If you don't clean them up properly, the accumulated grime can dull the wood and even shorten its lifespan. Fortunately, it's actually easy to clean high-traffic wooden floors. Of course, the best thing to do is to hire commercial cleaners to make sure you don't accidentally damage the wood.
After installing such beautiful natural flooring, you may wonder if it is really necessary to apply wood stain and finish products. Is it okay to leave hardwood floors unfinished? The answer is yes, you do not have to finish a hardwood floor!
Maintain Your Floors
The best way to clean hardwood floors and keep them in shape is to stick to a regular schedule of maintenance. Sweep, dust or dry mop daily. Vacuum weekly. Clean heavy-traffic areas with a damp mop twice a month.
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.
When the floor is fee of dirt and dust, you can use water, by applying it on a microfiber mop or a soft cotton cloth. That's the best solution as far as cleaning a hardwood floor is concerned.
Water is the enemy of hardwood flooring. Due to the porous nature of wood, moisture can be easily absorbed into the material. So your flooring may show signs of staining from small spills. The wet floor may also begin to buckle and cup when large amounts of water are absorbed as the planks swell.
Wet mopping can cause your wood floors to swell
Slopping excess amounts of water on your floors as you mop can lead to real problems including: Boards cupping or swelling. Discoloration and flaking of the finish. Squeaking and popping sounds.
Your Cleaner/Water Ratio Is Off
Too much water means that the cleaner won't penetrate and cleanse the dirty floors like it's meant to. On the other hand, if you use too little water and a higher concentration of cleaner, the cleansing materials will stay on top of your wood floors after they've dried.
Hardwood floors are not low maintenance by any stretch of the imagination. They require regular sweeping and cleaning to prevent surface damage and to keep them looking nice. And you need to clean them with products that won't damage the finish, and be extra careful with water.
To keep the finish bright and clean, wood floors should be swept, vacuumed, or dust mopped daily, and you should clean up spills as soon as they happen. You should do a more thorough floor cleaning weekly or monthly, depending on how much use the floors get.
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.
Dirt, oil, and grime build up over time and aren't completely removed by a weekly dusting. To do deep-clean hardwood floors, use a wood floor mop and wood floor cleaning product diluted according to the label instructions. You may want to do this cleaning in the spring or right before and after the holidays.
With regular wear and tear, the finish on your hardwood floor should last about 7-10 years. Floors in high-traffic areas or that are exposed to a lot of sunlight may need to be refinished more often. So if we do some quick math, your hardwood floors will last up to 60 years with being refinished every ten years!
Cons & Disadvantages of Hardwood:
Slow growth rate: Hardwood forests take longer to replenish due to the tree's slower growth rate. Workability: Due to its density, hardwood tends to be a lot harder to work with during construction.
Solid Hardwood Floors
Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop, and they clean really nicely with a streak-free finish. However, avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods, as they're more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture.
Routine cleaning
In high-traffic areas, like the dining room and kitchen, sweep or vacuum daily if possible and mop hardwood floors once or twice a week. Mop less-trafficked areas once a month or once a season.
If you mistreat your wood floors and scrub them down with too many chemicals, the wood can warp and its shine can fade. Care for your wood floors with this gentle, yet effective cleaning solution. That's right: The best way to clean your wood floors is with good, old-fashioned soap and water.
But as a rule of thumb, you should mop your floors at least once a week—especially in areas that are more likely to get stains from drips and spills, like the kitchen and bathroom. “Of course, you need to vacuum or sweep the floor before mopping,” explains Leiva.
If you're not exactly sure when the damage occurred, here are some signs that the water has had too much time to wreak havoc: The floors are stained and discolored. Some boards are buckling/cupping. Nails are popping out of lifted boards.
Just a small amount of water can cause staining, while larger spills might cause the planks to buckle, cup, and swell. This is true even if your wood floors are waxed and sealed. While water-resistant finishes offer someprotection, they can't completely stop water from being absorbed.
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.