How to Clean Hardwood Floors the Safe Way?

Here you will learn the natural way to clean hardwood floors without damaging their top layer.

You can maintain the glossy finish of your hard floor surface with very little effort. You just need to keep a closer eye on the spills or stubborn stains and tackle them instantly. The safe solution with the right cleaning setup can only protect the beauty of this gorgeous floor.

By the end of this informative guide, you will be able to clean your hardwood floor without any doubt swiftly.

 

Types of Floor Finishes

Before straightaway jumping to cleaning possibilities, you need to understand the types of floor finishes to do this cleaning task like a pro.

If you want to recognize your hardwood finish, you need to check its pinch. Just rub your finger or thumb across your floor. You will notice that the surface might be an oily finish, waxed, varnish, shellac, or any other penetrating seal.

These solid pieces of wood may vary in laminate wood-looking flooring, solid hardwood flooring, or any engineered hardwood flooring.

The top surface of these hardwood floors gives you a different impression and you will get an idea about its finish type. If you accurately figure out the type of floor finish then it will ease your cleaning process.

Different hardwood floors follow diverse steps to clean them. Even maintenance procedures may vary depending on the nature of these floors.

What to Use to Clean Hardwood Floors?

Hardwood floors are indeed the warm beauty of your home. You have many thoughts about what to use to clean these expensive floors.

Sometimes, you will find grime building upon these luxury floors and you are looking to stop this grime from further growth. It is better to clear such cleaning issues so that they will never damage your floors.

There are several harmful chemicals and detergents flying around you. It is much better to use a homemade cleaning solution to safeguard your floors.

These solutions can be made with any gentle ingredients like vinegar which will never hurt the top layer of laminate floors.

If you are looking for a deep cleaning solution or any other commercial stain removal then you must check its ingredients so that it should not be harmful to your luxurious floor. We highly recommend using a homemade solution to keep your hardwood floor safe.

4 Ways to Clean Your Hardwood Floors

The cleaning methods are different depending on the types of floor finishes. You have to consider the right method for all types of hardwood floors.

You need to be gentle with your favorite floor and adopt the right cleaning method for better care and maintenance. These hardwood floors can last for decades if you better take care of them in the right way.

Here you will find four different ways to clean your hardwood floors. Just understand this guide to step-by-step optimum results.

Choose a Soft-Bristled Broom Angled

It makes your cleaning process easier with routine sweeping. This cleaning method can be improved if you do a soft-bristled broom at a right angle.

You can swiftly clean your hardwood floor and can perfectly treat the dirt particles hidden in the corners or furniture edges.

Vacuum with a Soft Floor Nozzle

Another easiest and safest way to clear all the debris and grime from your hardwood floor is to use a vacuum. Any stiff brush or scrubber may damage the top layer of your luxurious floor.

Use the best floor vacuum with a soft floor nozzle for better results. The top layer surfaces of these types of floors are always sophisticated and transparent.

So, it is necessary to maintain the beauty of these surfaces by caring for their top layer surface.

Attack Sticky Debris ASAP with a Damp Clean Cloth

If you don’t care about the sticky debris or any older stains then you may mess up your expensive hardwood floor and it will get fade quickly. It is important to immediately clean these stains or sticky dirt with any clean cloth.

If these stains or grime get older then they will damage the top surface of your floor. Timely removing these stains will maintain your hardwood floor for a longer period.

Use a Damp-Mop with a Flat-head Mop and Microfiber Pad

You can also use the best industrial electric mops for this purpose. The wet microfiber pads of these mops will remove all types of stains and dirt particles efficiently.

If you are using any cleaning solution with these mops then make sure that these detergents are gentle. Never use any harsh bleach or harmful chemicals on hardwood floors.

It is better to use a homemade solution with vinegar or baking soda with these mops for better care and protection.

Useful Tips to Protect Your Hardwood Floors

Your favorite hardwood floor may wear out or be dull just because of scratches. If you have pets or little feet in your home then you have to take more care of your luxurious floor than the normal routine.

Flooding these types of floors may also damage their surface.

You have to follow some preventative measures to protect your hardwood floors from getting faded or dull. The following useful tips may help you in this cause.

• Immediately wipe up the spills or sticky debris as you notice. You can use a dry towel or any sophisticated pad for this purpose.
• If you still have a lot of foot traffic, then you have to sweep your laminate floor daily or wet mop it once a week.
• You can place rugs or any other form of carpet on high-traffic areas of your floor. It will protect your luxury floor from excessive use.
• Heavy objects like furniture or steel bed frames are extremely harmful to these types of floors. These weightier items leave permanent scratches on your floors which will never be removed. It is better to use furniture pads or any piece of older rug to protect your floor.
• You also have to take care of the nails of your pets. Regular trimming of their nails will also safeguard your laminate floors.
• If you are not using comfy slippers inside your living area then you are bringing dirt, bacteria, and many other types of germs into your home. You can take your shoes off, especially high heels, at your door entry to prevent any further damage.

FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Best Thing to Use when Cleaning Hardwood Floors?

Using natural ingredients like vinegar or baking soda is highly recommended to treat the stains and spills on your hardwood floors.

If you regularly clean this floor surface with commercial cleaning products containing harsh chemicals, it will quickly dull this flooring option and ruin its beauty.

Is it OK to Mop Hardwood Floors?

Disposable wet pads are the safest gear to be used on hardwood surfaces. These pads will eliminate all the tougher stains and stubborn spills without harming this luxurious form of floor.

What Will Ruin Hardwood Floors?

Although there are plenty of things that may ruin the hardwood floor, some of the major problems of them are:

• Using the wrong cleaning solution
• Pet nails or stiff shoes
• Sliding bulky furniture
• The direct impact of sunlight
• Vacuuming with the wrong tools

How Do You Clean Hardwood Floors without Damaging Them?

Using a damp mop is the best hack for hardwood floors. You should use the spray bottle to control the quantity of cleaning solution and gently rub the surface with a flat mop head of microfiber cloth to clean the wooden surface without damaging it.

What Should You Not Put on a Hardwood Floor?

Never use ammonia, wax, abrasive cleaner, oily furniture spray, or cleaning solutions containing harsh chemicals on your hardwood floor surface.

All these cleaning approaches will harm the wooden material, and you shouldn’t put these on your hardwood floors.

Bottom Line

I hope you get all the answers to your confusion from this informative guide. We can’t consider one method as the best way to clean hardwood floors rather every type of floor finish requires a different way of cleaning.

You need to dig out your floor finish and the relevant cleaning method which suits its nature. Here, you will find all the best possible cleaning methods for all types of hardwood floors.

Just remember, you have put your best investment in part of these hardwood floors so take as much care as you can to last them for decades!