It’s undeniable that homes with hardwood flooring are more attractive. Hardwoods have the inherent quality to be simultaneously elegant, fashionable, classic, and welcoming. Therefore, you must learn the best ways to clean your hardwood floors.

Hardwood floors require special care daily. This action is the best way to prevent dirt and grime from gaining permanence on the surface.

Regularly sweeping the floor is an excellent first step. However, maintaining wood floors requires more. It usually requires a proper floor maintenance routine.

In subsequent sections, we’ll not only go through cleaning steps. But we’ll also ensure you understand how to clean hardwood floors without scuffs.

How to Clean Hardwood Floors: Step by Step

Properly taking care of your hardwood floors will ensure they retain their pristine appearance for many years. The following steps will help you achieve your cleaning and maintenance goals:

Gather Up the Stray Dirt

Sweep the floor against the grain with a soft-bristled broom. This action will help pick up any stray debris. You can also use a vacuum for this phase, especially if there’s pet dander lying around.

Vacuuming is also ideal if your space has areas difficult to access. But be sure to use a soft floor nozzle and not carpet beaters. The latter has a high potential to destroy hardwood top finish.

Mop the Floor with A Cloth Dampened with Cleaning Solution

Moisten a rag with a cleaning solution designed for your hardwood floors. Afterwards, run it across the surface and let it spread around evenly. However, don’t let too much time go by, or the floor will dry out.

Mop the Floor with A Wet Rag of Water

You can get the cleaning solution off the floor by rinsing off the rag and then dampening it with water.

Afterwards, use a dry towel or mop to extract the moisture from the floor. Leaving residual dampness can damage your floors. You don’t want to buy hardwood flooring anew just months after installing a set.

Repeat the Initial Steps Frequently

Floors are susceptible to collecting dirt and grime. Therefore, you’ll need to clean hardwood floors regularly to keep them lustered.

You should mop heavy foot traffic rooms like the kitchen and family room twice or thrice a week. Once a month should suffice in cleaning the floors in seldom-used rooms.

How to Remove Certain Stains from Hardwood Floors

You risk scratching the surface and ruining the hardwood floor sealer. You need to learn the correct way to clean hardwood floors. Floors are fragile. Therefore, you need to be careful when removing stains.

Watermarks

Watermarks on floors can disappear after a few days of air drying. But there are instances when they don’t.

In such cases, you first must identify your hardwood floors finish. And your finishing will likely be any of the following:

• Penetrates the wood
• Surface finish: Protects the wood’s outermost layer

Here’s how to clean waxed hardwood floors stained with watermarks:

• Lightly scrub the stain with #000 steel wool.
• The stain may persist after the above. Therefore, you can lightly sand the area, then apply stain and buff it by hand.

You may be unsure how to sand down your floors. In fact, you may not have the necessary equipment. In this case, your best bet is to enlist a professional specializing in sealing hardwood floors if you need to carry out the second step.

On the other hand, the best cleaner to use on a floor with a surface finish is one designed for such finishes.

Non-greasy Spills

It’s easy to remove non-greasy edibles or drinks from most surfaces. Here’s how to clean hardwood floors of such stains:

• Get dish detergent and warm water. Mix both and apply to stained areas with a cloth. Do this in a circular motion.
• Afterwards, wipe away the solution with a wet rag and then a dry one

Greasy Leaks

Unnoticed spills of oil, butter, or other greasy substances can quickly damage hardwood flooring. If you discover such spills, the best way to clean such hardwood floors is to:

• Dab a cotton cloth soaked in hydrogen peroxide over the stain
• Leave it there for 5-10 minutes

This method may not get rid of the stain entirely immediately. You’ll need to do this cleaning several times.

In addition, hydrogen peroxide may or may not be safe for use on certain hardwood floors. The suitability depends on the wood type of your flooring. Essentially, this is one of the questions to ask when buying hardwood flooring.

So if you’re skeptical about hydrogen, you should test it out first in a hidden area of your hardwood floors.

Related Article: How Much Does It Cost to Install Engineered Hardwood Floors?

When to Clean Your Hardwood Floors?

Ideally, you should clean hardwood floors once a week. But, this depends on how often you prefer to freshen up your home.

However, you should understand that liquids left for too long will rot wood boards. And so can other forms of debris damage your floors if not cleaned up swiftly.

Regarding frequency, another hardwood floor cleaning guide is considering foot-traffic. How many people use your space per day? How many pets do you have? Do you have kids or infants?

Your floor is susceptible to dirt, grime, and pet hair if it experiences heavy foot traffic. Wooden floors can quickly lose their lustre if they aren’t kept clean. For this reason, you may need to clean hardwood floors twice a week.

Best Products for Cleaning Hardwood Floors

The following are great cleaning products for your hardwood floors:

1. Disposable Mop with Cleaner for Wood Floors by SWIFFER
2. Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray by BONA
3. Best Microfiber Mop with Cleaner for Wood Floors by BONA
4. Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner by BLACK DIAMOND
5. Oil Soap Original Wood Cleaner by Murphy

General Hardwood Floor Maintenance Hacks

The National Wood Flooring Association recommends the following methods for keeping your hardwood in good condition:

Clean Up Any Accidental Spills Immediately

When cleaning up a spill, use a dry or slightly damp cloth and avoid using a wet or steam mop.

Get and Use Furniture Pads

The legs of your chairs, couches, tables, etc., can scratch your hardwood floors. Protect them by using furniture pads.

Sweep or Dust Regularly

It’s a valid suggestion, even if it may sound redundant or ordinary.

Vacuum Weekly

Vacuuming your floors once a week is essential if you want them clean.

Related Article: Bona – The Best Coating System for Your Wood Flooring

Summary

The sanitation guide in this article shows you don’t need to do too much to clean hardwood floors. You only need to attach a diligent frequency to it.

Additionally, cleaning your floors is more fun if you have a design that keeps you in love. And we sell some of the best hardwood flooring patterns.

Check out our online store at Three Trees Flooring for beautiful hardwood flooring designs. They’re not just visually pleasing but also of high quality. Contact (416) 665-2624 to speak to us today.