Solved! This Is the Best Way to Clean Hardwood Floors

Keep hard-working hardwoods clean and tidy with these safe dusting, deep cleaning and stain removal solutions.

Q: I’ve never considered cleaning my cherry wood floors, but I’m starting to notice that it’s getting pretty worn out. What is the best way to clean hardwood floors? I would like advice on wood floor cleaning techniques, as well as a good hardwood floor cleaner.

A: It is true that regular cleaning is necessary to maintain your hardwood floors. Since different floor finishes have unique care requirements, the best method for cleaning hardwood floors depends on the type of finish, not the species of wood (e.g., cherry, maple or oak). If you use the wrong method or cleaner, you could damage the wood.

Read on to learn how to identify your floor’s finish and choose supplies for dusting, deep cleaning and stain removal. Using these recommended best methods for cleaning hardwood floors will keep your floors looking great for years to come.

First, find out what kind of finish your floor has.

There are two main types of finishes for hardwood floors: surface finishes and penetrating finishes.

• Finishes, such as polyurethane and urethane, create a protective, waterproof barrier on the surface of the floor. When liquids come in contact with the finish, they accumulate rather than penetrate the wood. It is safe to use water and water-based cleaning products on finishes.
• Penetrating finishes such as linseed oil or tung oil soak into the surface of hardwood floors, which are then typically waxed to add shine. These finishes readily absorb water, and water can warp wood floors. On floors with penetrating finishes, use only solvent-based cleaning products, not water-based products.

The easiest way to check if a floor has a finish is to scrape a small amount of the finish off a small hidden area of the floor with a sharp knife blade. If the material scraped off is clear, then your floor probably has a finish. If the scraped down floor finish is stained, but no clear material comes off, the floor may have a penetrating finish.

Keep dust at bay by mopping, sweeping or vacuuming regularly.

Weekly dry mopping, sweeping and/or vacuuming is the best way to remove light dust, dirt and pet hair buildup from hardwood floors. This procedure is suitable for floors with a surface or penetrating finish.

The most suitable mops for wood floors usually come with a large, flat mop head with a microfiber cloth pad, such as the Swiffer Sweeper. these mops have tiny synthetic fibers on the pad that reach into the grooves of the wood floor to pick up and hold dust without scratching the wood.

To keep costs down and reduce your environmental impact, choose pads that are removable, machine washable and reusable. Compatible with a variety of hardwood floor mop brands, a pair of reusable pads, such as Old Home kitchen mop pads, cost less than $15.

If you prefer sweeping to mopping, choose a broom with a synthetic tip to trap collected dust in the broom head and prevent it from flying onto the floor.

If you use a vacuum cleaner to remove dust, use an attachment with a floor brush rather than a beater bar (a rotating brush can dent wood floors). Move the vacuum cleaner from one side of the floor to the other, paying special attention to the joints between adjacent floors. These areas can be hiding places for dirt.

Scrape away food stains.

Insert the tip of a plastic knife underneath the food stain and gently slide it upward to remove any food stains that stick to it. Scrub with a clean cloth dampened with a few drops of water, then wipe off the water with a dry cloth.

If you are using this method on a permeable finish floor, cut away some of the wax layer with a knife, apply a thick coat of hard floor wax to the area with a soft cloth, buff and polish the area to a shine.

TSP repels oil stains.

Oil stains on floors with surface or penetrating finishes are easily broken down when exposed to trisodium phosphate (TSP). Wearing protective gloves and safety glasses, dilute two tablespoons of TSP in a large bucket containing a gallon of warm water. Dip the tip of a clean cloth into the solution and apply to the stain with gentle circular motions; once the TSP has dissolved the stain, wipe off the TSP with a water-soaked cloth, then dry quickly with a clean cloth.

Ice up the wax or chewing gum.

Dried candle wax, crayon marks and chewing gum on surface and penetrating finish floors can be easily removed with ice cubes. Place a few ice cubes in a sealed freezer bag, allow the bag to chill until the deposit becomes brittle, then scrape off with the edge of a plastic spatula.

If the spatula scrapes off protective wax from a floor with a penetrating finish, reapply solvent-based hardwood floor wax to the scraped area with a soft cloth and buff the repair with a soft cloth.

Scrub well for water, ink and pet stains.

Stains left by water, ink or pet urine are among the most stubborn stains. For floors with penetrating finishes, it is best to use a hardwood floor cleaner and a scouring brush developed specifically for floors with penetrating finishes and follow these steps to treat these stains

• Lightly sand the stain on the permeable finish floor with extra fine sandpaper to remove the stain.
• Gently wipe with coarse ’00’ grade steel wool dampened with mineral spirits.
• Wipe off the mineral oil with a damp cloth, then dry with a dry cloth.
• Using a soft cloth, apply a solvent-based hard floor wax to the scrubbed area and buff it to a shine.

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