# What is a good cleaner for polyvinyl chloride

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-cleaner-for-polyvinyl-chloride/262037>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 29, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-cleaner-for-polyvinyl-chloride/262037 "2004-08-29T02:27:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-cleaner-for-polyvinyl-chloride/262037/1 "2004-08-29T02:27:44Z")

</div>

The tiling in the bathroom is either polyvinyl chloride or linoleum, I don’t know which. What is a good cleaner for it? Ammonia doesn’t seem to work, what should I try?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![galen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecc23a/32.png) [@galen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-cleaner-for-polyvinyl-chloride/262037/2 "2004-08-29T14:27:05Z")

</div>

If the floor has been repeatedly waxed and there is a buildup of embedded dirt in a wax coating, then you should get some commercial floor stripper. That will clean the floor down to the bare vinyl/linoleum.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![beltbuckle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@beltbuckle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beltbuckle)\
**Post date:** [August 29, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-good-cleaner-for-polyvinyl-chloride/262037/3 "2004-08-29T23:54:28Z")

</div>

If it is PVC you might try some [PVC cleaner](http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=1912&deptid=1035) .