Hardwood flooring is one of the best investments you can make for your home but can cost anywhere between $6,000 and $12,000 to install. Because they can be so expensive, learning how to maintain these is essential to protect your investment.
Do you want to learn how to clean wood floors?
Keep reading this article for everything you need to know about cleaning wood floors, the best cleaners, and more.
Regularly Sweep and Vacuum
One of the most important parts of cleaning your wood floors is regularly sweeping and vacuuming them. Because dust and other abrasive debris can build up so quickly on your wood floors, this can scratch your floors over time and result in a dull surface.
Sweeping the floors will remove this dust and will prevent your floors from getting scratched. You can use anything from a soft-bristled broom to a dust mop or anything else.
Use a Microfiber Mop
When you are deep cleaning your wood floors, you need to make sure you do not use any abrasive scrubbers. While it may seem easier to clean up sticky debris or other spills that are caked onto your floor, it can damage the surface of your hardwood.
Instead, you should try mopping wood floors with soft cloths, like a microfiber pad or even a string mop. Still, you need to make sure you wring out your water or cleaner to make sure there is not too much solution on your floors.
Immediately Clean Spills
Next, you must immediately clean up spills on your wood floors. While wood floors need to be deep cleaned every week or two, leaving debris or other spills on your floor for this long can cause permanent damage.
For example, leaving materials like acetone, oil, milk, or chemicals can cause moisture stains and discoloration.
Plus, leaving spilled crumbs and other rough debris can also cause scratches on your wood floor. By always cleaning up spills and messes immediately, you will keep your wood floors looking new for longer.
Test Out Different Products
Whenever you are using new cleaning products, it is essential that you test them out on a patch of your flooring. While many cleaners are marketed as wood safe cleaners, they may still have harsh chemicals that can damage the surface of your floor.
By doing a simple patch test in an obscure area of your floor, you can make sure that the cleaner does not damage the wood before using it on the rest of your floor.
You should also avoid using homemade or natural products, like vinegar or baking soda solutions. These acidic cleaning solutions can cause the polyurethane coating on your wood floors to dull.
Never Steam Clean
Another important tip to follow when you are cleaning your wood floors is to never steam clean your hardwood floors. While this may seem like a simple way to deep clean wood floors, it can lead to serious damage.
The hot steam and the moisture from the cleaners can lead to warped wood. Even if you have engineered hardwood that is water-resistant, the water can seep through the layers and eventually weaken and damage your flooring.
Similarly, you must be careful of flooding on your hardwood floors when you are cleaning. Using a soaking wet mop or having standing water on your hardwood floors can also cause your flooring to warp and expand.
If you are using a cleaner of any kind, make sure you thoroughly wring out your mop to prevent standing water. Even letting an ice cube melt on your floor can cause damage, so make sure you always keep your wood floors dry.
Avoid Heavy Equipment
Another important tip is to avoid using heavy equipment on your wood floors. This is one of the easiest ways you can avoid damaging your flooring.
For example, you should not use any type of floor cleaning machine that is meant for tough flooring. This heavy equipment can scratch your floors and cause other issues. Even using something like a heavy push broom with hard bristles can damage the finish of your hardwood floors.
When you vacuum your floors, make sure you remove the brush roll, as this can also scratch your flooring. If you use a vacuum, make sure the wheels are rubber so they will not damage your floor.
To be safe, it is best to use soft tools, like microfiber cloths, a soft mop, or soft-bristled brooms.
Hire a Professional Cleaner
Finally, to make sure your wood floors are properly cleaned, you can consider hiring a professional house cleaner. They know the proper methods of cleaning wood floors to avoid damage and already have all the cleaning supplies and equipment to keep your wood floors looking new.
If you want to learn more about hiring a professional cleaner for your home, you can ask your local cleaning company for a free quote for their services.
Want a Clean Wood Floor?
Having a clean wood floor does not have to be difficult. However, it is important to avoid damaging wood floors by following each of these cleaning tips. If you are still worried about cleaning your wood floors, hiring a house cleaning company can provide you with peace of mind.
Are you looking for house cleaning services to help you with your wood floors? Dirt Busters can help! Our team provides everything from basic cleaning to move-out cleaning and more.
Contact us today to learn how to clean floors and to get an instant quote.
