Wood Floor Care

Tips On Cleaning Your Wood Floors

The very best thing for any wood floor is to always vacuum and dust mop it regularly. This will prevent dirt from building up and scratching and allowing the dirt to settle and damage the floor. Never soak the floor with your cleaning solution. Always use the least amount of water to remove the grime.

Whatever solution you are using will usually need to be diluted in a bucket of water, we usually use Pine-Sol® brand cleaners keep your home sparkling and smelling clean. Mix 1/4 cup of Pine-Sol® in a bucket of luke warm water (never use hot water to mop wood floors). NOTE: when purchasing your Pine Sol fragrance, please keep in mind that the "pine" scent (orriginal formula Pine-Sol) is very strong. This scent should be reserved for outdoor use as well as garages where your trying to get rid of the smell of motor oil and such. For indoor floor care use, select any scent other than "pine". Note: Pine Sol used straight will strip wax off your floors if they are waxed. NEVER use Pine Sol without diluting it in a bucket of water. For that matter, always check a products instructions for use on wood floors, most of these products require you to dilute them in luke warm water.

If you have Swedish finished wood floors, the finish will come off with time and wear. Do not wax these floors, do not use wood polish. Call a specialty company and have the floor surface refinished. It is important to know what kind of finish you have on your wood floors.

Waxing Hard Wood Floors

By hard wood, we mean older wood floors that have not been finished with an epoxy type resin. These floors are found in older buildings and though incredibly beautify if properly maintained require a different type of cleaning than the newer epoxy coated wood. These floors should never be replaced if you can help it. They are some of the nicest wood flooring we have seen on Long Island. Restoring them is always the best option over replacing as long as they are not rotted or damaged beyond repair. However, this is not a rule, just a suggestion. Only you know if you like the look and feel of the floors your living with, but more often than not. a good sanding and refinish will give new life to almost any wood floor.

If you vacuum and damp mop your floors and it does not restore the shine and luster to your wood floor, try buffing the floor to restore the shine rather than applying more wax. Buffing should always be tried first as it will often restore a nice shine and luster without adding another layer of waxy build-up.

If buffing does not work, you will need to first clean the floor following the steps above and make sure the floor is completely dry. Then apply a liquid wax that is made specifically for wood floors. After the wax is applied, let it dry, and then buff it again.

Hardwood Floor Buffer: For those with waxable hard wood floors

These can be used to apply and polish wax on older unsealed wood floors, shine prefinished floors. If you have this flooor type finish you may like to invest in a hardwood floor buffer if you have a lot of wood floors in your home or just one that you like to keep looking its best. There are a lot of different models to choose from and a very wide price range - the type you choose is often dependent on the wood floors in your home. If you’re still under warranty, double check that you won’t void it with buffers or certain cleaners.

There is little sense in spending a lot to get features you may never use and on the other hand, you want your buffer to be able to handle any needed tasks. Fortunately most home use buffers are light and easy to use and if you do need one of the professional type monsters, they can normally be rented at most tool rental outlets and flooring distributors.

How To Wax Swedish Finish Floors

The answer is; don't ever use wax. Swedish finish wood is covered in an epoxy resin or polyurethane that does not need and will not benefit from a wax. If vacuuming with a soft bristle brush and damp mopping (see instructions above) do not add shine to your Swedish finished hard wood, try using a cleaner recommended by the manufacturer. The objective is to simply maintain these floors by cleaning them. They never need wax or oil. If your original shine can not be obtained by cleaning them, it's likely the floor needs a new surface finish. Remember that you should not wax a surface finished floor, but you may need to contact a wood floor finisher and have the floor surface reapplied.

See refinishing before and after samples:

More Wood Floor Cleaning Tips

Always sweep or vacuum your hardwood floors to reduce scratching and pitting from the dirt and small rocks, also be sure to clip your dogs nails regularly. This will prolong the shine and life of the wood finish by years. Removing your shoes when entering your house is another way to keep dirt and sand off your floors and will help keep any floor clean longer.

Oil cleaners such as Murphy's Oil Soap® are best used on the older type of wood, including an unwaxed and bare-wood floors. However, we recommend adding a dash of Pine-Sol® because Murphy's Oil Soap® does not have any disinfecting properties in it and will not really clean and disinfect the floor. Also be sure not to use more than a tablespoon of Murphy's or similar products because they do tend to leave a residue that builds up over time (always dilute these products in a bucket of luke warm water. Again, never use hot water on wood).

Waxed and polyurethane-finished floors (swedish finish) generally need only to be mopped with a non residue cleaner such as Pine-Sol® and water.

Don't Try This at Home

There is a common misconception about wood floors. People think (and many manufacturers of cleaning products foster this belief) that if your floor is dull, you can somehow restore the shine by placing a coat of some miracle product on it. Beware of these products. Many of them have a wax or oil of some sort in them and should not be used. The use of these products are not worth any short term result that can only ever be a slight improvement. The cost being your damaging your floor and resulting in a buildup that will look worse than ever before. The object is to simply keep the floor clean between waxing's (for older waxed floors) and refinishing (for swedish finished floors).

Never, ever, put an oil or furniture polish (pledge) on your wood floor to try to shine it. It will become dangerously slippery, and the oil or polish will be very difficult to remove.

What to look for when purchasing a new wood floor

The first objective is to find a wood you like. The second is cost. The third is going to be how hard (or easy) is it to clean and maintain. One of the best way's to determine how well a floor will last is by what instructions the manufacturer gives for cleaning their wood floors. If they give you only one option (i.e. the manufacturers product and PLEASE DONT USE ANYTHING ELSE OR IT WILL VOID THE WARRANTY!), buyer beware!

On the other hand if they do not sound particularly concerned, and give you several options, including ways to clean them that don't include further purchases from their company, it's a much safer bet one of the reasons they are not concerned is because they have had no major complaints about the upkeep and longevity of the wood floors that you are selecting.

It is most unfortunate when we see our customers select wood floors that we know many people have had problems with in the past and have had to replace because they just are not made to be cleaned. Any wood or appliance that requires strict manufacturers cleaning instructions (especially if the instructions limit your choice of products down to a dry rag or only one product that the manufacturer produces themselves) should be avoided. Everything in your home needs to be cleaned from time to time. Especially floors were dirt, dust, the oils from the bottom of your feet, pet hair etc. can accumulate. It's best not to let sales people of these products persuade you that floors don't really need to be cleaned. It has been our experience that any product or floor type that come with such strict instruction for cleaning are often soon discontinued. One of the reasons they give such strict instructions for cleaning is because the manufacturer is already aware of the problems they represent and are getting tired of replacing these floors.

But don't let all this scare you! Wood is really an excellent choice for floors and are very beautiful and long lasting in most cases. Normal comments about the care of wood floors should be "Don't use to much water", "Vinegar and water are fine" (however we don't recommend it, see further information about this below) also if they suggest a product that they sell but tell you your not limited to the use of that product are all normal and reasonable manufacturers suggestions.

Using vinegar to clean hardwood floors

In the short run, it's possible to use vinegar and water to clean your wood floors, But in the long run, when you clean them with vinegar, you slowly damage the floor's finish.

As we discussed in our tips for cleaning with vinegar, it is an acidic substance and will, over time, slowly chew through the finish giving it an uneven look. It also takes away the shine over time decreasing the time between waxing or refinishing that needs to be done. If you REALLY want to use vinegar to clean hardwood floors, at least make sure that your floor's finish is very strong this way the damaging effect of the vinegar will be greatly reduced leaving you with almost nothing to worry about.

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