How to get hardwood floors clean
How to Clean Wood Floors Properly
By
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette
Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40 years' experience; writing for over 20 years.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 11/28/22
Reviewed by
Brandon Pleshek
Reviewed by Brandon Pleshek
Brandon Pleshek of Clean That Up! is a seasoned veteran of the cleaning industry with over 20 years of experience in commercial and residential cleaning. He is a member of The Spruce's Cleaning and Organizing Review Board
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Haikinmhan / Getty Images
In This Article
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How Often to Clean Hardwood Floors
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Before You Begin
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How to Clean Solid or Engineered Hardwood Floors
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Wood-Look Flooring
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Tips to Keep Floors Clean Longer
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Homemade Wood Floor Cleaning Solution
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Prevent Scratches
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Removing Stains From Wood Flooring
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When to Call a Professional
Project Overview
Wood floors add warmth and a unique look to all home decor styles, and most are easy to care for if appropriately cleaned to maintain the shine. But, frequent foot traffic tracks in dirt and grime, which builds up on hardwood floors, making them look dingy, and if you have pets, then dust bunnies are probably multiplying daily.
Aesthetics aside, you need to keep floors clean because it's safer and healthier for you. A thin sheet of dirt or dust can make wood floors slippery and a fall hazard. Dust and dust mites accumulate, triggering asthma and respiratory conditions.
Watch Now: The Simple Method to Make Hardwood Floors Shine
How Often to Clean Hardwood Floors
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.
How to Clean Hardwood Floors and Make Them Shine
Before You Begin
The main thing to determine before you start cleaning is your type of flooring: solid hardwood flooring, engineered hardwood flooring, or laminate wood-look flooring. They look very similar but care for laminate differs from solid or engineered hardwood. Solid and engineered hardwood flooring can receive the same cleaning regimen but never use hardwood floor cleaners on laminate since the oil and waxes in the ingredients can dull the surface.
Types of Wood and Wood-like Flooring
- Solid hardwood flooring: This flooring is installed in planks or strips and left natural or treated with a wood stain. The flooring can be any hardwood (oak, maple, teak, walnut, ash) cut from one solid piece of wood.
- Engineered hardwood flooring: This flooring is manufactured by gluing together several thin plies of hardwood. The layers are stacked with the grains running in different directions to strengthen the floor pieces. The surface layer can be a thin veneer or a thicker layer of hardwood that can be sanded and refinished over time.
- Laminate wood-look flooring: This flooring contains no hardwood. The surface is a photographic image of wood covered by a thick layer of melamine resin over fiberboard.
Tools for Cleaning Hardwood Floors
The tools you use to clean can vary. A soft-bristled broom is the best choice for removing crumbs and grit from hardwood floors while preventing additional scratches. The bristles can be made from nylon or rubber. Both types of bristles are static-charged and help to grab particles. Use a dustpan or hand vacuum to grab the accumulated soil.
Microfiber mop heads attract dust better than cotton or sponge mops and can be easily washed and cleaned. While you can use a vacuum on hardwood floors, choose one that has soft-bristle rollers and a retractable beater bar to prevent scratching. Use the upholstery brush attachment to reach dusty corners of the room.
The 13 Best Mops of 2022, Tested and Reviewed
Hardwood Floor Cleaning Solution
Since most wood floors are sealed with cured polyurethane or polyacrylic urethane, choosing a wood floor cleaner that will leave the sealant bright and without streaks is essential. Never use harsh chemicals like chlorine bleach, ammonia, pine oil, or undiluted vinegar. Choose instead a commercial product that is formulated for sealed wood floors. Never apply liquid or paste wax over a polyurethane-sealed wood floor.
The 8 Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners of 2022
Equipment / Tools
- Broom, dust mop, or vacuum
- Microfiber mop
Materials
- Commercial wood floor cleaner
- Paper towels
- Water
How to Clean Solid or Engineered Hardwood Floors
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Sweep or Vacuum Daily
Sweep or vacuum daily to remove grit and crumbs that can cause scratches and wear down the floor's finish. Don't forget to clean under area rugs regularly. Remove scuff marks as soon as you notice them.
