How To Deep Clean Hardwood Floors – Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home renovation, home repair and DIY. Proven, genuine and trusted home advice
Solved! This is the best way to clean hard floors. Bring hardwood back to life with these safe dusting, deep cleaning and stain removal solutions.
How To Deep Clean Hardwood Floors
Q: I’ve never given much thought to cleaning my cherry wood floor, but I’m starting to realize how boring it is. What is the best way to clean hard floors? I would appreciate advice on hardwood floor cleaning techniques and a good hardwood floor cleaner.
How To Clean Hardwood Floors?
A: It’s true, regular cleaning is essential to maintaining hardwood floors. Because different floor surfaces have different maintenance requirements, the best way to clean hardwood floors does not depend on the type of wood (eg cherry, maple, or oak). If you use the wrong method or cleaner, you can damage the wood.
Read on to learn how to determine the condition of your floor and how to choose products for dusting, deep cleaning and stain removal. By following these recommended hardwood floor cleaning techniques, your hardwood floor will look great for years to come.
The easiest way to check if a floor has coating is to grab a small, hidden spot on the floor with a sharp knife blade and scrape off a small amount of coating. If the scraped material is clear, your floor will have a surface finish. If the floor gets dirty when scraped, but no clear material is removed, the floor has a permeable coating.
Weekly dry mopping, mopping and/or vacuuming are great ways to remove light dust, dirt and pet hair from hardwood floors. This routine works on soils with a surface or permeable coating.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning
The best mop for hardwood floors is usually a mop with a large, flat head attached to a microfiber cloth, such as a Swiffer sweeper. These mops have pads with small synthetic fibers that reach into the grooves of wood floors to collect and hold dust without scratching the wood.
To reduce costs and reduce environmental impact, choose pads that can be removed, machine washed and reused. A pair of reusable pads like the Old Home Kitchen Mop Pads are compatible with many brands of hardwood floor mops and cost less than $15.
If you prefer mopping, choose a broom with synthetic fiber tips to catch dust that has collected on the broom head and prevent it from settling back on the floor.
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If vacuuming is your favorite way to remove dust, use the floor brush attachment and avoid the blow bar—the rotating brush can damage hardwood floors. Move your cleaning tool from one side of the floor to the other, paying particular attention to where adjacent boards meet. These corners are hiding places for trapped dust.
Deep Cleaning Your Hardwood Floors
Remove baked-on food by gently inserting the tip of a plastic knife under the bottom edge of the residue, then gently slide the knife upward. Rub the wiped area with a clean cloth lightly moistened with a few drops of water, then wipe off the water with a dry cloth.
If you are using this technique on a floor with a penetrating finish and a small area of the wax layer is scraped off with the knife, use a soft cloth to reapply a hardwood floor wax to the area and build up the area. Shiny flawless.
Oil and grease stains are easily dissolved on surface or penetration finish floors when exposed to trisodium phosphate (TSP). Wearing protective gloves and safety glasses, dilute 2 tablespoons of TSP to 1 gallon of warm water in a large bucket. Dip the tip of a clean cloth into the solution, then work it into the stain in gentle, circular motions. Once the DSP has dissolved, run a water-soaked cloth over the area to absorb the DSP, then quickly dry the area with a clean cloth.
Dried wax, crayon stains and gum on surface or penetration finish floors can be easily removed with ice. Fill a Ziploc freezer bag with a few ice cubes and place the cold bag over the leftovers until it becomes brittle, then scrape it off with the edge of a plastic spatula.
How To Clean Laminate Floors
If the trowel removes the protective wax from a permeable floor, reapply a solvent-based hard floor wax to the scraped area with a soft cloth, then buff the repaired area with the cloth.
Some of the most stubborn stains are stains caused by water, ink or pet urine. For floors with a permeable finish, it is best to combat these stains with the following steps, using only a suitable hard floor cleaner and a cleaning pad suitable for permeable treated flooring.
If the finished hardwood floor is still dull or dull after dusting, clean thoroughly with a pH-neutral, wax- and oil-free cleaner. B. Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner or a homemade solution of ¼ cup dish soap and 1 gallon warm water.
The best way to mop finished wood floors is to soak a mop in cleaner, wring out the excess liquid until the mop head is wet but not dripping, then use a circular mop tool to mop 3-foot sections of the floor. Timed sweeping motions to remove dirt and grime. Then rinse the mop with clean water, wring out the excess and wet mop the floor again to absorb the remaining cleaner. Use a soft, clean cloth such as AIDEA microfiber cleaning cloths to dry the floor.
How To Clean Engineered Hardwood Floors
If your floor has a permeable finish, the best way to deep clean is to remove the dirty old wax layer and reapply a new layer of wax. Using a clean cloth dipped in mineral spirits, scrub the floor one at a time, letting the mineral spirits sit on each section for 5 minutes. Then dry thoroughly with a fresh, dry cloth.
Finish by applying a solvent-based hard floor wax such as Trewax Paste Wax with a soft cloth. Use the dosage recommended by the manufacturer. Next, use a cloth or electric polisher (buy one or rent one at a hardware store) to wax in a circular motion, rubbing in 2-foot sections at a time.
Dirty or not, get a proper deep clean every couple of years. It can be hard to notice the gradual changes in the floor you walk on every day, but you’ll be amazed at the difference after cleaning.
When looking for the best way to clean hard floors, first determine the type of floor surface. The type of surface will determine the type of cleaning products and methods that will help clean the floor safely. While a good deep clean can help restore the look of the wood, it’s usually only necessary a few times a year. In the meantime, regular mopping, mopping and vacuuming will help maintain the finish and keep the floor looking good.
Hardwood/vinyl Floor Cleaning
Regardless of whether you have a natural wood floor or an engineered wood floor under your feet, the question inevitably arises as to what is safe and effective for cleaning wood floors. Read on for answers to the most common hardwood floor cleaning questions.
Using a hardwood floor cleaner made with white vinegar can help clean heavily soiled hardwood floors. It is important to dilute the white vinegar using ½ cup of white vinegar per gallon of water because it is very aggressive and harmful.
Deep cleaning old hardwood floors is very similar to cleaning new floors. Choose a method and cleaner suitable for cleaning wooden floors with the same finish. However, it is important to test a small area and work slowly, as the wood may need minor repairs or damage that is only visible up close.
Dr. Bronner’s is a pure castile soap that is safe when diluted. To clean hard floors in your home, add a few drops to a spray bottle filled with water.
How To Deep Clean Vinyl Floors
Padded microfiber mops are ideal for surface dirt. However, stuck dirt requires removing the dirt with a plastic knife, using a vacuum to pull it out, or lightly sanding if the wood is really stuck.
There are many reasons why wood floors can look dirty after mopping. Be sure to rinse the mop head well and often, as a dirty mop cannot attract new dirt to the floor. Replacing mop heads can help with heavily soiled floors. To check if the floor is clean, wipe the freshly cut areas with a white cloth and see if the floor is still dirty. If you make a purchase from the links in this post, we may receive a fee (at no additional cost to you). Learn more.
Hardwood floors add beauty, charm and warmth to your home, but apart from their aesthetic value, one of their best qualities is that
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