How To Clean Hardwood Floors the Right Way
Hardwood floors add elegant warmth and striking sophistication to any home. But let’s face it, floors can build up a lot of grime, especially with kids or pets in the mix. Moreover, without proper care, hardwood floors can show signs of age over time: the polished finish may dull, the inviting tones may darken, and delicate grain structures may become less distinctive.
What’s the secret to maintaining the integrity of your hardwood floors? Deep cleaning.
Read on to learn all about the best ways to deep clean hardwood floors to keep your home looking stunning, timeless, and beautiful.
Understanding Your Flooring
Before cleaning the floors in your home or commercial property, it’s important to find out a little information about the type and durability of your flooring. Durability can be defined by longevity, resistance to moisture, and resistance to dents.
Laminate flooring is a less expensive option to hardwood and requires an entirely different approach to cleaning and general care.
Hardwood flooring can be categorized as either traditional hardwood or engineered hardwood. Traditional solid options are expensive and manufactured from single pieces of wood that feature a tongue and groove profile, meaning they can be sanded and repaired if required. However, they are less resistant to moisture which is crucial information when cleaning the hardwood floor.
Engineered hardwood flooring is less vulnerable to moisture because it’s made using two or more layers of wood. It is topped with a veneer layer, which can vary in thickness. Thinner options limit your sanding opportunities, but you can still clean this type of finish.
Popular varieties of hardwood flooring include Maple, Cherry, Pine, Hickory, Ash, Oak, Mahogany, Cedar, Fir, Walnut, and Teak. A knowledge and understanding of the exact hardwood type allows you to consider maintenance options while also understanding moisture threats.
So, How Should Hardwood Floor Be Cleaned?
Knowing which type of hardwood floor you possess is one thing, but knowing how to clean it in an effective and responsible manner is another. Follow the steps below and you won’t go wrong.
Identify the Finish
While the type of wood has an impact on the look of the floor, it’s the finish that truly dictates which cleaning techniques and materials are best suited to the job. Hardwood flooring finishes can fall into one of two categories: surface finishes and penetrating finishes.
Modern wood floors are sealed with polycrylic, urethane, or polyurethane. The surface finishes are manufactured to incorporate a protective layer on the wood. They pool water rather than absorb it, meaning you can use water-based cleaning materials.
Older or original hardwood is usually sealed with a penetrating sealant, shellac, or an oil based finish before being waxed. These will absorb moisture which can destroy the wood. Solvent-based cleaning products are vital in this situation.
An easy way to determine what kind of finish is present is by running a finger across a plank or strip of the floor. If it smudges you have an older finish and seatant. If it doesn’t smudge your wood floor has a hard, modern finish.
Remove Dust
Hardwoods show dust, pet hairs, and other debris in a more visible manner than carpets and alternative flooring types. Therefore, you must incorporate regular sweeping and vacuuming into your routine. Using a dry mop that boasts a microfiber cloth pad or a vacuum equipped with a floor-brush attachment is key.
This step can be used for both types of finish.
Deep Clean Dirt Buildups
When dusting processes don’t work, it’s necessary to do a deep clean. For a surfaced-finished hardwood using pH neutral, wax-free, and petroleum-free cleaner is advised. Using a damp (but not soaking) mop, create circular motions to lift the dirt and grime. Then rinse the mop with clean water and use the damp mop head to wash the hardwood clean. Dab a clean towel on the area to get it dry.
Penetrating finishes requires a slightly different approach. Clean the wood with a cloth that is saturated in mineral spirits (purchase at your local hardware or home center) and let it sit for five minutes. Once you have dried it with a clean and dry cloth, apply a solvent-based hardwood floor wax. Then use circular motions or an electric polisher to create desired finish.
Deep cleaning should be completed every six months, or more frequently if the floor looks particularly dirty.
Remove Tough Stains
Your hardwood floors may encounter a number of difficult stains. Dried food can often be lifted with the edge of a plastic knife while the final parts can be gently scrubbed. When it’s a penetrating floor, you may need to apply some polish afterward to restore the look.
Oil stains are best fought with Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) which is readily available at hardware stores and home centers. Add two teaspoons to a small bucket of warm water and then use a clean cloth and circular motion to lift the stain. Then dry it out.
Meanwhile, candle wax and chewing gum is best treated with ice. Place a bag of ice on the area to loosen it up before lifting it with a plastic knife. Once again, penetrating floors may require a little polishing.
Tough stains caused by water and ink on penetrating floors can be treated by lightly sanding the stain with sandpaper before using a damp cloth and steel wool with mineral spirits to wipe the stains away. Wax must then be added.
For surface-finished floors, a purposed-designed scouring pad and hardwood flooring cleaner will suffice.
Why Is Cleaning Your Hardwood Floors So Important?
Maintaining the cleanliness of your hardwood floors is the best way to protect your investment, not only for your floors, but for your home as well. If left uncleaned, your hardwood floor’s finish can deteriorate and require you to replace it well before you should need to. There are simple steps to prevent spending excess cash on your floor and help give them the protection needed for the long lasting life they are known to have.
Below are some of the main culprits for damage done to your hardwood floors.
Hidden Dust and Dirt
You won’t be able to see these very easily unless you are close. They get under boards and cause damage to the finish by scratching the surface. You should vacuum or sweep at least once a week to prevent this from becoming a major problem.
Rain and Snow
If you don’t have a welcome mat before reaching your hardwood floors, it’s time to invest in one. Dragging in rain water or snow on your boots can be one of the biggest reasons why people see premature damage throughout their home. If these puddles are left to dry they can cause the finish on your hardwood to blister and bubble. This will cause it to flake off and give it a discolored look. It will be also exposed to other elements if you don’t refinish quickly.
Heavy Traffic
If you have newly installed or refinished hardwood floors in high traffic areas of your home, it’s a good idea to get some rugs to help guide footsteps through each room. Whether you allow shoes or walk barefoot through the home, over time you will begin to notice the shine disappear from your beautiful wood floors.
Preventive Care
Preventive care makes all the difference in the world when it comes to an investment like hardwood floors. Here are some tips to remember:
- Put floor protectors on your furniture legs. These are pieces of felt that stick on the bottom of your couch or chair legs so they don’t scratch the floor when you bump or move them.
- Take off your shoes when you enter the house. While you might think this rule only applies to carpeted floors, bits of rock or debris can easily scratch your wood flooring, and snow or rain water can also do damage.
- It’s not just your feet that you should worry about. Trim your pet’s nails so those paws don’t leave scratches in the wood.
- Be just as cautious with wine spills on wood floors as carpet. The wine can warp and discolor the wood if left too long.
- Sop up excess water that spills on your floor. Sure, it will dry on its own, but prolonged exposure can damage the wood.
How to Best Clean Hardwood Floors: Call An Expert
Don’t have time to deal with maintaining your hardwood floors? Give our flooring experts a call today.
Here at STAT Floor Cleaning we have years of experience helping homeowners clean and maintain their hardwood flooring. If you are too busy to take time out of your schedule to clean your hardwood floors, get in touch with our team of hardwood floor specialists today.
We’d be happy to offer advice or send our flooring specialists to your home to help you with any hardwood flooring maintenance issues.