Tip
It's best to have two microfiber mops, one for dry mopping to capture dust and another with denser fibers for damp mopping. A clean mop equals a cleaner floor.
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Tackle Messes as They Happen
Don't allow any dry mess or wet spills that can leave water rings to remain for more than a few minutes on hardwood floors. This is especially important for mud or any foods or liquids that are dark in color and can leave difficult-to-remove stains.After cleaning the spill with a paper towel or cloth, give the floor a final "rinse" with a slightly water-dampened cloth or mop. Wipe in the direction of the wood grain to prevent streaking.
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Dust Mop Weekly
To capture the dust bunnies that seem to appear from nowhere, dust mop wood floors at least once per week.
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Damp Mop Seasonally
If you have been taking care of messes promptly and keeping floors free of grit and dust, you should only need to damp mop with a cleaning product a few times each year. Never use a sopping-wet mop. Excessive water can damage every sealant on wood floors and cause them to buckle.
Lightly dampen a microfiber mop and always clean following the grain of the wood and allow the wood to dry completely before walking to prevent spotting. If you live in an area with hard water, damp mop with distilled water. The excessive minerals in hard water can leave the floor finishes looking dull.
If you use a commercial wood floor cleaner, choose one with a spray applicator or a mop that includes a refillable spray feature like Bona. Too much product can leave floors sticky and attract more dirt. Just a heavy mist of about one-half teaspoon per two square feet is adequate for cleaning.
How to Clean Laminate Wood-Look Flooring
Caring for wood-look laminate flooring is relatively easy. Wipe up spills as they happen and sweep or vacuum frequently. For deeper cleaning, you can use a steam mop but avoid wet mopping that can cause the underlayers to warp. Avoid harsh cleaners like pine oil or any cleaner that promises to leave a shine. The waxy build-up will leave the laminate looking dull. Opt for a small amount of plain dishwashing liquid in warm water to dampen your mop.
Tips to Keep Floors Clean Longer
Make sure you have a doormat outside your main entrance door and, if possible, inside your door too. The door mat may get dirty fast, but it's better there than all over your house.
Tip
To keep your floors looking shiny and clean longer, adopt a shoes-off policy at the door. Shoes track in a lot of dirt. To encourage guests to feel comfortable with the policy, offer guest slippers at the door.
Spills and messes can worsen if you don't clean them up right away. If you've lived with children or pets, you know what happens when Cheerios get flung from a high chair or dog kibble is left on the floor; it becomes a crumbly, powdery mess once a foot steps on it. Juice splatters become a sticky nightmare after a few hours. If you leave these cleaning tasks until the next time you wash the floors, your floors will look dirtier and will take longer to clean when you get around to them.
Homemade Wood Floor Cleaning Solution
One of the most inexpensive and effective cleaners for hardwood floors is diluted vinegar. A good ratio is 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar to 1 gallon of warm water. To leave a pleasant scent behind as you clean, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the cleaning solution. The vinegar smell will dissipate as it airs out.
Tips to Prevent Scratches on Wood Floors
Scratches cause floors to look dull and wear out more quickly. Taking a few precautions will help keep away scratches.
- Place felt pads on the bottom of the chair and table legs.
- Never place houseplant pots directly on hardwood floors.
- Never drag heavy furniture or objects across the floor.
- Skip stilettos and cleats when walking on hardwood floors.
- Place doormats inside and outside entrance areas and clean them frequently. Reducing the amount of grit brought into a home will reduce the number of scratches.
- Keep pet toenails trimmed and filed.
Removing Stains From Wood Flooring
To remove a pesky stain like wine from hardwood flooring, you can try a commercial hardwood spot cleaner or go into your medicine cabinet and grab the hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide has bleaching properties, and it's safe for hardwood flooring. Soak a clean cloth in hydrogen peroxide and cover the stain for six to eight hours. After the time has elapsed, the stain should be gone.
