How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors can add to the value of your home. To keep them looking their best, cleaning on a regular basis is recommended. This will prolong the life of and shine on your flooring.

Before cleaning any flooring surface, always sweep up any dirt and debris first. If the broom doesn’t quite get it, use a vacuum cleaner on the “bare floor” setting. The cleaning job will be easier if there is as little as possible on the floor to begin with.

Apply oil soap, such as Murphy® Oil Soap to a clean, dry rag. Always apply the oil to the cloth and not the floor. Pouring the oil directly on the floor can cause uneven coloring because the soap will soak in more in that one spot. Gently and with the grain, work the oil soap into the hardwood flooring. Once a rag becomes soiled, switch to a new one. Continue this process until the entire floor has been cleaned. You may need an entire bag of cleaning rags.

Let the oil soak into the floor for several hours. You can go over the floor again with more oil to make sure that the coloring is even throughout. Oil soap is best for older hardwood flooring to maintain the shine.

For no-wax hardwood flooring, oil soap is not necessary. You should sweep and/or vacuum as usual to remove all of the loose dirt. Apply warm soapy water to clean these types of floors. Make sure that all the soap is up off the floor and let it air dry.

The above process will leave you with beautiful hardwood floors. If your flooring has gotten stained, a few more steps should be followed. For people with pets, a common problem is urine stains. Stains should be wiped up as soon as they are noticed.

First, blot the stain dry with a paper towel. Blotting the urine confines the stain to one spot on the floor. Rubbing a stain on a hardwood floor will spread the stain and work it into the wood which is not good. Pour white vinegar on the affected area as often as needed. White vinegar will pull the smell out of the floor. The smell of cat urine is particularly strong.

Use warm water to rinse the area clean. Apply a pet stain enzymatic cleaner to break down the proteins in the stain. After the stain dries, clean the flooring as per your usual routine.

Hardwood flooring does not have to present a headache for the owner. Know which type of hardwood flooring you have installed. Cleaning is a snap if a routine is established at the outset. Get into a habit you can stick to.