How do I clean and maintain luxury vinyl plank flooring in my NB home?

Luxury vinyl plank is one of the lowest-maintenance flooring options available, requiring just regular sweeping and occasional damp mopping to stay looking great for decades. The key to LVP longevity in a New Brunswick home is preventing grit damage — the fine sand, road salt, and gravel tracked in during NB's long winter season are more damaging to your floor's wear layer than any cleaning product.

Daily and weekly maintenance is straightforward. Sweep, dust-mop, or vacuum your LVP regularly — at least twice per week in high-traffic areas and more frequently during NB's winter months when road grit accumulates faster. If vacuuming, use the hard-floor setting with the beater bar turned off, as a spinning beater bar can scratch the wear layer over time. For damp mopping, use a spray mop or wrung-out microfibre mop with clean water or a pH-neutral vinyl floor cleaner. Products like Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner or the manufacturer's own recommended cleaner work well. Avoid soaking the floor — while LVP is waterproof on the surface, excess water can seep through seams on floating installations and sit beneath the planks, potentially causing subfloor issues in NB's moisture-prone environment.

Products and practices to avoid are just as important as what you should use. Never use wax, polish, or "shine enhancer" products on LVP — these leave a residue that builds up over time, creates a dull film, and actually makes the floor more slippery. Never use abrasive cleaners, scouring pads, steel wool, or ammonia-based cleaners. Avoid steam mops — despite LVP being waterproof, the intense concentrated heat from a steam mop can damage the wear layer, soften the adhesive on glue-down installations, and potentially warp the edges of floating planks. Vinegar-and-water solutions are popular online but should be used sparingly if at all, as the acidity can dull the wear layer's finish over many applications.

Seasonal maintenance in New Brunswick deserves special attention. From November through April, place sturdy doormats at every exterior entrance — ideally a coarse mat outside the door to knock off heavy debris and a second absorbent mat inside to catch moisture and fine grit. Road salt is corrosive and abrasive; wiping it up promptly prevents both surface scratches and potential discolouration. In NB's coastal communities like Saint John, Bathurst, and Shediac, salt air and tracked-in sand are year-round concerns, making entrance mats a permanent fixture rather than a seasonal one.

For spot cleaning, most spills wipe up immediately with a damp cloth. Stubborn marks from rubber shoe soles, crayons, or adhesive residue can be removed with a small amount of rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits on a soft cloth — test in an inconspicuous area first. Pet accidents should be wiped up promptly; while LVP resists moisture damage, urine left sitting at seam edges can eventually work underneath on floating installations.

Protective measures that extend your floor's life include felt pads on all furniture legs (replace them every 6 to 12 months as they collect embedded grit), using furniture cups under heavy items like pianos and refrigerators to distribute weight, and placing mats in front of kitchen sinks and stoves where dropped utensils and grease splatter are common. Avoid rubber-backed mats, as the rubber can chemically react with vinyl and cause permanent discolouration.

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Looking for experienced contractors? The New Brunswick Construction Network connects homeowners with qualified professionals:

• First united design & construction inc.
• Gionetterenovations
• Arctic Fox Construction Inc.
• FRS Flooring Solutions
• Thirty Four Renovations