Seattle’s Best Hardwood Floor Cleaning Business
6 Tips for Hardwood Floor Cleaning
As a homeowner, you’ve probably spent a lot of time thinking about when and how to get started cleaning your hardwood floor. You want them to look great, but you also want them to be safe and comfortable for your family.
Hardwood floors are an excellent choice for many reasons: they’re durable and beautiful, can last for decades if properly cared for, and are easy to clean. But what if a spill or two causes you to worry about damaging your hardwood floor?
Hardwood floor cleaning can be a hassle. It’s not like carpet cleaning or another cleaning. There are so many things that can get on your floors and make them look dirty, and it’s hard to know the best way to clean them.
1. Use a soft mop instead of a broom
A mop is the best way to get dust and dirt off your hardwood floor. You can use either an electric mop or a traditional mop. Either way, avoid using any brush attachment—it will scratch the finish on your floors.
The bristles on brooms are too stiff to effectively clean wood floors without scratching them. A microfiber mop or soft-bristled broom is perfect for cleaning your wood floors without causing damage.
2. Use warm water instead of hot water when cleaning spills
With the weather in Seattle cleaning your hardwood floor is important. Its always best when you’re mopping up something like juice or coffee, warm water will help dissolve the mess quickly and easily without drying out your wood too much (which could lead to warping).
Hot water can cause the wood finish to expand, which may cause small cracks in the finish over time. However, warm water will eliminate dirt or stains without damaging your floors’ finish!
3. Use neutral pH cleaners on your hardwood floor
If you’re cleaning up spills with cleaners, ensure they’re safe for use on your hardwood floors! The best thing to do is pick up some neutral cleaner at the hardware store specifically designed for use on wooden surfaces (it’ll say so on the bottle).
This means they have a pH between 5 and 9 (7 is neutral). Anything lower than 7 will leave behind an acidic residue that can dull the shine of your floor over time.
4. Avoid using abrasives when cleaning your hardwood floor
When cleaning your hardwood floor in Seattle, don’t use anything abrasive—it can scratch the finish on your wood and cause unsightly damage. Abrasive products include steel wool and scouring powders, so be careful not to use them.
Abrasives can dull the finish of your floor, so if you use a cleaner, try using a microfiber cloth or mop. If you want to use something abrasive, follow up with a clean microfiber cloth—you don’t want to dull the shine of your floor!
5. Protect the finish with an oil-based product
If you have to use an abrasive product on your hardwood floor, make sure to use an oil-based product afterward—this will help protect against further damage from scouring agents or other chemicals you might use on your floor’s future.
Avoid cleaners that contain ammonia, chlorine bleach, and alcohol, even in carpet cleaners Seattle. These ingredients can strip away the finish on your floor and leave it dull or splotchy. Instead, look for cleaners for wood floors (and avoid those with harsh chemicals).
6. Make sure you’re using the right product
This might seem obvious, but when you’re trying to clean your floor, you want to ensure that you’re using the right product for the job. For example, if you have a dark-colored hardwood floor stained by red wine or blood from a cut foot, you don’t want to use a light-colored cleaning solution—it will make those stains more prominent! So instead, use something designed specifically for darker colors like this one.