Hardwood floor cleaning is not a difficult task. However, most home owners are unaware of the proper way to clean and dust hardwood flooring. Having years of experience in the flooring industry, we find the best way to clean and maintain you hardwood floors is as follows:
Daily Hardwood Floor Cleaning
Dry sweep or Vacuum the floors. We recommend the Swiffer Sweep and Trap Starter Kit. The Swiffer is a great product and should be hanging in everyone’s utility closet. It allows you to quickly wipe down the floors and trap all of the fine dust and dirt on your floors. The replacement dry cloth refills are soft enough where they will not scratch your hardwood floors. You may also use a standard house-hold vacuum if you don’t have a Swiffer readily available. Double check the vacuum’s wheels to make sure they won’t scratch the hardwood before you vacuum.
Heavy-duty Deep Cleaning
Dry sweeping or Dry Vacuum’ing may not always clean away dirt or grime embedded into hardwood floors. For these stubborn spots, we recommend mopping with a slightly damp microfiber mop or soft towel. The most important thing to remember is that WATER is hardwood’s worst enemy, regardless of the hardwood quality or finish. When mopping, the mop or towel you are using should be slightly dampened with water or wood floor cleaner. It is important the mop or towel is not soaking wet. Never pour water or cleaning solution directly onto your wood floors. Instead, slightly dampen the mop with water or a prepared cleaning solution, wring it out and begin to mop. It is best to mop in the direction of the wood grain. Once finished, take a dry soft towel and wipe the down the floors again to remove any residual water or cleaning solution.
