Do not wet mop wood flooring. Damp is good. Dripping wet is bad. If you can ring out the mop or pad, you're working with too much water.
Cleaning hardwood floors with water, or using water excessively, is a leading cause of blackened, water-stained, warped and ruined wood flooring. It can also lead to mold.
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.
When cleaning your wood floors, you want to make sure you're not using too much water, which can get underneath and damage the wood. Wring out your mop before slapping it down on the floor so it's damp, not dripping wet. Follow this simple rule and you're good to go.
It's easy to believe that, to make something clean, you need to use chemicals. Surely you can't clean a floor with only water - can you? The answer is yes: it's been proven that water is often enough to clean efficiently when used in conjunction with a good auto scrubber.
If you wet mop before cleaning up loose dirt, you'll end up with a trail of wet sludge following every sweep of your mop. Furthermore, if you don't dry mop before wet mopping, you will end up rubbing all that tiny abrasive debris over your floor and could damage the floors inadvertently while you're cleaning them.
Avoid ammonia – Ammonia will discolor, deteriorate, and dull the finish. Using ammonia to clean a wood floor will take years off of its life. Steam cleaners are bad news – You should only use steam cleaners on carpets and other surfaces that they are designed for.
You can use a commercial wood-cleaning product, like Bona or Murphy Oil Soap. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. You can also make your own cleaner by mixing one part vinegar to 10 parts warm water. Add a few drops of liquid Castile soap.
Once a week, wood floors should be cleaned in high traffic areas with a damp mop. Low traffic areas can be done less frequently, like once a month or once a quarter. Unsealed wood floors are more susceptible to water, so make sure that the mop is just slightly damp.
Wood Floor Cleaning Method: Castile Soap and Essential Oil
To get started, I filled a bucket with 1/4 cup castile soap, a few drops of lemon essential oil (but you can use whatever you prefer), and one gallon of warm water. Then I dipped my microfiber mop with the solution and cleaned my floor.
A microfiber mop head is an important component in the best mops for hardwood floors because the fabric attracts dirt and hair into its fibers while absorbing liquids quickly for easy cleanup.
If you do not want to wait for it to air dry, you can dry your floors manually. You can do this by taking a dry mop head, squeegee, sponge, or towel and whipping it across your flooring. If you do this, make sure to go in one direction to prevent lines and missed wet spots.
How Much Water Does it Take to Damage Hardwood Flooring? An acceptable or normal moisture content in hardwood flooring usually ranges between 6 and 12 percent, but flooded wood flooring can often have up to a 40 percent moisture content, which means there is severe damage.
Step 11: Let the floor dry
Just rinse the mop again, and leave the floor to dry. Try to avoid walking on it for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it's dry to the touch. If you do have to walk on it, wear clean socks. You can also help your floors dry faster by using a floor squeegee.
How long does it take for water to damage wood floors? According to the EPA, mold is capable of growing on most materials (including wood) within 48 to 72 hours. Other damage, such as staining or buckling, can show up in as little as two to seven days.
Dry-mop at least twice a week using a microfiber head, focusing on corners. Avoid using water to clean your hardwoods, and never wet-mop, as the moisture can damage the material. To avoid staining and cracking, blot up spills immediately with a dry, clean cloth.
Wet mopping can cause your wood floors to swell
Wood flooring can react like a sponge when around water– and get too much liquid it will swell.
Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine, and leave a dull appearance. Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor, which can cause swelling and discoloration.
To avoid spreading germs, never rinse mopheads or other tools used for cleaning in the kitchen sink. Hang the mop to dry in a well-ventilated area. Most importantly, do not set mops on the floor or put them in closets while damp. The quicker a mop dries, the less likely it is to become malodorous.
Warped Floorboards
As the wood absorbs water, it expands and softens, causing your floor to become more malleable and push up against other planks. Between the expanded size, malleability, and sudden overcrowding, the wood becomes disfigured and warps into a humped shape as it dries.
But as you're about to find out, water doesn't always cause damage immediately after a leak develops. For instance, it takes up to 10 days for wood to start rotting due to water exposure.