What Is The Best Way To Clean A Wood Floor

Knowing how to clean wooden floors is a must if you like the audio of having it effectually your home. Considering, while wooden floor is a durable pick for just about whatsoever room in the habitation, it does still require some care and maintenance – especially if y'all want to maximise its longevity.

In that location are a few tried and tested ways to clean hardwood flooring – and these methods beneath are the best. If your wooden flooring is looking a little tiresome, take a look at our guide to the best wooden floor cleaners, before using our step-by-step guide to help you restore it to its former glory.

Before we get started, you will demand:

• Flooring mop
• Vacuum cleaner
• Wood flooring cleaner
• Soft cleaning cloth
• Deep cleaning production
• Fine grade steel wool
• Bicarbonate of soda
• Vinegar

(Epitome credit: Farrow & Ball)

• Got unlike flooring to make clean? This is how to clean a floor like a pro – any it's made from.

What type of hardwood flooring do y'all take?

Earlier you get started, it's important that you lot observe out what finish y'all have on your wooden floor.

New wooden floors: About new wood floors are sealed with a polyurethane blanket; they're also stained or painted to protect the surface. These floors are like shooting fish in a barrel to care for and are resistant to stains and h2o damage.

Never use oils or waxes on these floors, as they will become dangerously glace to walk on.

Quondam wooden floors: In older homes the wooden floors are likely to have a soft, oiled finish, this oil soaks into the grain, hardens it and forms a summit seal. If you have this kind of flooring it will need to be looked after and protected with oil or wax.

Lacquered or varnished stop: If your woods has a lacquered, varnished finish you lot'll find they are not every bit resistant to wet and wear as polyurethane sealants. This means that you will need to treat them the same as yous would an oiled floor.

Unsure what kind of end your wooden floor has? Don't worry, simply rub your finger across it and if no marker appears, the floor is surface-sealed. If a mark is left, the floor has been treated with a seal, oil finish or varnish.

• Find out more nigh choosing the all-time solid wood flooring in our guide.

(Paradigm credit: Getty)

A uncomplicated weekly clean for a wooden floor

1. Kickoff by vacuuming the flooring to collect any dust, dirt or pet hair. If y'all are worried about scratches apply the soft flooring-brush attachment of your vacuum.

2. Get a mop and fill a bucket full of clean, warm water. Spray an everyday cleaner such as Orange Glo Hardwood directly on to a patch of the floor. This is not suitable for waxed or oiled floors.

3. Dip your mop into the bucket, wring out all h2o until it is merely damp and mop backwards and forwards across the area yous have sprayed following the grain on the forest. Movement to next area and echo. The flooring will dry in minutes.

4. For oiled floors only employ a bucket full of evidently, warm water and mop as higher up. Modify the water when it gets cloudy. Leave to air dry for xv minutes, opening windows if appropriate.

5. Buff the floor with a soft fabric.

• Find out more on finding the best reclaimed wooden floor in our guide.

A deep clean for a wooden floor

1. Clay, grease, oil and grime volition naturally build upwards on your wooden floor, and then it's a good idea to give it a really proficient deep clean twice a year to keep it looking its best.

ii. Buy a trademarked deep cleaning product that suits your flooring blazon and use co-ordinate to the instructions – if in whatever doubt, inquire the manufacturer of your flooring what products they recommend.

3. Dip a mop into your bucket of cleaning product and wring out and then that it'due south clammy, not soaking moisture. Mop the flooring being carefully to not leave huge puddles of water equally this tin ruin the wood. Some cleaning products need to be rinsed off with a clean, damp mop afterward wards so check the instructions on the bottle.

iv. Open the window and air dry or if information technology's also cold plough on the cardinal heating to speed up the drying process.

How to remove stains from an oiled floor

• Baking soda: For general scratches and scuff marks put 1tsp of bicarbonate of soda on a clammy sponge and rub over marking.
• Washing up liquid: For an oily stain, rub the area with a soft cloth and a blob of washing-upwardly liquid to break down the grease. Rinse with clean, warm water and repeat until the stain has gone.
• Steel wool: For dark spots – such as water marks and pet urine – rub with a fine course steel wool earlier polishing with a soft cloth dipped in flooring oil. Notation: Chose an oil colour to match the colour of your floor.
• White vinegar: If the area is nevertheless dark, apply 1tbsp of vinegar and permit it soak into the wood for nigh an 60 minutes. Rinse with a damp cloth, then buff up with the oil that matches your floor color.
• Floor oil: Remove heel marks past rubbing with fine steel wool and floor oil.

