Need to clean discolored vinyl floor
 

Anybody have an idea how to clean a yellowed portion of a white vinyl floor? We removed an area rug in Mom's kitchen, and there is a 3" ring of yellowed discloration around where the rug was! There was no vinyl backing on the rug and the center of the rug, where her kitchen table sat, is just as white are the rest of the floor. Any ideas to clean that area? I haven't found anything that works.

The yellowed part may be from exposure to sunshine. At least that is what I found out when my lite colored vinyl floor turn yellow in spots. We finally figured out it was where the window and door window shone on the floor. We were told there was not much you can do.

Have you tried ammonia? I remember my grandma using ammonia in her water when she mopped the floors. I think you need to be careful about scrubbing it with anything. Usually the vinyl layer isn't very thick and you have that black layer right underneath.

Have 4 spots in my bathroom like that, was told it was the -glue? they used coming thru? NOTHING worked for me, so I'm sorta thinking 'they' are right.

My Mother & I both have this problem. Her kitchen floor is white vinyl & she has been told it is the glue coming through. Mine is white vinyl in the bathroom & was told it is from sunlight. Since vinyl has a protective top coat the only solution is to replace it. :(

Try vinegar or Windex (original).

Try to use clear pvc pipe cleaner. Pour it on a rag and just wipe one time. My husband says sometimes that will work, but don't scrub it though. He use to install flooring .

If your floor rugs have the non skid latex backing....it will discolor your white floor. I have solved the problem by buying the double sided rugs without the non skid backing. I am not sure anything with get the discoloring off except time and not putting a non skid rug down. My flooring store explained to me that its a chemical reaction between the vinyl and the non skid backing on rugs.

That is what I was told - it was the glue. The areas where it happened do not receive direct sunlight so I think mine must be the glue. Mine also happened where a simple cotton throw rug laid, this cotton rug had no backing. It begin to show up about 6 months after we laid new vinyl in our kitchen. I called the company that sold and installed it and they said it was the glue. They came out, torn up the vinyl, put new vinyl down with a different glue, but now 17 years later the "new vinyl" is beginning to show some yellow areas.

This happened to our floor in the laundry room. The floor under the freezer turned dark yellow. The floor guy said nothing can be done to get rid of the discoloration so we replaced the floor with ceramic tile.

I had this in the bathroom when I moved out of my house. Yup, I had a non-slip rug and it was yellowed underneath. I had to replace the vinyl before listing the house for sale. It also happened underneath the washing machine. I left the washer and dryer in the house so didn't have to deal with it.

I would try making a paste from some oxy clean powder and water and let it sit overnight, then wipe it away and see if that works.

Mine is yellow where everyone comes in thru garage and where dogs have missed puppy pad. I can't say I know ehat to clean it with, I will try Ammonia.

Give up. Replace. Nuff said. Been there.
sandy

If its around the rug and not underneath where the rugs was located... it is likely its from the oils on shoes that come from a black top driveway. Blacktop will continue to give off an oily residue ..enough to discolor high traffic areas of vinyl flooring.

I have the same issue around the perimeter of my kitchen cabinets but not that 3 inches under the cabinets. I was baffled at why this would happen. Logic would indicate the area under the cabinets would discolor as it might not get cleaned as well. When I really examined where the area was that was most affected it was in front of the refrigerator ( of course) in front of the sink... but the area were I stood the least had no yellowing.

A flooring person clued me in when I was researching what kind of floor to replace it . He asked me "do you have a black top driveway and leave your shoes on when you come in the house?" I said yes and he told me the last thing to consider is vinyl or I will have the same problem.

Just to further investgate .. asked my neighbor with a concrete drive way if he had yellowing of his floors... NOPE , no issue .

Do you have any of the vinyl left from when it was laid? I would cut out the problem and glue down a piece. Or put a rug over it as suggested. We tiled over ours.