Unsure on how to clean wood flooring? When it comes to shopping for wood floor cleaner our inner Kim and Aggie tend to take over. In goes our favourite soaps, detergents and wipes. It can be quite daunting when you think about how to clean wood flooring. But are all these cleaning products really necessary? What is the best way to clean wood flooring? Here's our top cleaning tips for Wood Flooring.
5 top tips to remember when cleaning your wood flooring are:
- Avoid using excessive liquid
- Think efficiently and save money
- Ask a professional when it comes to scratches
- Avoid using steam cleaners
- Sweep, mop (with caution), vacuum for effective results
1. Ditch the liquid overload.
A dry mop and concentrated cleaning agent is suffice for the majority of solid wood, engineered wood and laminate flooring. With the exception of oiled finish, this method is perfect to treat any dirt or loose debris. Oiled flooring will need an oil based treatment to prevent drying out.
There is no need to go excessive with multiple cleaners, finishing products and certainly avoid bleaching your floors. It’s not necessary and could cause discolouring or further damage.
For the more stubborn marks grab a damp cloth and wring it out as much as possible before tacking the area. You don’t want to risk soaking your floors with a wet mop as the excess water can seep through the wood and cause lifting, warping or even cracking.
All that’s left to do is turn up your speaker and off you go with your best Mrs Doubtfire cleaning moves – there’s no denying we all love to dance along to our favourite hits with our trusty mop in tow!
2. Think efficiently and save money.
Spray detergents dramatically reduce the amount of cleaner used compared to the free flow alternative. An all-in-one cleaning system is also much more efficient compared to juggling multiple products around your home. They can save you money in terms of replacement mop heads too as the machine washable microfiber cloths can be re-used time and time again.
3. Found a scratch on your wood flooring? Speak to the professionals.
The average lifespan of a quality solid wood flooring is 30 years. Whilst a regular cleaning routine and protective coverings will help preserve your flooring, it is inevitable in such an extensive time you will accumulate slight scratches or marks.
Don’t worry, these can easily be repaired but speak to the professionals. Call your supplier or seek the help of a local flooring specialist. You do not want to risk further damage with home remedies. Crayons, felt tips, paste, even filler - we’ve heard them all!
4. No Steam Cleaners.
Steam cleaners are a common household appliance that uses vapour cleaning to sanitise your flooring. Steam cleaners can damage solid wood floors, with the potential to cause discolouring, altering the finish, warping or cracking.
Alternative options are to sweep, mop (with caution, being careful not to use too much liquid), and hoover regularly to ensure the finish is as flawless as possible, looking pristine not collecting dirt.
5. Sweep, mop, vacuum.
As mentioned above, a great way to keep your wood flooring in beautiful condition, is to ensure you sweep, mop (being careful not to use too much liquid) and vacuum.
This method of cleaning will ensure any dirt and dust is cleaned up effectively without damage to your flooring. A soft brush hoover is recommended to prevent any scratches or marks to the flooring from use in cleaning.
Though this method may seem like you're adding another three chores to your list, it's a small price to pay for that luxurious finish and prevention of premature replacements due to damage.
Hopefully these tips were enough to give you confidence in how to clean your hard wood floor. If not, not to worry! We have specialists at hand to help you with your wood flooring queries, so get in touch now.
