Is the PVC floor losing color??

Evening,

We have a PVC floor in the kitchen (brown, looks like wood). Now we have small white spots everywhere (look like drops that have fallen on the floor), as if some liquid is dissolving the color that we once spilled. Could someone tell me what liquid this could be??? It must be some kind of food because the spots are found in front of the stove and the fridge. Thanks in advance for the answers.

Regards
chris

Hello Chris,

PVC floor coverings are considered to be chemically very resistant, but they can react sensitively to aggressive solvents and fats, depending on the PVC composition (filler content). Ethers can attack PVC but are rather rare in the kitchen area; they are, for example, contained in vanillin. Plasticizer migration can also lead to discoloration.

Without precise analysis, the cause of the discoloration cannot be determined; our environment is rich in chemically reactive substances: in clothing, shoe soles, cleaning agents, building materials, food... It is hardly possible to accurately determine what reacts with what. All floor coverings suffer in the kitchen area with its fats, oils, acids, falling pots, knives, etc., a small comfort, but one has to live with it.

We had that too and I suspect it comes from the oil and vinegar. We then removed the whole thing and laid tiles on the floor.

We use many oils, acids, etc. in the household. Many of these products are very aggressive to PVC. That was the case with us too, and we wondered where it was coming from. Somehow we couldn't solve the puzzle.

Solvents are simply poison for any PVC flooring. Once I worked with spray paint and did not cover the PVC flooring well. Soon I had a gray streak on the floor. Later I learned that acetone attacks PVC flooring severely. I then had a lot of trouble removing it. To do this, I removed it with thinner.

Solvents are simply poison for any PVC flooring. I once worked with spray paint and didn’t properly cover the PVC flooring. Soon, I had a gray haze on the floor. Later, I learned that acetone attacks PVC flooring strongly. I then had a lot of trouble removing it. I removed it with thinner.

Good example. However, the paint probably didn’t bleach the color but created a matte cloudiness in the form of a layer from the deposition of the spray mist. This can, of course, be removed with the same solvent, which is already contained as an ingredient in the spray can. Thinner can help under certain circumstances. Acetone is pretty much the strongest thing you can do to PVC flooring. Since it is actually contained in almost every nail polish remover, it is also found in nearly every household. With it, you can not only attack the surface but also sand/smooth the seam at thermally welded joints.