If you have laminate floors, you may think you have to get a commercial laminate floor cleaner to keep them looking good. This is not so, and as is often the case, a home made solution will work just as well. There is a very easy to make home made formula that will work as well as the expensive commercial types and save a lot of money over time.

There are a lot of opinions about which kind of cleaning works best for laminate floors, and each owner of a laminate floor seems to have his own opinion about which is best. To be sure to use the one that works best for you, try a small amount on an inconspicuous corner, or if you have any material leftover from the installation, you can use that to test your product on. Some people insist that you must use specialized products to clean laminate floors, but this is not necessarily true.

The store where you bought your laminate floor, or the manufacturer of the flooring are the best sources for advice on how to clean it properly. They will know the right kinds of products to use on the floor. However, you have to be careful that they are not just recommending a product because they want to make another sale. If they are pushing the product too hard, be wary.

This is exactly what happened to a friend of mine. She was told by a salesperson that not only did she have to buy an expensive laminate floor cleaner (that cost $12, instead of $2-3 for ordinary floor cleaner), but she would also have to buy a special mop to use with it. The mop cost an additional $30!

She became suspicious when the salesperson said that water should never be used on this kind of flooring. The reason she decided to install laminate floors was because of its easy care and ability to absorb spills without being stained by watermarks. She know something was not right, especially when she saw that the main ingredient in the salesperson's expensive cleaner was, what else? Water. She steered clear of this ripoff.

Instead, she took someone else's advice and used a tried and true home remedy for cleaning: vinegar and water. This all purpose mixture gets rid of dirt and grime and does not leave any residue on the flooring. It is a safe and easy cleaner to use.

My concern when I wanted to try this solution was the smell. I didn't want my house to smell of vinegar afterward. But I gave it a shot, and I was very surprised to learn that the vinegar smell evaporates almost immediately. Inexpensive, non toxic and effective; I have found the perfect solution for cleaning laminate floors.