Hardwood floors are a beautiful component with any home décor, but over time, their beauty can fade if they are not cared for properly. While wood can be fairly resilient, using the right products and tools on your hardwood floors is essentially to maintain them and prevent excessive wear.
Hardwood floors are made from a variety of naturally occurring and man-made composite wood or resin materials. They come in the form of hardwood plank flooring, parquet block flooring, and engineered hardwood flooring. Nonetheless, the most important factor to consider when determining what products and equipment to use on your hardwood floors is the finish. Hardwood flooring finished with a polyurethane coating is the simplest way to clean while varnish, lacquer, and shellac flooring requires more detailed care. Using these tips and tools for cleaning your hardwood floors will keep them in the best shape and help you avoid unnecessary refinishing projects.
1. Dry Mop
A dry mop is one piece of equipment that can be used for a quick daily cleaning of hardwood floors. A dry mop affixed with a microfiber cloth is effective for picking up surface level dust and dirt to keep your hardwoods clean and shiny between full cleanings.
2. Vacuum/Dry-mop
In either case, removing dust and debris from your floor is essential before using any additional products or cleaners on it. Gently vacuuming or dry-mopping the wood pulls up any dust, dirt, etc. that may have settled into the wood. This is an effective first step for prepping your wood floors for cleaning.
3. Sponge Mop
Water should only intentionally be applied to hardwood floors that have a polyurethane surface treatment. In this case, the wood can be damp-mopped with a sponge mop moistened with a solution of water-based hardwood floor cleaner. After mopping, leave the floor to air dry. To preserve your floors, be sure to avoid pooling water on the floors.
4. Wax Applicator and Polish
Lacquered, varnished, or shellacked hardwood flooring should be cleaned using a solvent-based cleaner and polish. After vacuuming the floor, simply apply the wax to the floor with a dry applicator. Proceed to the next section to allow the product time to sink in. Return to the previous section and wipe up excess cleaning solution with a dry cloth.
5. Floor Polisher
A floor polisher is another important piece of equipment used to treat varnished, lacquered, or shellacked flooring. The polisher should be used after applying the cleaning solvent. Utilize this piece of equipment to buff the entire surface of the floor after the wax has had time to dry. The polisher can be used to achieve a deep, lustrous finish.
To get the very best clean on your hardwood floors, though, you should consider using a professional who has the skills and tools necessary to give your floors the very best clean. At our company, we pride ourselves in providing you the very best clean and do all the hard work, so you don’t have to.
Forget crawling around on your knees to apply floor polish and scrub your floors. Schedule your appointment with us today, we are Central FL cleaners that will give your floors the best cleaning they’ve ever had. And you won’t have to lift a finger.