When to Call a Professional
If your floors have lost their luster or you don't have the time or inclination to clean your floors, regularly schedule a periodic maintenance visit from a local wood flooring professional cleaning service. Prices average about $250 to $400 depending on the amount of wood flooring you have. Professional cleaning can extend the life of your flooring and hold off the need for refinishing for years,
However, if you have excessive dents, scratches, or water damage, you might need your wood floors refinished. If the wood starts rotting, splitting or splintering, or turning black, it's a sign you need a professional to fix your flooring or potentially replace it.
How to Repair Scratched Hardwood Floors
Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Dust and dust mites. American Lung Association.
The 8 Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners of 2022
The Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner is our top pick
By
Brigitt Earley
Brigitt Earley
Brigitt Earley is an experienced writer and product reviewer for The Spruce who specializes in home hacks and products. She currently writes about home products and toys for The Spruce.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 12/08/22
Reviewed by
Katie Berry
Reviewed by Katie Berry
Katie Berry is a cleaning expert with 30 years of household management experience and 12 years of writing about cleaning methods and routines for Housewife How-Tos. She is the author of several books about homemaking.
Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board
Fact checked by
Richard Scherr
Fact checked by Richard Scherr
Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. The Baltimore native also covered the technology scene for LocalBusiness.com and has been a regular contributor to the sports pages of The Baltimore Sun and The Washington Post.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
We independently research, test, review, and recommend the best products—learn more about our process. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a commission.
The Spruce / Sharon Lehman
Properly maintaining your hardwood floors helps them look great and last longer, and it can also buy you time between routine maintenance projects like refinishing. Brett Miller, vice president of technical standards, training, and certification for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), says that successful maintenance is easily attainable. Sweep or use a dry, soft microfiber dust mop on a daily basis, vacuum (on the bare floor setting, if possible) once a week, and use a professional-quality floor cleaner monthly. “But be sure to use the right cleaning solution, and avoid over-wetting or leaving behind a residue on the floor,” Miller adds.
We researched and tested dozens of hardwood floor cleaners in The Lab, judging them on ease of use, effectiveness, and ingredients. Our top pick is the Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner, because it’s easy to use, it performs, and it's made with a plant-based formula.
Here are the best hardwood floor cleaners.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Better Life Floor Cleaner at Amazon
Best Budget:
Murphy Oil Soap at Amazon
Best Eco-Friendly:
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner at Amazon
Best Smelling:
Method Wood Floor Cleaner at Amazon
Best Heavy-Duty:
ZEP Commercial Hardwood & Laminate at 123office. com
Best Mop:
Shark VacMop Pro Vacuum Mop at Amazon
Best Vacuum:
Shark Vertex DuoClean PowerFins Cordless Stick Vacuum at Amazon
Best Robot:
Ecovacs Deebot T10+ Robot Vacuum and Mop at Amazon
In This Article
-
Our Picks
-
What to Look For
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FAQ
-
Why Trust The Spruce
-
Spruce Approved
Walmart
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Better Life's Floor Cleaner Packs a Plant-Derived Punch
What We Like
What We Don't Like
Who else recommends it? Bob Vila, Reviewed, and This Old House also picked the Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner.
What do buyers say? 88% of 6,300+ Amazon reviewers rated this product 4 stars or above. We’ve sung the praises of this floor cleaner for a while now, and we’re still impressed. Better Life’s Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner is our top pick, because it’s great for an everyday clean, and it excels in the face of grease and grime. The product cuts through just about any mess, leaving behind a streak-free clean on all sealed floors—not just hardwood. You can use it on tile, bamboo, ceramic tile, laminate, and more. This also means there's no need to stock multiple cleaning products for all of the different surfaces in your home.
The formula is plant-based and doesn't require any dilution. Simply squirt and mop for clean floors without all of the elbow grease that other products require. Thanks to its essential oils, it doesn’t leave a strong scent behind. Instead, you’ll be left with a soft, clean citrus scent that our tester said reminded her of a day at the spa. She was also impressed with how quickly the cleaner dried and left a finish ready to be walked on: “Within minutes of cleaning one portion of the floor, the surface was dry as we began cleaning another. It left a smooth finish without any tackiness, too, which was a pleasant surprise."
