Although laminate is tough, there are still things you should do to keep it looking its best.
You should clean your laminate flooring routinely, using certain guidelines.
First of all, use a damp cloth to blot up spills immediately after they happen. As with any flooring surface, do not allow liquids to stand on the floor. For those stubborn spills, such as oil, paint, makers, lipstick, ink, or tar, use acetone (nail polish remover) on a clean white cloth, then wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue.
Sweep or vacuum the floor regularly (as with hardwood and ceramic, don’t use the beater bar). This prevents accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the finish. If you live in sandy areas, like on a beach, you may need to dust-mop or vacuum more frequently.
You should periodically clean the floor with cleaning products specifically made for laminates. Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaner. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation and void your warranty.
Never use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or chemicals with a lot of ammonia or chlorine on laminate floors. Also, do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine. For pesky spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice cubes and then simply scrape them off with a plastic scraper of some kind like a spatula or credit card. Be careful not to scratch the surface while doing this. Afterward, wipe it clean with a damp cloth.
Preventative maintenance is also important with laminate flooring. For instance, use mats in high traffic areas, like an entryway, to help collect dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil or asphalt. Area rugs are also a good idea for protection, but you might want to use a non-skid rug underlayment. To minimize indentations and scratches, use wide-load bearing leg bases or rollers on heavy objects like large pieces of furniture.
Try to keep the floor dry during periods of inclement weather and keep your pet’s nails trimmed to prevent scratching on your laminate floor. Do not ever try to slide heavy objects across the floor. If they’re too heavy to lift, clean the dust and grit off thoroughly then use "gliding" furniture pads underneath the object to aid in sliding it across the floor. And use a protective mat for furniture or chairs with castors.
When damage does occur, though, it can be repaired. Minor scratches or dents to a plank can be repaired using a flooring touchup or color-fill kit. It is a filler material that’s color coordinated to the color of your floor that, when used properly, is almost invisible. The repaired area will hold up to traffic and wear just like the rest of the floor. If the plank is too bad and must be replaced, usually this is not a problem. Joints can be disassembled, allowing a new piece to be put in.