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Wood floors add warmth and a unique look to all home decor styles, and most are easy to care for if appropriately cleaned to maintain the shine. But, frequent foot traffic tracks in dirt and grime, which builds up on hardwood floors, making them look dingy, and if you have pets, then dust bunnies are probably multiplying daily. Aesthetics aside, you need to keep floors clean because it's safer and healthier for you. A thin sheet of dirt or dust can make wood floors slippery and a fall hazard. Dust and dust mites accumulate, triggering asthma and respiratory conditions. 3:21 Watch Now: The Simple Method to Make Hardwood Floors ShineHow Often to Clean Hardwood FloorsTo keep the finish bright and clean, wood floors should be swept, vacuumed, or dust mopped daily, and you should clean up spills as soon as they happen. You should do a more thorough floor cleaning weekly or monthly, depending on how much use the floors get. How to Clean Hardwood Floors and Make Them Shine Before You BeginThe main thing to determine before you start cleaning is your type of flooring: solid hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood flooring, or laminate wood-look flooring. They look very similar but care for laminate differs from solid or engineered hardwood. Solid and engineered hardwood flooring can receive the same cleaning regimen but never use hardwood floor cleaners on laminate since the oil and waxes in the ingredients can dull the surface. Types of Wood and Wood-like Flooring
Tools for Cleaning Hardwood FloorsThe tools you use to clean can vary. A soft-bristled broom is the best choice for removing crumbs and grit from hardwood floors while preventing additional scratches. The bristles can be made from nylon or rubber. Both types of bristles are static-charged and help to grab particles. Use a dustpan or hand vacuum to grab the accumulated soil. Microfiber mop heads attract dust better than cotton or sponge mops and can be easily washed and cleaned. While you can use a vacuum on hardwood floors, choose one that has soft-bristle rollers and a retractable beater bar to prevent scratching. Use the upholstery brush attachment to reach dusty corners of the room. The 13 Best Mops of 2022, Tested and Reviewed Hardwood Floor Cleaning SolutionSince most wood floors are sealed with cured polyurethane or polyacrylic urethane, choosing a wood floor cleaner that will leave the sealant bright and without streaks is essential. Never use harsh chemicals like chlorine bleach, ammonia, pine oil, or undiluted vinegar. Choose instead a commercial product that is formulated for sealed wood floors. Never apply liquid or paste wax over a polyurethane-sealed wood floor. The 8 Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners of 2023 Featured Video
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InstructionsHow to Clean Solid or Engineered Hardwood Floors
How to Clean Laminate Wood-Look FlooringCaring for wood-look laminate flooring is relatively easy. Wipe up spills as they happen and sweep or vacuum frequently. For deeper cleaning, you can use a steam mop but avoid wet mopping that can cause the underlayers to warp. Avoid harsh cleaners like pine oil or any cleaner that promises to leave a shine. The waxy build-up will leave the laminate looking dull. Opt for a small amount of plain dishwashing liquid in warm water to dampen your mop. Tips to Keep Floors Clean LongerMake sure you have a doormat outside your main entrance door and, if possible, inside your door too. The door mat may get dirty fast, but it's better there than all over your house. TipTo keep your floors looking shiny and clean longer, adopt a shoes-off policy at the door. Shoes track in a lot of dirt. To encourage guests to feel comfortable with the policy, offer guest slippers at the door. Spills and messes can worsen if you don't clean them up right away. If you've lived with children or pets, you know what happens when Cheerios get flung from a high chair or dog kibble is left on the floor; it becomes a crumbly, powdery mess once a foot steps on it. Juice splatters become a sticky nightmare after a few hours. If you leave these cleaning tasks until the next time you wash the floors, your floors will look dirtier and will take longer to clean when you get around to them. Homemade Wood Floor Cleaning SolutionOne of the most inexpensive and effective cleaners for hardwood floors is diluted vinegar. A good ratio is 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water. To leave a pleasant scent behind as you clean, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the cleaning solution. The vinegar smell will dissipate as it airs out. Tips to Prevent Scratches on Wood FloorsScratches cause floors to look dull and wear out more quickly. Taking a few precautions will help keep away scratches.
Removing Stains From Wood FlooringTo remove a pesky stain like wine from hardwood flooring, you can try a commercial hardwood spot cleaner or go into your medicine cabinet and grab the hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide has bleaching properties, and it's safe for hardwood flooring. Soak a clean cloth in hydrogen peroxide and cover the stain for six to eight hours. After the time has elapsed, the stain should be gone. When to Call a ProfessionalIf your floors have lost their luster or you don't have the time or inclination to clean your floors, regularly schedule a periodic maintenance visit from a local wood flooring professional cleaning service. Prices average about $250 to $400 depending on the amount of wood flooring you have. Professional cleaning can extend the life of your flooring and hold off the need for refinishing for years, However, if you have excessive dents, scratches, or water damage, you might need your wood floors refinished. If the wood starts rotting, splitting or splintering, or turning black, it's a sign you need a professional to fix your flooring or potentially replace it. How to Repair Scratched Hardwood Floors Article Sources The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Does mopping damage hardwood floors?Assuming Your Floors Are Sealed
If they are, a little wet mopping from time to time is okay. But if not, wet mopping can harm your floors since there's no barrier to stop water from soaking the wood.
How do you clean hardwood floors without damaging the finish?Begin by dusting or sweeping your floors well. Then make a cleaning mixture using 4 cups warm water and a few drops of castile soap or dish soap. Do not shake, but gently mix this, then mop or scrub small sections at a time, drying them with a clean cloth or dry mop after."
What is the best thing to use to clean hardwood floors?In most homes, the best wood floor cleaner is plain old soap and water, and the only tools you need are a broom, vacuum, and mop. The best mop for wood floors is a microfiber flat-head or string mop you can easily wring out.
What should you not put on a hardwood floor?Vinegar and Ammonia: Cleaning products that have a base of vinegar or ammonia eat away at the dirt on your floor - and also the floor's finish itself. Overtime, the acid will wear down your hardwood, leaving you with splotchy patches that are difficult to revive.
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