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Updated June 16, 2022
Wood floors have been a staple of interior design and home decor for many years. This contemporary and rustic centerpiece flooring statement is a 
beloved part of many homes and rooms, but requires careful maintenance and cleaning in order to keep it in top condition for a long time without causing serious damage. Like any other flooring material, wood flooring is highly vulnerable to spills, stains, moisture, mildew, hard water, and mineral deposits that can warp your wood, mold your flooring, and slowly eat away at the paneling until you have no choice but to rip out the entire thing and start over.
Wood flooring is especially sensitive to temperature and moisture because of its porous surface, so knowing how to clean hardwood floors easily without causing further damage to your flooring is highly important.
Were Here to Help You!
Removing the grime, debris, and other dirt from your wood floor is a careful and necessary process that requires particular cleaning methods in order to perfect. Our team has tested and developed several master methods to ensure your wooden floor is dust-free, shining, and clean every day.
Regular Maintenance Cleaning
Wooden floors can be kept very clean with regular maintenance and cleaning. One of the biggest enemies to wooden flooring is the daily build up of dust and other materials that can degrade the finish of your flooring over time. Thankfully, you won’t have to fully wet-mop and scour the entire surface of your wooden flooring area every time you begin cleaning it. Wooden flooring can be regularly maintained through routine dust mopping. Many wood flooring manufacturers have their own recommended wooden floor mops that are specially designed to mop their particular finishes, but any dust mop will do. Pay particular attention to the most common places your floor is exposed to dirt and grit, such as entryways, and try to give your entire floor a good mopping between two and four times a week.
Bi-Monthly Deep Cleaning
Materials Needed:
- Murphy Oil Wood Cleaner (View Now On Amazon)
- Dust Mop
- Microfiber Floor Mop
You should plan on doing a deeper cleaning for your wooden flooring about twice a month to ensure maximum protection for your flooring. The manufacturer who designed the flooring you installed likely has a specially formulated cleanser that’s made to clean your flooring without stripping the top coat or finish, and that’s the formula you should stick to.
However, you can also find many commercial wood cleaners, such as Murphy Oil Wood Cleaner available in stores near you. The best cleanser to use on your wooden flooring is something gentle and designed to treat wood specifically. Mix according to the instructions in a gallon bucket and dilute with water.
Before you begin, give your entire surface a good dust mop. Then, grab a wet mop and dip into your gallon bucket. Saturate the entire cloth and then wring completely dry so that it feels damp to the touch. Begin damp mopping your floor, avoiding leaving any puddles of standing water.
Wipe up any excess liquid with a microfiber cloth and turn on a fan or air conditioning to help speed up the drying process. Be careful not to miss any part of the floor. Water sitting on wood can quickly warp the wood and cause damage or discoloration to the flooring, so be sure to thoroughly dry every area.
The Stain and Scuff Removal Methods
For particularly stubborn stains, you’re going to want to formulate or test out some specific treatment methods to repair your flooring without damaging the overall finish. Blot up any liquid stains up as soon as you can and wipe down immediately with a damp cloth, then wipe dry.
For any stains left behind, there are a few different stain removing methods you can try to get rid of the residue.
- For stains that have penetrated all the way to the wood underneath your flooring, you can use floor wax and fine steel wool. Apply together and rub until the stain begins to budge. Allow to soak or sit for an hour and then wipe with a damp cloth before drying.
- For oil-based stains, use soft cloth and a few drops of dish detergent to break down the grease of the oil stain and wipe dry.
- For seriously heavy-duty scrapes or scuff marks, you can stick to the floor wax and steel wool method. Apply a healthy amount of floor wax to the flooring and apply some elbow grease to help clean up the scuff or scratch. If there’s still a mark left behind after all this effort, apply vinegar and allow it to soak into the wood, then rinse clean with a damp cloth and dry.
- If you notice there are some permanent scratches or scuffs in the wood, you can use a commercial wood filling pen in the color of your finish to help fill in the missing scrape and replace the color deficit while repairing the natural surface of your wood finish.
All Natural Floor Cleaning Methods
Materials Needed:
- Dust Mop
- White Distilled Vinegar
- Pure Castile Soap
For a natural approach to wood cleaning, you can turn to a common and gentle, yet thorough cleaning material that’s probably already in your kitchen: white vinegar! Begin by dust mopping your wooden floor clean. Add a half cup of white vinegar to a gallon of warm (but not hot) water. Allow the solution to mix thoroughly and then wet mop your entire floor, again being careful not to let any liquid pool up so there’s no water damage.
Avoid adding baking soda to any cleaning mixture- the abrasive grain in the compound can damage the finish of your flooring and leave behind scrapes you’ll struggle to completely repair.
other gentle cleaning solution you can use includes pure castile soap. This gentle and natural multipurpose cleaner is even gentler than vinegar and will provide the same cleansing and polishing method without any risk of damage or strong smells.
Wood is a stunning decorative centerpiece in the rustic and contemporary design world, and with careful cleaning and care you can keep your wood flooring in great condition for many years. With our team’s expertly researched cleaning methods, you can make sure your wooden flooring stays clean and polished all year round.
