How To Clean Hardwood Floors? (The Ultimate Guide)

Hardwood Floors take a lot of clutter on themselves. Let it be dogs, cats, shoe prints while your kids are dancing or anything. You probably love your shiny hardwood floors and are curious about how to clean them. You are not alone, just make sure you stick around and as I will tell you how you can clean and maintain your hardwood floors easily.

I tried different techniques, various mops on different types of hardwood floors to find out what are the best ways to clean them. Let it be any size, color, engineered hardwood or unfinished hardwood. 

Each of them requires a different type of approach to cleaning. In this article, we are going to discuss some easy steps you can take to clean hardwood floors. But keep in mind that it is always good to go through the cleaning instructions from your manufacturer that most of the wooden flooring companies in Dubai provide so you can keep yourself away from any trouble.

Different hardwoods are finished in different ways. So, it is good to know or test what type of finishing your hardwood floor has before you continue to clean it.

You might have a hardwood type finishing in which the wood is impregnated with some sort of wax or oil during finishing so the main thing it does is to repel water and similar stuff. Or you might be having an unfinished hardwood floor, in that case, it is advised to keep water away from it because it causes harm.

So firstly, let us find out how you can know what type of finishing your hardwood has.

How to test the type of finishing on your hardwood floors?

This is not rocket science at all. You simply put a small amount of water on the surface of the floor to see what happens. If the water is repelled or is not absorbed by the floor then you got coding which means that your hardwood is a finished one. On the other hand, if the water gets completely absorbed by the floor then you might have an unfinished floor. In that case, make sure you keep the water away from it at all cost.

Items you will need to clean your hardwood floors?

1, Vinegar

Most people freak out with the thought of using vinegar on their hardwood floors. Vinegar is a mild disinfectant which means you can get rid of bacteria and stains easily. In addition to this, Vinegar cuts grease and you will not have to worry about any kind of streaks left behind. Just make sure you don’t use more than a cap full of vinegar.

2, Dishwashing Liquid

It can be quite helpful while cleaning because of its dirt repelling properties. It is the ingredient that you will be soaking your mop into. So this pretty much sums up the usage of Dishwashing Liquid for cleaning hardwood floors.

3, Wringer Bucket

Most people make the mistake of using a normal bucket with an excess of ingredients. Which ultimately not only makes cleaning horrible but sometimes also removes the finishing from the Hardwood Floor. So in order to prevent turning your cleaning experience into a living nightmare, one should always opt for a wringer bucket for cleaning hardwood floors.

4, A Microfiber Twist Mop

It is always recommended that you do all the cleaning on your hardwood floors with Microfiber Twist Mops. The reason behind this is that it is very easy to soak and dry. In addition to this, all the ingredients get distributed equally among those strands of the mop which makes cleaning a pleasant experience.

5, A Microfiber Cloth

We will use this cloth to wipe out the floor after cleaning it with the mop. This step is quite important. The most common mistake people do is that they do not make sure that the hardwood is completely dry after moping it. And water staying on the hardwood surface for a long time can ruin the finishing.

6, Rubbing Alcohol

Many research and studies have found out that alcohol has cleaning properties. Many screen cleaners and smartphone cleaners these days have it as a primary ingredient. This can help in cleaning while also killing germs and bacteria at the same time.

Now, that we have all of our items, tools, and ingredients in place. It is time we start doing some cleaning. All you have to do is to follow the simple instructions given below to make sure you easily clean your hardwood floors without much hassle involved.

Step By Step Process To Clean Hardwood Floors

Just follow these simple steps for cleaning your hardwood floors:

• Take your dishwashing liquid, and put half a pinky nail amount of it into the bucket. I like using it while cleaning hardwood because it is a neutral cleaner and not harsh on the wood. It does its work of removing dirt very well while making sure that not stains are left behind
• As I discussed the benefits of using vinegar already. You need to mix a cap full of it into the bucket. Make sure you don’t go overboard with the vinegar as it can harm the finishing as well if overused.
• Now it is time to fill your bucket with hot water. Make sure you fill enough water that the mop easily gets soaked completely. But do not fill the bucket full because then the ingredients might spread too much.
• Soak the mop into the water for at least 2 minutes. You can also do more but the point is that proper time should be given to the mop to soak and absorb all the water and ingredients into it. Another thing is that you mop might sometimes get stiff so make sure you soak it for enough time to keep everything smooth.
• Now, is the time to dry out the mop by putting it in the wringer cone. Don’t give it a loose wring, make sure you dry it fully before actually using it for cleaning. This is because we need to keep water away from the hardwood surface as much as we can.
• After drying the mop, now is the time to start the cleaning. Take out the mop from the wringer and use it on the hardwood floor. Start out from one corner and drag it all the way to the other corner of the floor. Now make a turn in the “S” position and drag it to the starting corner. This way you do not miss out any space on the surface.
• Make sure you keep your bucket behind you while doing it so you do not have to reach for it every time.
• After moping you will find out that the floor is still dry as it is. But to keep it drier, wipe it off with the microfiber cloth.

Make sure you keep wiping and vacuuming the floor every once in a couple of days and try to mop it once or twice every two weeks. Most of the wooden flooring companies in Dubai also recommend that you keep your hardwood floor clean to increase its life and make the most out of it.

In the end, just ensure you stick with the quantity mentioned above to keep the finishing of the floor healthy.