Hardwood floors are one of the most durable surface-covering materials that never goes out of the style. However, regular cleaning is compulsory to keep the essence and freshness of your hardwood floor.
Hardwood flooring has become a classic due to its survival for thousands of years. It still holds its popularity despite numerous shifts in styles & designs. The main reason behind this is that hardwood flooring holds the connection between your interior & the natural world.
To keep your floor tidy & sparkling, you need to take care of it. Cleaning is not so tough for hardwood floors if you know how to do it correctly. Also, it is not so expensive either, considering you can find all the necessary tools close to your hands.
To preserve the natural charm & unique beauty of your hardwood floor and properly clean it follow the instructions below-
Things Needed to Clean Hardwood Floors:
You need to clean your hardwood floor at least once a week. Going without cleaning for a long time will make the floor look all worn out.
To do a proper cleaning, you need to provide some extra special care. The conventional ways of scrubbing won’t do much good to your hardwood floor.
You will need some tools for mopping and vacuuming the whole place. The vacuums from Cleaners Expert are very useful and convenient to use.
Make sure you have the following tools in hands-
Wringer Bucket
Nowadays, Wringer buckets have become very popular. The main facility of this bucket is that it has a separate compartment to rinse the cloth. Besides, it is cheap too. The rinse compartment automatically rinses the water from the cloth. So, you don’t need to get stressed out doing it manually.
Microfiber Twist Mop
This mop is distinctive in design. Microfibers help much in cleaning because they can collect most of the debris, which could be difficult for a conventional broom.
Microfiber Cloth
Gradually Microfiber cloth is gaining much popularity. You can rinse most of the water out of this cloth & make it damp instantly. Using A prerequisite to mop your hardwood floor is using a damp cloth. A microfiber cloth serves that purpose right.
Warm Water
Warm water is always better to use. It is useful in killing unwanted bacterias & other microbes.
Dishwashing Liquid
As your floor is sensitive to so many products using chemicals other than dishwashing liquid on your hardwood floor may not be a wise choice. Using wrong chemicals for cleaning will instead make your floor dull. Dishwashing liquids are very mild and safer to use.
Vinegar
As a natural cleaner, vinegar has its charm. You can always go with vinegar if you don’t want to buy any scrubbing chemicals from the store. But using the right quantity is essential; otherwise, your floor will look shineless & dull.
Know The Type Of Your Hardwood Floor
Without knowing the type of hardwood floor you have, it is hard to decide how to clean because different types of floors require different types of tools as well as the ways to clean it also varies.
So be sure to know your kind. There are three types of hardwood floors. Some of them contain coating, while others don’t. These are:
Polyurethane Coating
Most of today’s hardwood flooring has this finish. Polyurethane coated hardwood floors look clean & shiny. They are easier to take care of & require less cleaning. Besides, these have an excellent capacity for absorbing water.
Finished Hardwood Floor
These finished hardwood floors have a waxy or oily coating. You can relax as these coatings greatly repel water or any liquids falling on the floor. But the glossy appearance is somewhat absent here.
Unfinished Hardwood Floor
These hardwood floors are quite cheap, considering other hardwood floors. But the main problem here is they have no soaking capacity. So, if you have this type of floor, you can not mop it with water.
There is an easy way to find out your type of hardwood floor. You can drop a little water & wait to see if the floor absorbs it or not. If the floor absorbs, then it has no coating. But if it doesn’t, then you have a layer on your hardwood floor.
3 Steps To Clean Your Hardwood Floor
There are three necessary steps to follow if you want to clean your hardwood floor & these are:
Sweep Regularly
Hardwood floors last decades if maintained properly. Dust & debris tend to make the floor dull. These can leave scratch marks too. To get rid of it, you need to sweep the floor regularly by using a broom. Also, you can use a disposable electrostatic mop to clean the more rugged areas of the floor.
Carefully Mop The Floor
Don’t freak out just yet! We both know using water on your hardwood floor without knowing about the coating is just self-destructive. However, you can always mop with a damp cloth.
Remember to wring off the water properly before using the cloth to wipe. Then you do not have to worry about destroying your floor anymore.
Effectively Vacuum The Corners
Using a vacuum cleaner is also a good option. There may be some parts of your kitchen or living room, which may seem hard for you to reach. The vacuum cleaner is there to save you. It is very efficient in collecting dust, pet hairs & debris.
Also, it doesn’t do any harm to your floor unless the vacuum cleaner has plastic wheels underneath it. Be careful about that!
Quick Tips To Remove Various Stains From Your Hardwood Floor
Oil Stains
To remove oil marks, you can use a soft towel & dishwashing liquid. Rub the area with the cloth until you break down the grease. Rinse a little & then let it dry. After drying, use sandpaper to clean the rest of the marks.
Dark Spots
To remove dark spots, you can use vinegar, bleach, or floor wax. Apply these on the dark spot & wait till it dries. Then use a damp cloth to rinse.
Heel Marks
Just like the dark spots, use floor wax. Then rub it with steel wool.
White Rings/WaterMarks
You need to rub the watermarks gently with steel wool & wax. Use fine sandpaper & then let the floor dry.
Don’ts Of Hardwood Floor Cleaning
- If you have spilled something accidentally like an ice cube, pick it up immediately. Don’t ignore these wet spills.
- Stop using cleaning products that you don’t know. Like we previously mentioned, they might end up damaging your floor instead.
- Say no to overly wet mops, especially for unfinished hardwood floors.
- Stop using rubbing alcohol. It will damage the polyurethane layer.
Final Thoughts
Hardwood floors give off that rustic vibe and are also very durable if used and maintained properly. Most floors last for years without a scratch, but proper cleaning and maintenance will make them last even longer. So, follow these above-mentioned tips to keep your hardwood floor shining brightly.
