How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Learning how to clean hardwood floors is one of the best ways to protect your investment. When you care for your hardwood floors properly, they’ll last a lifetime.

This guide will show you what you need to know about cleaning wood floors. It will also give you tips on how to maintain them.

Sweep or Vacuum Hardwood Floors

Whether oak, pine, bamboo or other wood, the methods for cleaning wood floors are similar. Check with the manufacturer for any instructions that are specific to your floor.

The first step in learning how to clean hardwood floors is removing dust or debris that can scratch or dull their surface. Sweeping and vacuuming hardwood floors works well no matter what kind of wood floor you have. The best way to clean hardwood floors is to adopt a regular routine.

• Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for cleaning wood floors daily. A microfiber dust mop pre-treated with a dusting agent will pick up dust and dirt and prevent scratches.
• Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week. Use your vacuum’s “hard floor” setting. This raises the vacuum cleaner, deactivates the brush roll, and works only by suction.
• When vacuuming hardwood floors, be careful to always turn the brush roll off since it can scratch your floors. Some models offer rubber wheels, which are less likely to leave scratches than models with hard plastic wheels.

Mop Hardwood Floors

Heavily used areas should be cleaned more often, every week or two. Another way to clean hardwood floors is to use a flat mop and hardwood floor cleaner, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

• When mopping hardwood floors, make sure to wring most of the water out of the mop so it’s damp and not sopping wet. Rinse the mop when necessary.
• Avoid leaving any standing water on the floor, which can damage the wood. This is especially true for prefinished hardwood floors.
• You can also use a spray-and-mop product or disposable wet pads that are safe for hardwood floors.
• Unless you use a steam mop designed for cleaning wood floors, steam cleaning is not advised for hardwood floors. Steam can dull the finish and damage the wood.
• Don’t use DIY wood floor cleaner containing vinegar when mopping your hardwood floors because it can damage the finish.
• Avoid using harsh detergents that will dull the surface of your floors. You also shouldn’t use products like vinyl floor cleaner or tile cleaner on hardwood floors.

Tip: Your floors should dry pretty quickly. You can speed up the process by turning on a ceiling fan or drying the floor with a microfiber cloth.