Price at time of publishing: $15
Type: Liquid | Dimensions: 8.75 x 3.45 x 3.45 inches | Weight: 4 pounds | Amount: 32 fluid ounces | Scent: Citrus mint
The Spruce / Elizabeth Rago
Courtesy of Target
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
When a cleaner has been on the market for over 100 years, you know it’s a good one. Tack on a budget-friendly price, and it’s sure to become one of your go-to products. Murphy Oil Soap is beloved for its price point and its cleaning prowess. The solution is suitable for everyday cleaning, but it can also tackle built-up grime for a deeper clean.
You do have to dilute the concentrate, but it’s simple: Just mix it with water, and follow the package instructions. Then, mop the floor with the solution—no need to rinse it. You’ll leave behind squeaky clean hardwood floors with an impressive look. As a bonus, the recognizable citronella—while too pungent for some—lends a fresh scent that lingers, making your house smell just as clean as it looks. For maximum mileage, you can also use the classic cleaner to refresh tile, linoleum, vinyl, and other flooring materials.
Price at time of publishing: $12
Type: Liquid | Dimensions: 10.69 x 7.13 x 5.13 inches | Weight: 7.1 pounds | Amount: 32 fluid ounces | Scent: Citronella
Walmart
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Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Review
What We Like
EPA Safer Choice product
Doesn’t leave behind any residue
Works on glazed or unglazed floors
What We Don't Like
Keep sealed hardwood floors in tip-top shape with this pH-balanced cleaner from Bona. Since the formula is water-based, it’s also safe for other types of flooring like porcelain and laminate. But don’t be fooled: It’s just as powerful as concentrates. In fact, with this product in hand, you should only need to do a weekly (or even bi-weekly) clean to keep your floors spotless.
Spritz and wipe, then watch as the fast-drying formula effortlessly eliminates dirt, dust, and stuck-on grime. Despite the shine, the product won’t leave floors slippery, and it doesn’t leave behind any residue that can leave floors tacky or looking cloudy and dull. The cleaner is also an EPA Safer Choice product, meaning that it meets certain requirements for being people- and planet-friendly.
Our product tester said that Bona not only cleaned her floors but also improved them: “We were also happy to notice some minor scuffs and surface scratches in our aged hardwoods were less noticeable after cleaning with Bona."
Price at time of publishing: $9
Type: Liquid spray | Dimensions: 50 x 115 x 30 inches | Weight: 1. 5 pounds | Amount: 32 fluid ounces | Scent: Unscented
The Spruce / Sharon Lehman
Walmart
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
Method Squirt + Mop Wood Floor Cleaner stands out for its formula. It’s entirely plant-based and biodegradable, and it's wax-free, so it won’t coat floors in a substance that might make it look cleaner in the short run but actually dull and even damage floors over time. Instead, it cleans with a blend of water, coconut oil, organic solvents, and baking soda. There’s no dilution required, saving precious time. Just squirt it onto your hardwood floors, and mop away to reveal clean, deodorized, shiny planks. There’s no rinsing required. One thing to keep in mind: While it's convenient, the squirt functionality can release unpredictable amounts of cleaner, so you’ll want to go slowly until you get the hang of it.
Once it's dry, you’re not just left with cleaner floors. The sweet almond scent is another huge draw to this cruelty-free cleaner. It’s pleasant enough to notice, but soft enough not to overpower, and it’s a welcome departure from the typical citrus scent you typically find in floor cleaners.
Price at time of publishing: $15
Type: Liquid | Dimensions: 10.25 x 4.36 x 4.36 inches | Weight: 3.04 pounds | Amount: 68 fluid ounces | Scent: Unscented
The 9 Best Brooms of 2022
Courtesy of Lowe's
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
When your whole house has wall-to-wall wood hardwood flooring, you’ll need to stock plenty of cleaner to keep those surfaces clean. A commercial solution, like this one from Zep, is an excellent option. The heavy-duty formula is made for high-traffic industrial spaces, but it works exceptionally well in homes, too. (You'll want to use caution if considering the product for a home with kids and pets, since it’s not quite as gentle as other options.)
