Important Wood Floor Cleaning Tips for Different Finishes

Different modern flooring surfaces require specific cleaning processes. Using the wrong method to clean your floor will quickly or eventually ruin it. For your specific flooring type, you need to learn from the manufacturer's maintenance guide on the dos and don'ts when cleaning it.

Some floors will be easy to clean with soap and water, while others will require detergents. Note that floor care for all wood floors, despite wood being the main material making them up, is not the same. The care of any given floor can vary depending on whether it has a surface or penetrating finish. Make sure you understand the cleaning tips below for your specific floor type.

Wooden Floors with a Surface Finish

A floor with a surface finish is shiny, glossy and protected by a coating of paint that includes varnish, polyurethane, acrylic, and epoxy. Water is an enemy to wooden floors because when it soaks in, warping and damage occurs. Clean this type of floor through dump mopping; this involves using a mop that is barely wet. Wet the mop and wring out as much water as possible before going over your floor to clean and rinse it thoroughly. You can then buff it dry with a towel. A non-toxic floor cleaning solution of a mild dishwashing detergent added to a bucket of warm water is best for damp mopping.

Wooden Floors with a Penetrating finish

A floor with a penetrating finish has more of a matte finish, and you can be able to feel the wood grain. These floors are protected by the oil or wax sunk into the wood. The finishes include resins and oil finishes such as linseed oil and tung oil. Use cleaners that are solvent-based on a wood floor with a penetrating finish. Utilise a natural citrus solvent instead of mineral spirit or turpentine based cleaners. Spray a light film on your floor and dry-mop with a regular dust mop or a microfiber. Wipe off spills immediately with a lightly dampened cloth, and then hand buff the surface dry. Remember to never use a water-based cleaner on this floor.

Laminate Floors

The top layer on your laminate floor is a hard melamine wear layer laid out on a layer of printed paper. This floor is highly durable and easy to clean. Simply clean this floor by vacuuming, dust mopping or wiping with a damp cloth. Do not use abrasive cleaners, steel wool or scouring powders because they can scratch and damage your floor.

For assistance, talk to a cleaning service.

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