Fill a Ziploc freezer bag with a few ice cubes, place the chilled bag over the buildup until it becomes brittle, then scrape it off with the edge of a plastic spatula. Ice out wax and gum.ĭried candle wax, crayon marks, and chewing gum on floors with surface or penetrating finishes can easily be removed with ice. Once the TSP dissolves it, run a water-dampened cloth over the area to sop up the TSP, then quickly dry the area with a clean cloth. Dip the tip of a clean cloth into the solution, then use gentle circular motions to work it into the stain. Don protective gloves and safety glasses, and dilute 2 tablespoons of TSP in 1 gallon of warm water in a large bucket. Oil and grease stains on floors with surface or penetrating finishes easily break down when exposed to trisodium phosphate (TSP). These nooks are hiding spots for trapped dust. Move your cleaning tool from one side of the floor to the other, paying extra attention to areas where adjacent floor boards meet. If your preferred mode of dust busting is vacuuming, use a floor-brush attachment and avoid the beater bar-its rotating brush can dent wood floors. If you prefer to sweep rather than mop, opt for a broom with synthetic fiber ends to help trap collected dust in the broom head and prevent it from resettling on the floor. Compatible on a variety of hardwood floor mop brands, a pair of reusable pads like the Old Home Kitchen Mop Pads costs less than $15.
To keep costs down and lower your environmental impact, choose pads that can be removed, machine washed, and reused. These mops have pads with tiny synthetic fibers that reach into the grooves of wood floors to pick up and hold dust without scratching the wood. The best mop for wood floors is usually one with a large, flat head affixed with a microfiber cloth pad, such as the Swiffer Sweeper. This routine works on floors with either surface or penetrating finishes. RELATED: New Floors? 5 Top Hardwood Options to Know Bust dust by mopping, sweeping, or vacuuming regularly.ĭry mopping, sweeping, and/or vacuuming on a weekly basis are the best ways to rid hardwood floors of light dust, dirt, and pet hair accumulation. If scraping the floor finish smudges it, but no clear material comes away, the floor likely has a penetrating finish. If the scraped material is clear, your floor probably has a surface finish. The easiest way to check if a floor has a surface finish is to take a sharp knife blade to a small, hidden area of the floor and scrape off a tiny amount of finish. Use only solvent-based cleaning products instead of water-based ones on floors with penetrating finishes. These finishes easily absorb water, and water can warp wood floors. Penetrating finishes such as linseed or tung oil soak through the surface of hardwood floors and then are usually topped with a wax coat for added sheen.It’s safe to use water and water-based cleaning products on surface finishes.
When liquids come into contact with surface finishes, they pool rather than penetrate the wood.
Hardwood floor cleaner how to#
Read on to learn how to identify your floor’s finish and select supplies for dusting, deep cleaning, and removing stains. If you use the wrong method or cleaner, you could damage the wood. Because different floor finishes have unique care requirements, the best way to clean hardwood floors will depend on the type of finish rather than the wood species (e.g., cherry, maple, or oak). What’s the best way to clean hardwood floors? I’d love recommendations for wood floor cleaning techniques, and a good hardwood floor cleaner.Ī: It’s true, regular cleaning is a must to maintain hardwood floors. Q: I have never given much thought to cleaning my cherry wood floor, but I’m starting to notice how dingy it has become.