If it’s right for you, the professional-grade cleaner will tackle everything from spots and scuffs to set-in stains in a flash. You can use it on hardwood or laminate flooring. Just spray it on (a little goes a long way, so be conservative), mop, and stand back to admire your clean floors in all of their glory. The light citrus scent is a nice touch, too.
Price at time of publishing: $17
Type: Liquid | Dimensions: 12.1 x 6 x 6 inches | Weight: 8.6 pounds | Amount: 128 fluid ounces | Scent: Citrus
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
Experts recommend both vacuuming (to get the crumbs up) and mopping (to really get that deep clean), but you don’t have to stock two tools to get the job done. The Shark VACMOP is a vacuum and spray mop combo that uses powerful suction to pull dirt and debris into its disposable pad. Once it vacuums all the loose debris in its path, you can use the spray cleaning solution from the on-board container to mop on the shine. Our testers say it's just as easy as it sounds. The tool is lightweight and maneuvers well in tight areas (like under a bar cart). It even has a light on the head so you can see those typically dark, hard-to-reach spots, which is great for making sure you get the whole mess up!
A cordless construction allows you to venture wherever you need to, even in a large room. No need to worry about the battery life, either. After an overnight charge, our tester found it strong enough to complete several small tasks or one big deep clean of a townhouse. Do note, though, that you’ll need to purchase refill pads to continue using the VACMOP.
Price at time of publishing: $100
Type: Mop and vacuum combo | Dimensions: 47. 87 x 9.5 x 5.3 inches | Weight: 5 pounds | Capacity: 0.1 quarts | Power source: Cordless electric
Amazon
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
Top-heavy design
Smaller dust bin
The Shark IZ462H Vertex DuoClean received a near-perfect score across our testing categories for its performance on hardwood flooring, carpet, and more. This vacuum's motor head is equipped with a long-bristled front brush that easily sweeps up debris in its 10.5-inch cleaning path. A second rubber roller also ensures any remaining debris is picked up behind the bristles. Our tester said this vacuum required minimal effort to push and pull across flooring because it automatically leads you across the surface.
This vacuum also has an impressive hour-long battery life, which can clean your whole home—or the majority of it—before needing to refresh the battery. An LED light on the floor head allows you to see your cleaning path and illuminates any hidden debris. This vacuum also folds in half for easy storage, if you're cramped for closet space, or looking to optimize storage possibilities. Our testers pointed out this vacuum is slightly top-heavy, which makes it tricky to prop up between tasks. However, its quiet, powerful suction makes it a winner in our testing lab, especially when considering its lightweight design.
Price at time of publish: $299
Type: Vacuum | Dimensions: 46.5 x 9.6 x 10.25 inches | Weight: 9 pounds | Capacity: 1.4 quarts | Power source: Cordless electric
Best Buy
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What We Like
What We Don't Like
Mopping yields gorgeous hardwood floors, but all of that wringing and drying makes it a huge chore, and you don't want to over-wet your floors. Fortunately, the ECOVACS DEEBOT T10+ Robot Vacuum and Mop exists to make the task as breezy as can be. And though our tests show that most robot mops tend to make a bigger mess rather than effectively clean, this hybrid model was an exception. The DEEBOT T10+ cleaned up all of the spills we tested it on, leaving only a little bit of residue behind on its side brushes.
It’s a quality vacuum, too. The DEEBOT carefully maps its route and then shuffles along your floor while doing the hard work for you. During tests, it was very quiet when operating on hardwood—a great bonus if you have kids who nap or pets who spook easily. What’s more, it navigated around furniture very well, so you don’t have to worry about accidental dings and scratches.
The price is high, yes, but it’s easy to use, easy to empty, and overall very effective on both settings. You can even add scented pods. So, if you don’t have the time or the energy to carefully clean and maintain your hardwood floors, this is an excellent autonomous option.
