Solid Hardwood, Engineered and Laminate Flooring - cleaning laminate question

Hello all,

Still pondering between doing the living room and hall with laminate vs. tile.

Although there are many things to think about, one that keeps creeping up is cleaning. My mom has pergo (can't remember what kind) that is about 5 years old. (dark oak looking/glue type/smooth surface)

Although it's in good condition, one thing that disturbs me is how hard it is to keep looking clean. After cleanin, it looks all smudged up in no time from foot prints, etc. You can literally see where every step has been taken on it.

Is this something common with laminates? Is this only something that happens with the "smooth" face? ie textured hides smudges?

Thanks

Hey Marshall,
I have smooth finish laminate in my house. We were using Armstrong's "Once'nDone" floor cleaner, (purchased at Lowe's). It is a concentrate that we mixed with three parts water in a mist/spray bottle. We would lightly mist/spray the flooring and then go over it with a damp terry cloth mop. It cleaned the flooring fantastically well and it did not leave footprints when you walked over it (after it quickly dried). However, we determined that my wife was having an allergic reation to this product, and we have now switched to a vineagar and water mix. It doesn't do as good a job of cleaning, and it will show some foot prints, but, my wife is no longer sneezing and gasping for air. I guess it is reasonable to say that laminate flooring does require some regular cleaning maintenance. I don't know if the textured surface laminate flooring does a better job of hiding foot prints. I still think laminate is easier to maintain vs carpet, but it may not be as low maintenance as tile. I hope this helps you.
Joe E

The pledge squirt and mop stuff works here.No oily residue.

Clean plastic laminate a section at a time. Mix equal parts vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and water in spray bottle. Spray a section at a time and wipe with old terry towel or microfiber mop before moving on to next section. Avoid cleaning products that leave residues as they will tend to show streaks and prints.