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Silly question - cats, laminate floor, & cleaning?

post #1 of 11
10/23/11 at 9:13am
Thread Starter 
OK - I'll have laminate flooring soon. Never had anything but linoleum & carpet.

Anyone have it & care to share anything I need to watch out for?

How do I clean it - any differently than I do linoleum???

I'm nervous about Izzy (little dog) who is sorta piddle pad trained, she never figured out that she should go potty outside, but she sometimes misses her pee pads & pees on the floor. I don't want to know what that'll do to the flooring.
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post #2 of 11
10/23/11 at 9:22am
Here is a google search on caring for laminate floors.

Lots of information in the top 2 links.
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post #3 of 11
10/23/11 at 9:28am
I installed laminate becauase I had cats!

I find it's easy to clean; I sometimes wet Swiffer it; other times, I use my steam mop, or a floor mop (just wring the excess water well first). (After I vacuum or sweep it first). It does ding easily, though--so be careful about dropping sharp objects on it. It also can scratch easily, as when you drag furniture across it. Also, you can't get it really wet; the seams where the planks are joined will curl a bit. One thing I love about it is that, if a cat urinates on it, the smell won't seep through the surface, unlike carpet and wood.

Now, I've never had a pet continually urinate in the same spot, or at all, so I can't vouch for the problem you may have. However, our study's floor is warped after 1 or 2 minor floods from under the French doors during very heavy rains. Once, DH dumped soaking wet backbacks and reenacting gear in the foyer, and there was some minor edge curling on the planks. If using in a foyer, I'd make sure everyone wipes their feet well on rugs at the door. The house had the foyer laminate when we moved it (we did the other rooms ourselves with the same laminate), I guess for at least 1-2 years, and it survived that long intact. In other words, I think it takes a heap of wet, like minor flooding, to ruin it.
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post #4 of 11
10/23/11 at 9:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MargeCat View Post
I installed laminate becauase I had cats!

I find it's easy to clean; I sometimes wet Swiffer it; other times, I use my steam mop, or a floor mop (just wring the excess water well first). (After I vacuum or sweep it first). It does ding easily, though--so be careful about dropping sharp objects on it. It also can scratch easily, as when you drag furniture across it. Also, you can't get it really wet; the seams where the planks are joined will curl a bit. One thing I love about it is that, if a cat urinates on it, the smell won't seep through the surface, unlike carpet and wood.
That says it all. I vacuum it a couple of times a week and use a steam cleaner (low or medium setting) once a week. As long as you don't get it too wet you'll be okay. Claws shouldn't scratch it, but furniture or dropping heavy objects will. I have throw rugs under swivel chairs, for example.

ETA: Ours has been in since 1993, and has very few chips or dings. A lot probably depends on the quality of the laminate. Our old school building had it in a few classrooms, and it held up well under very heavy traffic and lots of spilled Coke, etc..
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post #5 of 11
10/23/11 at 9:33am
If possible, I would advise you not to get it.

I have them and I hate it. It is hard to keep clean. If a cat pees on the floor it warps your board, scratches easily, and if they throw up - you see where that is also.

Laminate flooring is not good when you have pets. Be careful when you do mop because excessive water will leave a layer of water film that can be seen.

I hope you have better luck than I do.
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post #6 of 11
10/23/11 at 10:30am
I suggest buying a rubbermaid reveal mop. http://www.rubbermaid.com/Category/P...leaningUtility

Most of my house is laminate floor and I use that mop to clean it. I have 2 pads and I use one for each floor. I love it because you wash the pads and use your own cleaner. I wash them with a bit of laundry soap and every now and then I use bleach on them and then sit them on top of the dryer to dry or hang them. I use Mr Clean in it and the floors come out clean and not streaky at all. It releases just enough cleaning solution to wet the floor without soaking it and warping the laminate.

Mine isn't scratched from pets running around. My dog peed on it once, and I cleaned it up and you can't tell she ever did. They have thrown up on it too and I wipe it up and then use the reveal mop and it comes right up.
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post #7 of 11
10/23/11 at 12:23pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MargeCat View Post
I installed laminate becauase I had cats! .
Same here!. The only place that has carpet is the stairs and hallway upstairs
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duchess15 View Post
If possible, I would advise you not to get it.

I have them and I hate it. It is hard to keep clean. If a cat pees on the floor it warps your board, scratches easily, and if they throw up - you see where that is also.

Laminate flooring is not good when you have pets. Be careful when you do mop because excessive water will leave a layer of water film that can be seen.
Mine hasn't been scratched by my cats?. It's a lot easier to keep clean than carpet because if one of them throws up it's a quick wipe up with paper towels and an antibacterial wipe. With carpets it gets right into the fibre and takes forever to get out, plus laminate is more hygenic.

Just make sure your mop isn't soaking Nat. Squeeze the excess water out so it's just damp and your laminate flooring will last years
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post #8 of 11
10/23/11 at 1:18pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rosiemac View Post
Same here!. The only place that has carpet is the stairs and hallway upstairs

Mine hasn't been scratched by my cats?. It's a lot easier to keep clean than carpet because if one of them throws up it's a quick wipe up with paper towels and an antibacterial wipe. With carpets it gets right into the fibre and takes forever to get out, plus laminate is more hygenic.

Just make sure your mop isn't soaking Nat. Squeeze the excess water out so it's just damp and your laminate flooring will last years
The scratches I have are from furniture being moved or whatever else fell on the floor.

I am not home most of the day so if they throw up while I am gone it is there all day long and hard to get out even after soaking.

I agree with that they are easier to clean than carpet, but they are not without problems. My next floor will be either tile, concrete, or something that is easier to clean.
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post #9 of 11
10/23/11 at 1:36pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Duchess15 View Post
I am not home most of the day so if they throw up while I am gone it is there all day long and hard to get out even after soaking.
Really?!. I'm also at work but even if it's dried l just lay an antibacterial wipe over it for 10 minutes while it soaks in then it comes up no problem.

Laminate flooring is the best thing i've bought, especially when it comes to their fur as well. I'll never go back to carpet.
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post #10 of 11
10/23/11 at 1:44pm
Thread Starter 
I don't have the option of not getting the laminate. I'm hoping they don't wreck almost brand new flooring, but if the pets do I guess they do.

I'll definitely be careful moving furniture. I have a little dusty mop thingamajig that will hopefully help keep dust bunnies at bay (for daily wiping of the floor) & have my vacuum too. Not sure what type of mop I'll use.
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post #11 of 11
10/23/11 at 2:00pm
We have laminate in the computer room and I think it's wonderful stuff. A quick vacuum a couple times a week. I use Bona to clean the floor and it works beautifully.

http://www.mybonahome.com/lines/stl-cleaners.html

As for puke, hairballs, and such, while we feed the kids their meals, we keep the doors to the bedrooms and to the computer room shut for about an hour or so after they eat....most of the time, if they puke it's within the hour. And the door to the computer room is always shut when we're not home. If, by some chance somebody does throw up on the floor, I have found that cleaning with some Bona and then a thorough drying does wonders.

I'd like to get rid of all the carpet in the house. I'd like to put laminate in our bedroom and tile in the living room and hallway, with machine washable throw rugs.
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