Price at time of publishing: $650
Type: Vacuum and mop combo | Dimensions: 18.9 x 17 x 16.2 inches | Weight: 31.5 pounds | Capacity: Not listed | Power source: Cordless electric
The 7 Best Robot Vacuums of 2022, Tested and Reviewed
Final Verdict
Our top pick for a hardwood floor cleaner is the Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner. Its versatile, plant-based formula works across a variety of sealed floor types. Plus, it's easy to use (there's no rinsing required), and it comes in recyclable packaging. If you're looking to spend less, Murphy Oil Soap is a great value. It’s a hardworking formula, and a little bit goes a long way.
Type
Before purchasing a cleaner, consider how each product is used. For hardwood floors, you can use a variety of products, including mops, vacuums, and liquids. Mops and vacuums help you get debris off of the floor, while liquid cleaners remove any fine specks of dust and restore shine. You’ll likely need more than one type of floor cleaner, such as a vacuum cleaner that works well on hardwood floors, as well as a quality mop and liquid cleaner.
Application Method
Some liquids require dilution. Some require rinsing. If convenience is particularly important to you, consider the cleaner’s application method prior to purchasing. Floor-cleaning concentrate (usually sold in a 1-gallon container) may be economical, but you'll need to use a bucket or a separate container to mix the formula with water. You’ll also need to buy a mop to apply the cleaner to the floor. There are many squirt-and-clean options available that don’t need to be rinsed or diluted, such as the Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner, which is our top pick. Some will also need a mop or additional supplies, like cleaning cloths, to wipe the solution from your floors.
If you opt for a vacuum or a robot mop, like the ECOVACS DEEBOT T10+ Robot Vacuum and Mop, you won’t need to buy additional supplies, but you’ll likely sacrifice cost for convenience.
Ingredients
Though ingredients impact a cleaner’s effectiveness, they also contribute to a product's safety and floor compatibility. For example, you should not use products with bleach on hardwood floors. Instead, Brett Miller, vice president of technical standards, training, and certification for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), says it’s important to use a pH-balanced cleaner. What’s more, homes with young children or pets may prioritize EPA Safer Choice products like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Some floor cleaners are also formulated with heavy fragrances to add a freshly cleaned scent. If you're sensitive to strong smells, consider an unscented floor cleaner or one made from natural fragrances, like essential oils.
FAQ
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To keep wood floors in tip-top shape, use a dry, soft microfiber (or similar) dust mop on wood floors on a daily basis, and supplement with a vacuum on the bare floor setting once a week, or as necessary, says Miller. You don’t need much product—you can get away with using a wood floor cleaner about once per month.
“Shine is not something you should try to achieve with any wood floor cleaning product, as products that claim to add shine may be damaging to the floor’s finish,” Miller explains. “If a homeowner thinks their floors have started to look a little dull, they can instead be renewed through a simple maintenance coat—something the NWFA recommends doing every three to five years.”
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Though it may seem counterintuitive, avoid products that promise to polish, restore luster, or add shine, says Miller. These solutions leave behind a temporary, non-protective, shiny film that can interfere with any future coats of professional wood floor finish. Keep in mind that wood and water don’t mix. You should never use straight water on wood floors. Applying high volumes of water in any form—liquid or vapor (like from a steam cleaner)—to a wood floor can cause permanent damage to the wood and the finish.
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Most steam cleaners state that they are safe for sealed hardwood flooring, but Miller cautions against using this type of floor-cleaning device. “Never use a steam mop on any real wood floor,” he says. “Steam is the vapor form of water, which means it can travel deeper and faster into and between the cracks and cells of the wood itself. This can permanently damage the wood and the floor’s finish.”
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Routine maintenance for wood flooring is fairly simple. According to Miller, you should sweep with a broom or microfiber mop daily to prevent debris from scratching the floors, use a vacuum (on the bare floor setting) once a week or as necessary, and clean monthly with a professional wood floor-cleaning product.
