Removing Ground In Dirt From Dirty Linoleum Floors
Before we were able to renovate our master and guest bathrooms a couple years ago, they had the light colored linoleum floors in the picture above. It wasn’t the worst looking linoleum in the world, but they frustrated me to no end by being seemingly impossible to get completely clean.
The issue was the same one that affects most linoleum flooring — rather than being smooth, it had lots of little nooks and crannies for dirt and grime to hide in. Not even the most vigorous mopping was enough to lift the stubborn ground in dirt out of those old linoleum floors!
Luckily, I eventually had a moment of inspiration for how to deep clean linoleum floors and banish that grime for good. The inspiration came from the post I wrote about getting tough stains out of your carpet using your clothes iron.
After seeing how well the technique worked on carpet, I started wondering if the same technique could possibly work on the stubborn ground in dirt that was driving me crazy. The potential embarrassment of someone seeing me iron the bathroom floor notwithstanding, there was no reason not to give it a try, so I did!
It ended up working like a charm when nothing else did! And now I’m passing the technique along to you so you can deep clean your own dirty linoleum.
How To Deep Clean Linoleum Floors
You’ll need:
- Clear ammonia
- Hot water
- Clothes iron
- Clean washcloths
Directions:
Start by plugging in a clean clothes iron near the area you’ll be cleaning, then fill a dish pan or bucket with equal parts household ammonia and hot water.
Dunk a clean washcloth into the ammonia solution and wring it out a bit. You want it to be damp, but not dripping.
Lay the damp cloth on a dirty area of flooring, then place your hot iron on the towel. (It will get steamy, so be careful!)
Move the iron around the towel constantly for about 30 seconds or so, then check the underside of the towel to check your progress.
If there are spots of dirt on the towel, that means it’s working! The cloth alone may not lift all the dirt out of the floor, but any lingering dirt will be easy to wipe up afterward. (You could do this with a sponge, Magic Eraser, or the same cloth you ironed with.)
Continue this process until the whole floor is. You don’t need to use a clean towel for each section of floor, but you should switch your towel out for a clean one when it starts to get grimy.
BONUS: Keep Your Iron Moving To Avoid Discoloration
Once your iron is hot, make sure to only set it down on the towels and not the actual flooring to avoid damaging or discoloring the linoleum. And keep it moving when you have it on the towel too! I didn’t experience any discoloration or other damage, but if you’re concerned, find an inconspicuous area to do a spot test before attempting this in a more visible area.)
The Takeaway
I’m not exactly sure how many people suffer from this ground-in dirt dilemma, but I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one! If you have dirty linoleum and have all but given up, I highly recommend giving this method a try! Just be prepared for the confused stares of your family members when they see you sitting on the floor with your iron! ;-)
More Floor Cleaning Tips
- Looking for more floor cleaning tips and tricks? Check out these posts:
- 11 Cleaning Hacks For Sparkling Floors
- Hazy Hardwood Floors? This Is The Best Fix For Them
- How To Make A Simple Floor Cleaner That Cuts The Grease
- This Is The Perfect Mop For People Who Hate Mopping
Have you tried to clean old linoleum floors? What technique did you use?
More Ideas You'll Love
That flooring appears to be resilient vinyl, not linoleum. Can they be cleaned using the same process?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Oh my goodness, ended up here when looking for some good Google advice for my floor because it has crevices EVERYHERE that are such a pain to clean. Read through this and as I got to the bottom I saw your screenshots and you have the EXACT SAME floor as mine. What are the odds?! I have to try this!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have yellow stains on my linoleum from rugs used at the sink and back door. I am not having any luck getting the yellowing out of the floor. Is there any thing I can do to get it white again/
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I would like an idea about how to PREVENT this sort of porous craggy linoleum from taking in so much dirt in the first place. With dogs and people tramping in dirt daily, it’s not possible to do this kind of cleaning as often as it needs. Does anyone know of a permanent sealer of any kind to apply over this difficult flooring?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.really good tips, some time i find so annoying to find some ‘stubborn’ dirt in my house, i think i will try to solve it with this tips
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Why are your stains in a perfect pitch and identical across the 3 sets of tile in the before pic? I assume this was photoshopped.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s just the texture of the floor – it’s not photoshopped :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Well, I’m gonna say it…that was pretty rude! Obviously, this is your first time joining us? Because if you came here often, and knew how Jillee operates, you would know that was absurd. She is trying to help us, her loyal followers, and make our lives a bit easier. I’m sure you understand what I am saying…
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What about white vinegar? Any reason why it wouldn’t work? I’m trying to not use any cleaners with chemicals any more.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.It won’t work quite as well, but vinegar should definitely help!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t have ammonia. I would only buy it for this project. Do you think bleech or white vinegar would work just as well?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Unfortunately, no. Ammonia is really the perfect thing for this trick! Luckily, it’s pretty cheap – you might even find some at the dollar store. :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.my mother in law used to periodically strip her linoleum floors of wax with ammonia. It did a great job.You have to do it on hands and knees though,but this sounds easier maybe.
