Hardwood flooring is making a comeback, with more designers and house owners opting for this type of flooring. Wood floors add a touch of sophistication to your house. However, they can be tough to clean and maintain.

Is your wood flooring finished or unfinished?

Cleaning techniques for wood floors depend on the type of wood floor you have—finished or unfinished.

Most modern wood floors are finished. However, if you live in an old house, the wood flooring might be lacquered or shellacked and not have a protective coating.

Finished wood floors have a protective layer of coating on them. The coating material used is poly-acrylic, urethane, and polyurethane. These are waterproof materials and also stain-resistant, so act as good choices for protecting wood floors. If you are uncovering old wooden floors concealed for long under rugs and carpets, they are mostly unfinished. These are more vulnerable to dirt, grime, and dampness.

Cleaning wood floors

Whether finished or unfinished, you need to keep your floor free of dirt and dust. Even on finished floors, these can cause damage by getting into cracks in the finishing and the gaps between floorboards. Cracks in the protective coating can develop over time due to the expansion and contraction of the floorboards, caused by weather changes.

Sweep the floor frequently

Grime and dirt can be brought in by dirty shoes and your pets’ feet deep. This can cause damage to your floorboards, and they begin to lose their looks. So, whether you have finished or unfinished flooring, vacuum-clean at least once a week to remove all the dust and grime. You can also use a soft-bristled broom to sweep up all the dust. Robo vacs can also give a gentle cleaning to your floors.

Cleanup using wet mops

When the floor begins to look dull, it is time to clean up the dirt using a good flat-head mop. You can also use a microfiber mop. If your wood floor is unfinished, do not use water. Use a gentle non-wax wood floor-cleaner. Use a spray bottle to control how much of the cleaner gets on the floor. Spray and wipe, following the grain of the wood.

On finished wood floors, use a good wood floor-cleaner or water mixed with a mild dishwashing liquid. Soak a mop in this solution. Wring out the mop thoroughly and then clean the floor with the grain. Once you have finished cleaning, use a soft cloth to buff the floor in a circular motion, removing residual dampness and soap suds.

What to consider when buying wood floor cleaners?

Rather than using a liquid detergent, even mild ones, you can shop for good-quality floor-cleaners to clean your wood floors. Look for products formulated for cleaning wood floors. Ideally, they should contain some of the following ingredients for a thorough cleanup:

Solvents in wood floor cleaners

Gentle solvents in these products can reduce streaking and speed up the process of cleaning the wood floors and drying the damp floor:

Citric acid

It helps to loosen dirt and also reduces the pH level of the product.

Surface active agents

Called surfactants, these compounds reduce the surface tension between dirt and the floor. They thus help loosen grime and grease stuck to the floor and so remove them easily.

Hydrogen peroxide

It is a safe oxidizing agent that helps disintegrate grime and dirt that have built up on old and neglected wood floors. This is a compound commonly found in strong floor-cleaning products. They can be used to clean up wood flooring in old houses that have not been cleaned for a long time.

Chelators

Chelating agents help prevent stains caused by salt and water spots.

General tips for cleaning wood floors

• Don’t ignore any spills, even if it is ice. Pick it up and wipe the moisture clean with a cloth
• To remove pet hair and other similar debris, use a microfiber brush, preferably positively charged to attract the dust particles
• Sticky thick spills should be cleaned up quickly to prevent them from seeping into the floor and damaging the boards. Spray just a bit of wood floor-cleaner and mop it up with a wrung-out damp cloth
• Preferably, dirty footwear should be removed and left outside when entering the house. However, most people don’t do this. So place hard bristled-mats in front of entrance doors. Even if people don’t bother wiping off their feet, one long mat can remove a lot of the dampness and dirt from shoes
• Avoid using a lot of water even on finished wood floors. The water can seep in and eventually cause discoloration and wear down of the floor
• Never use steam on wood floors while cleaning wood floors
• Do not use regular wax to polish your wood floor; they can make the surface dangerously slippery
• Avoid using strong vinegar or baking soda solutions while cleaning wood floors
• Keep windows and doors closed during rainy seasons to prevent water from getting in and making the wooden floorboards damp
• Put soft pads under furniture to prevent gouging and scratching. These pads can also help you easily to move the furniture when you are cleaning wood floors
• Don’t schedule floor cleaning on damp and rainy days. You need to open windows to let in the air to dry up the floor. You can also use pedestal fans to speed up the drying process

When you regularly sweep up and clean your wood floors and take good care of them, you can retain the look and shine for long. With regular cleaning wood floors, you need to plan any thorough washing and cleanup of the floors only around twice a year. Your floors will remain stain-free, smooth, and glossy for years, with proper maintenance and care.