This roundup was written by Brigitt Earley, a freelance writer and editor with nearly 15 years of experience. She has written extensively about cleaning products, including floor cleaners, for various publications. Her home is almost exclusively hardwood, and she has personally tested a whole host of the cleaning products featured on this list. To curate, she leaned on her own experience, reviewed bestseller lists, read hundreds of product reviews, and spoke to Alicia Johnson, a cleaning expert and owner of Cleaning Green LLC. Additional insight was provided by Brett Miller, vice president of technical standards, training, and certification for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA).
Emma Phelps, a writer for The Spruce, also contributed to this article by incorporating insights from testing in The Lab.
Here at The Spruce, we want to ensure that we fully stand behind every product we recommend and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all of these products ourselves, though occasionally we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free.
Article Sources
The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
The Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners of 2022. Bob Vila. https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-hardwood-floor-cleaner/
THE BEST HARDWOOD FLOOR CLEANERS OF 2022. Reviewed. https://www.reviewed.com/cleaning/best-right-now/best-hardwood-floor-cleaners
The 5 Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners (2022 Review), This Old House. https://www.thisoldhouse.com/flooring/22691981/best-hardwood-floor-cleaner
How to wash the parquet in order to clean it? . Useful board. Tel. +7 (351) 247 83 82.
Preservation of an elegant and refined parquet flooring for many years requires the owner to know some parquet care features.
Water is the #1 enemy of parquet
Parquet and water are incompatible. This should be remembered once and for all. Under the influence of high humidity, parquet planks can not only swell, but also start “pushing out” each other. Water destroys the adhesive coating on which the parquet is fixed and deformation becomes inevitable. nine0003
But what about cleaning and what to do with accidental stains on the parquet? More details about this case are written in the article on how to clean parquet. Parquet flooring is allowed to be washed, but dust must first be removed with a soft bristle brush or vacuum cleaner. Once a week, the parquet may be washed with water in addition to dry cleaning. However, the water should be barely warm, and the rag should be wrung out as hard as possible.
One more rule must be remembered: any manipulations with the parquet (washing, rubbing) are allowed only along the direction of the layers of wood. Below is a picture when the parquet is not cleaned properly, as the mop goes across the direction of the wood fibers.
The floor is washed thoroughly and gently. Now note the time: after washing, the parquet floor should dry within 60 seconds.
After the washed floor is completely dry, it is advisable to treat it with a special polish to create an additional protective layer. Adesiv of the Brill series is suitable (including if the parquet is varnished). nine0003
Removing stains from parquet floors
Any grease stains from parquet are removed with a non-aggressive washing powder diluted with water to a slurry. It is applied to the soiled surface and left for several hours until dry. Dry powder particles are removed with a vacuum cleaner or brush, and traces of it with a damp cloth.
Fresh blood stains respond well to cold water cleaning, if such stains are old, then you can resort to the help of borax powder diluted in water. nine0003
Spilled tea, coffee or iodine? A cotton swab dipped in a weak solution of ammonia will help. The same method will help get rid of most of the pollution.
Pencils and markers can be easily cleaned with an alcohol solution (alcohol or vodka diluted 1:1 with water).
If, after removing the stain, whitish spots remain on the parquet, they will have to be processed with a grinder or sandpaper, and then varnished in a suitable shade. nine0003
If a force majeure event occurs and you are flooded by neighbors, then in order to avoid serious damage to the parquet floor, you must immediately wipe all the water almost dry.
The lacquer coating will have to be removed and the parquet must be completely dry for at least 3 months. After that, you will need to reapply varnish.
To keep parquet in its original state for as long as possible, treat it carefully and carefully.
If you have not cared for your parquet properly, it is likely that the parquet needs restoration. Our parquet experts will help you restore your parquet. nine0003
For more information about parquet restoration services, please call: +7 (351) 247 83 82 or visit the Parquet Restoration page.
