixed with a bit of amount of dish soap.

Linoleum should only be cleaned with cool or lukewarm water. Water-resistant felt pads should be used to protect houseplants from damage and to keep furniture looking its best.

Linoleum can be stained if you use rubber-backed or latex pads. Apply a few coats of specialist linoleum polish according to the manufacturer’s instructions if your floor begins to look dull.

Final Verdict

The sun, the greatest yellow thing you’ve ever seen, may be your best ally in the war against yellowing linoleum floors. Preventing visible oxidation can be avoided by exposing the flooring to adequate amounts of natural sunlight.

There is no better time than now to remove your carpets to let your linoleum floor soak up the sun. Follow the guidelines and always make your floor shine and stay out of stains.

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