Be careful! Hot iron and ammonia can hurt your eyes, lungs, etc. You won’t be able to breathe! As a retired military wife, we used ammonia a lot cleaning our quarters I would never have mixed it 1/2 & 1/2 and never would I have used an iron on a cloth wet from the mixture. Read the bottle!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’ve have a simple steam mop (one setting) and it gets my linoleum clean but still leaves the stains :(
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I cannot wait to try this new method with the iron at home! What an idea!
I just tried this method. I have never cleaned with ammonia and was not quite prepared for the very very strong fumes. The warnings on the ammonia bottle are strong and to follow. I was trying to clean my 1/2 bath and connecting small laundry room and had to stop during it because of orders. Be careful.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.i just use my steam mop set on low and this has always done a good job been doing for 4 years now no problems with floor i even have it in my kitchen so that gets done very often
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Did you use the ammonia too?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I agree, this is not laminate. On my laminate flooring I use a Shark steam cleaner and it works really well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had the same problem from Mop and Glow – waxing over a floor that wasn’t really clean. I opened the house windows, turned on our whole-house fan and used straight lemon scented ammonia with a regular mop. Amazing. Smelly, but amazing.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.The ingredients from this post will not print.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.There’s a green print button at the bottom of every post :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My Shark steam mop does the same — I add a bit of Cleaning Vinegar to my water solution when mopping. Not only do I get extra cleaning, but the vinegar helps to minimize the mineral deposit build-up in my mop. And yes, that is vinyl flooring in the photo.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I had the same problem with my kitchen floors too. It is white linoleum and it has grooves in it. I used a product like Mop and Glo for the shine so my floors for years and had some build up in addition to dirt in the grooves. I used Windex which has ammonia and every day I sprayed one area of about 12″ x 12″ and covered the area with a plastic mat so my cats couldn’t get to it. The next day I removed the mat and wiped off the ammonia and repeated the process. The dirt came right off. It took about two months to clean my whole kitchen floor, but when I was done, boy was it clean–no sign of dirt in the grooves. I don’t use Mop and Glo on a regular basis after that. I work full-time so one tile a day didn’t leave me exhausted from cleaning the floor all day and eventually the whole floor was clean!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.That’s exactly what I was thinking while reading the post. They are not that expensive either! I love mine.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.thanks Jillee. simple trick with the great result. very love it . . .
Please log in or create a free account to comment.This is a great tip! It is so frustrating to clean your floor and still have it look dirty. Scrubbing doesn’t work… tried that. I’ve never heard this before, but definitely worth a shot.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What brand iron do you own, Jillee? Mine does not have a cord that is long enough for me to use my iron with a damp towel, in order to clean my kitchen floor, which is linoleum. I do use Mr. Clean and hot water and a microfiber cloth and yes, I get down on my hands and knees to clean the floor. Everyone removes their shoes and puts on socks or indoor, soft sole, nonslip shoes.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for the great tip however I have a Shark Steam Mop that does exactly the same thing a lot less work great tool to invest in not that expensive but does a great job
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love your helpful tips, including this one about using ammonia to clean laminate floors. I would like to add a caution for pet lovers. Please remember that ammonia is highly toxic for cats, and I assume dogs too, and even small amounts are easily absorbed through their paws and can cause severe kidney damage and even failure. You might also want to check out whether your Magic Eraser contains any bleach due to possible toxic reactions to humans as well as pets when bleach and ammonia mix.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you for the reminder of pets and toxins. I found that baking soda is great for bathroom tubs, sinks, and toilets. The oxyclean stuff works great in place of ammonia.
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