For stubborn stains that don't respond to handling, lightly sand the floor with fine paper, make clean with fine grade steel wool and white spirit (or white vinegar), then buff up with the oil that matches your floor'south natural colour.

• Find more than stain removal tips in our guide.

(Image credit: Getty)

How to clean and protect wooden floors

• Remove dust and clay regularly: Dust and clay are 2 of the most harmful things to wooden floors, so y'all don't want either sitting on your flooring for besides long. Reusable microfiber pads attract dust, clay, and grime – keeping your floors looking fresh and clean. Depending on how dusty your home gets, y'all might have to use a microfiber. mop or vacuum daily, if not every other day.
• Wipe up spills immediately: Wipe then and vitrify dry to avoid stains.
• Never flood a floor (especially corners): When mopping your hardwood floors, resist the urge to over-saturate your mop. Water is non forest's friend as information technology's and then porous and so when lots of moisture seeps in, it can cause discolouring or the wood to buckle.
• Avoid steam mops:  Fifty-fifty the all-time steam cleaner on the market place is sadly non the wisest choice for your hardwood floors. While these mops are ideal for non-porous floors like laminate and tile, they saturate  wood floors with too much water, an result that's intensified with steam.
• Steer clear of harsh detergents: Avoiding whatsoever chemicals and harsh cleaners is vital. For case, while some are fractional to Murphy's Oil Soap, the cleaner can cause a buildup over the terminate of your floors and leave behind a sticky residuum that makes footprints or streaks more than visible.
• Try vinegar in an camouflaged spot kickoff: Many praise vinegar, simply the all-natural cleaner can be too acidic for some hardwood floors, and may react negatively with your finish and cause some dulling or damage. Spot examination an area before you use it to treat stains as above.
• Utilize furniture pads:Information technology'southward of import to forestall vesture, scratches, and damage in the commencement place. This means outfitting the bottom of the legs of furniture with piece of furniture pads, so the wood doesn't endure indentations or scratches.
• Use door mats: Accept them at every entry to your home as they are also necessary to forbid water or dirt from entering the home and damaging the floors. One outside and in the entryway is best.
• Invest in an expanse carpet: Ane of the easiest and most stylish means to protect your hardwood floors is with a rug. Expanse rugs are like furniture pads in that they'll protect the hardwood floors from scratches. They as well catch the dust and dirt that your door mats don't. But make sure they don't have a rubber or constructed latex backing or a rough exterior that will scratch or damage the hardwood.
• Monitor sunlight levels: Whether you accept defunction or blinds, be aware of how much sunlight you're assuasive onto your hardwood floors. Wood is photosensitive in the same way we are. The more than light they get, the darker they become. Areas of a hardwood floor hidden nether a carpeting may appear much lighter when the carpet is moved. To prevent this, you lot'll want to motility rugs and furniture around, so you don't stop upward with light and dark patches of wood. You could too invest in defunction, blinds, or shades that assistance filter lite around rooms.

(Image credit: Grace & Glory)

• Discover the best mop for the job.

Tips from the pros

Martha Stewart along with Mary Gagliardi of Clorox suggest that 'Dirt and crud, specially, tin make your hardwood floors wait tedious. If this is the case, deep clean hardwood floors every two to four weeks... ' Gagliardi also suggests sweeping or vacuuming (only if you have a hardwood floor attachment), then mix up your cleaning solution and 'Utilize a conventional mop (a mop with hands-free wringing makes the task even easier) or you can employ a microfiber mop'.

Donna Smallin Kuper creator of Declutter.com shares that 'A common mistake is cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar and h2o. The makers of wood and woods laminate flooring beg yous non to do that as vinegar is acidic and tin can impairment the surface of your floors. They recommend vacuuming first and then using a only a clammy mop... Also, never use an eraser-blazon sponge to remove a stain from wood flooring as it will remove the finish likewise as the stain. '

Have your wooden floors looking skilful as new, for years to come!

Source: https://www.realhomes.com/advice/how-to-clean-hardwood-floors

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