Hardwood flooring is known for its beauty and elegance but also makes people feel puzzled over the best way to clean it. If you are the lucky owner of hardwood floors, you should definitely have a plan to clean them so that they will stay looking their best for many years.
You can successfully accomplish hardwood floor cleaning on your own with some effort. You do not want to make mistakes when cleaning your hardwood floors, as damage can occur and it can be expensive to repair. Most people, will not be able to clean hardwood floors with all the care they need, and they should plan to hire hardwood flooring cleaning services to make sure the floors are protected for years.
You should definitely seek guidance for hardwood floor cleaning, so we have put together this list of four tips that will make sure you do not damage your floor and that it can look clean and beautiful. This advice is meant for people who have a modern sealed hardwood floor. Older hardwood floors and possibly some newer ones might have not been sealed and could be damaged easily. To check, you can drop a little water on the floor, if it beads up, it is most likely a sealed floor. If not it might be unsealed and you may need special help to clean it.
Sweep
Sweeping or vacuuming is the regular floor cleaning that everyone needs to perform on their hardwood floors. It should be done at least once a week, but more often is better as dust, dirt, and debris left on the floors can damage the floors when people walk on them. If the floor gets too scratched up, the sealant can be damaged and then the wood beneath can start to be damaged.
You do not want to use too stiff of a broom when sweeping and be sure that you use your vacuum’s hard surface setting if you have one. The hard surface setting will set the vacuum lower to the ground and stop the brush from rotating. This is important because the brush is made for carpets to beat the dust out, but it can actually scratch a hardwood floor.
A dust mop is another tool that may be helpful for your hardwood flooring. You can use this every week to get any dust-up and away from the floor. Use a thought-out pattern to make sure that you dust every square inch of the floor.
Whatever your method for removing debris from your hardwood floors, be sure to do it regularly and get all the debris you can off the floor. Any little bit can damage the floor and lead to expensive repairs.
Clean Spills Fast
While your floor sealant protects it from moisture, you still need to clean up any liquid spill as quickly as possible. The longer a liquid spill is allowed to sit on the floor, the more likely it is that it will do some serious damage.
Acidic liquids like orange juice can be especially bad for the floor, as the PH of the liquid can actually eat away at the sealant, then leaving the floor more susceptible to further damage in the future. Once the sealant is damaged, it is only a matter of time before the hardwood underneath can be compromised and you do not even know if the repair will be possible at that point.
Even water should be cleaned as fast as possible, as too much can lead to damage over time and it is just not worth the risk to let it sit too long.
Be Careful WIth Floor Cleaners
Some floor cleaners are simply not made for hardwood floors and can damage them. You really need to read the instructions on the cleaning product, as well as the guidelines set by the manufacturer of the hardwood floor sealant to make sure that the cleaner and the sealant will interact well.
Never use bleach or other strong cleaners on a hardwood floor. This can severely damage the flooring sealant and you could end up having to have your hardwood floors resealed, which is a difficult process that could even mean you will have to move out of the house for a few days while dust and fumes will be in the air.
You should also avoid using steam mops on hardwood flooring. The hot water can open up the pores of the wood, which could loosen the sealant and possibly destroy it. Some steam mop manufacturers claim that their devices are safe on hardwood, but most hardwood floor sealant manufacturers advise against using steam mops. You may steam mop once and everything will look great, but over time it would probably end up damaging your hardwood floors.
Wet Mop
At some point, you will need to do a good wet mopping of your hardwood floor. You probably should not do it too often, no more than once per month. You need to be particularly careful that you use the right cleaning product on your hardwood floors.
To find the best hard floor cleaner, you want to know what kind of sealant was used on your hardwood floor. The best way to know this is to ask the company who sealed them what they used and what they recommend for cleaning. If you can not find this information, ask for the mildest hardwood floor cleaning product.
You do not want the mop bucket water to be too hot, as like with steam, the heated water can open the pores of the hardwood. Mop as you would regularly, using a microfiber mop.
We really advise that for the best results possible you should hire a professional hardwood floor cleaner at least a few times per year. They will know exactly how to treat your floor so that it will last longer and look more beautiful the whole time. Hardwood floors are a big investment and it is critical that you take care of them the best that you can.
For a reasonable rate, we can seamlessly help you with your move in and move out cleaning needs. Call us now for free estimates or check us on Houzz!
