Hardwood floors add a touch of class to your home décor as they come in elegant and inviting designs. They are known to even make a room look bigger and offer us with flexible decorative style as hardwood floors complement everything perfectly. How then do we properly clean and maintain hardwood floor?
Hardwood floors are quite delicate as they are more prone to scratches, staining, and swelling if not properly cleaned and maintained. The best place to start is to implement smart preventive measures to protect your hardwood floors which in turn will simplify your Home or Office cleaning tasks.
To lessen tracked-in dirt, place floor mats both outside and outside of your room, request people to remove shoes so dirt, grime, and germs don’t get tracked all over the house. Especially with hardwood floors, scratch-causing shoes should be checked at the door. Prevent marks on hardwood floors by using floor protectors under furniture and adding rugs in play areas to ensure children’s toys don’t scratch the floor. Follow the mop manufacturer’s recommendations for using wood floor polish or dusting sprays; some mops won’t require an extra cleaning agent. In addition to these daily best practices, follow our tips for cleaning wood floors to keep your home in top shape.
Daily routine cleaning of hardwood floors
The frequency of cleaning your hardwood floor will depend on the amount of traffic your floor sees. For areas with low traffic regular dusting with a broom or dust mop will do wonders for cleaning hardwood floors. For a quick clean, dust the wooden floor using a dry mop with a microfibre head as this mops have a dusting agent to pick up dust, dirt, and pet hair that might scratch the floor surface. This material is designed to trap dust and grime. Always clean spills right away, and never allow water or any other liquid to remain on the surface of your wood floor. It is imperative that you should avoid using too much water on your hardwood floor surfaces as this may lead to swelling of the wood resulting in an uneven floor surface.
When considering how to clean hardwood floors, don’t overlook vacuuming. For weekly or biweekly cleaning, vacuum with a floor brush attachment. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar attachment, which can scratch a wood floor’s finish. For quick dusting, use disposable electrostatic cloths.
How to deep clean hardwood floors
Being that wooden floors are quite delicate and sometimes routine floor protection and maintenance cleaning aren’t as effective, Once in a while, a deeper clean is in order. Dirt, oil, and grime build up over time and aren’t completely removed by a weekly dusting. There are various methods and products that are effective during deep cleaning of the hardwood floor, however, It is advisable to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations before using any cleaning agents, wood floor polish, or dusting spray as some substances may erode the protective layer on the hardwood floor. Below are a few pointers to properly deep cleaning your hardwood floors:
Use a wood floor mop and wood floor cleaning product diluted according to the label instructions. Saturate a sponge or rag mop in the water, then wring it almost dry so it feels only slightly damp to the touch. Damp-mop the floor, being careful to prevent standing water on the floor. Rinse with a clean mop dampened in clean water, but only if the cleaning product requires it. Wipe up excess liquid because standing water can damage wood surfaces. If the weather is humid, operate a ceiling fan or the air-conditioner to speed up drying. If cleaning isn’t cutting it, you may need to refinish the wood floors to help them look like new.
Finding the right cleaning product for your hardwood floor
There are so many hardwood floor cleaning products in the market. It is important to select the right one for your floor types. Talk to your floor manufacturer. They will give you some recommendations for cleaning products that will effectively clean and maintains your hardwood floor. However, if you cant contact your floor manufacturer, do a bit of research on the locally available products. Most of the cleaning product manufacturers will have their product catalog online which will clearly indicate their uses, benefits, safety datasheet, and how to use instructions. Once you have settled for a cleaning product that suites your hardwood floor type follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
How to clean your hardwood floors naturally
Deep cleaning of hardwood floor does not have to be an expensive affair. Many common household items clean just as effectively as their commercial counterparts. Moreover, most homemade cleaning alternatives lack the chemicals components commonly found in many commercial products, which means the natural ingredients are often safer for people as well as the environment. Check out these homemade hardwood floor cleaners that can save you time, effort, and money:
Vinegar and water
You may have already discovered the benefits of using vinegar in your households. Due to its acidic components, It’s used for cooking cleaning disinfecting, deodorizing and so much more. But did you know that it can also cut through the grime that builds up on your hardwood floors?
To clean your hardwood floors with vinegar, add 1/2 cup (approx 118ml) white vinegar to a gallon (approx 3.8L) of lukewarm water. Saturate a sponge or rag mop in the water, then wring it almost dry so it feels only slightly damp to the touch. Damp-mop the floor, being careful to prevent standing water on the floor. PLEASE NOTE: Vinegar can dull certain hardwood flooring finishes, so always test your solution in an inconspicuous spot before using the ingredient to clean your floors.
Use black tea to clean your hardwood floor
Alongside water and vinegar, a black tea-and-water combination is an effective home remedy cleansing contender for hardwood floors. The acidic level in black tea lifts dirt from the floor, but it is not as harsh as vinegar. The acidic level of vinegar is around pH-3, which can strip the varnish from stained floors; however, tea, has a gentler acidic value. It removes the dirt without harming the finish of your floors; moreover, the process is cheap: It’s relatively inexpensive and probably already in your pantry.
To prepare your tea solution, prepare black tea as you normally would. The stronger the tea the better, cool the tea to room temperature, put it in a spray bottle. Spot clean your wooden floor with the tea solution and a soft scouring pad, Wipe off the excess tea ensuring that you leave your wooden floor dry at all times. PLEASE NOTE: Black tea can dull certain hardwood flooring finishes, so always test your solution in an inconspicuous spot before using the ingredient to clean your floors.