How to wash and clean the parquet from dirt
Regular cleaning of parquet flooring is a prerequisite for keeping the flooring in a well-groomed form with a maximum extension of the service life. Given that we are talking about natural wood, often capricious and requiring special care, it is worth knowing about some cleaning features. What tools are suitable for a tree, how to use them correctly and how often? More on that below. nine0003
The cleaning of parquet must be done very carefully so as not to damage the coating
Contents
- 1 What is used to clean the parquet floor at home?
- 2 Parquet floor cleaning tips to remember
- 3 Cleaning and care tips
How do you clean the parquet floor at home?
If there is not the slightest desire to delve into the issue of cleaning a natural parquet floor, it is important to quickly solve the problem of pollution with minimal time and effort, the only right decision is to call professionals. Masters will cope with the task on time, do not damage the coating, help get rid of stains, scratches, dust and even creaks if necessary. Their services are not cheap and it is worth considering. nine0003
If the goal is to clean the parquet at home with your own hands, then the first thing to start with is to study the means that are safe for contact with wood. Typically, special water-based products with a neutral pH content are used.
Ordinary vinegar solution is also used to control mineral deposits or sediment after contact of the coating with hard water. With dirt and grease deposits on a wooden floor, an alkaline agent, a solution of baking soda, and even ordinary soap will cope better than others. nine0003
Sample kit to help clean parquet
It is possible to use cleaning agents, especially alkaline parquet care products, but not often, in order to avoid losing the gloss of the substrate. It is strictly forbidden to use aggressive cleaning agents during the cleaning process.
In home cleaning with parquet cleaning, it is desirable to have on hand:
- alcohol;
- sandpaper;
- solvents;
- grinder. nine0063
The latter is easier and more profitable to rent from companies that practice laying, repairing and maintaining parquet floors, since the purchase will cost a lot and is unlikely to become such a necessity.
It must be understood that errors in cleaning parquet floors (especially systematic ones) will lead to their premature wear or failure. You can not experiment with obviously prohibited drugs and tools, for example:
- bleach;
- abrasives; nine0063
- metal brushes;
- hard jaws;
- ammonia sleep;
- acid based concentrated fluids;
- dry cleaning powders etc.
A steam cleaner is specifically prohibited and must never be adapted to clean wooden floors due to the high level of humidity it generates.
The new product can be tested on a small area of the parquet in an inconspicuous place to check the effectiveness and interaction of the detergent with the parquet flooring
Parquet Floor Cleaning Rules: Things to Remember
The service life of a parquet floor depends on a number of factors, and care for it plays an important role in this list. In order to clean the parquet from dirt and stains, you need to go through three main steps.
Begin the process with dry cleaning, then proceed to wet cleaning and polish the coating as a final step. It is extremely important to follow the algorithm of actions, not skipping them, and not swapping them.
nine0002 During dry cleaning, the parquet floor is treated with a soft brush, preferably with natural bristles. If you need to remove dust, a vacuum cleaner with a special extended brush that is not able to leave scratches on the coating will do.Vacuum cleaner with special nozzle
Clean the floor only when it becomes dirty, avoiding maintenance work. It is good practice to prevent the formation of serious dirt and streaks by maintaining a high level of cleanliness of the coating, for example, using filtered or distilled water for wet cleaning. nine0003
To clean a wooden floor, you must first take off your shoes, using not only brushes, but also rags soaked in a cleaning solution to remove possible stains. After the end of wet cleaning, the absence of streaks is guaranteed by re-treatment of the floor with a clean, dry rag. Polish the parquet with a clean terry cloth to a shine.
Cleaning and care tips
To keep your parquet floor beautiful and elegant, you should try to treat it as carefully as possible. Got spots? They are removed immediately, preventing eating into the surface of the tree. Especially difficult stains can be removed with the help of products with the inclusion of alcohol or acetone. They are treated with preparations, after which a standard wet cleaning of the floor is carried out, followed by polishing. nine0003
Before using any detergent to clean the parquet, carefully study the proportions of the solutions and the advice of specialists
The answer to the question about how to clean the parquet from dirt formed as a result of its contact with sauces, juices, wine or coffee is answered simply - with a special soft rag and a product with a neutral pH level.