Maintaining your wooden floors is essential to keep them in optimal condition. A simple cleaning routine should be followed to ensure that hardwood floors have fewer marks. Start by sweeping, dusting, or dry mopping daily, and vacuuming weekly. Clean high-traffic areas with a damp mop twice a month, and use the recommended wood floor cleaner once a month.
Apply a new finish coat every three to five years, sand and repaint every 10 years, and use a dry mop or dust mop to pick up any remaining dirt. A microfiber mop will also help maintain shine. If you notice dirt, grime, or food spills that can't be swept or vacuumed, it's time for a deeper cleaning. For surface-treated floors, wet clean them with Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaning Spray.
Spray a small area of 3 feet by 3 feet with the cleaner and pick up the dissolved dirt with a microfiber mop. Go all over the floor, cleaning one small area at a time. To avoid cleaning floors so often, start by adopting a policy of not wearing shoes, as dirt and sand are abrasive and can scratch floors over time. As most hardwood floors are sealed with cured polyurethane or polyacrylic urethane, it's critical to choose a hardwood floor cleaner that leaves the sealer shiny and scratch-free. For quick cleaning, dust wooden floors with a mop that has been treated with an anti-dust agent to collect dust, dirt, and pet hair that may scratch the floor surface. To thoroughly clean hardwood floors, use a wood floor mop and a hardwood floor cleaner diluted according to the instructions on the label.
Don't use vinyl or tile floor cleaners, as these products could damage hardwood floors instead of cleaning them. You should do a more thorough cleaning of the floor weekly or monthly, depending on how the floors are used. The best way to scrub hardwood floors with a surface finish is to saturate a sponge with the cleaner, drain off excess liquid until the mop head is damp but not dripping, and then scrubbing 3-foot sections of the floor at a time with circular motions to remove dirt and grime. Solid wood and engineered floors can receive the same cleaning regime, but never use hardwood floor cleaners on the laminate, as the oil and waxes in the ingredients can dull the surface. Knowing how to clean hardwood floors isn't the only thing to consider when it comes to pristine hardwood floors. The best way to clean hardwood floors starts with smart preventive measures, which not only help protect floors, but also reduce the time spent cleaning.
