Wood floors are highly popular in the UK. There are several factors behind its popularity. The range of floors invariably makes an indoor space warm and cosy. Moreover it provides a polished and sophisticated appearance of your home or office. It is important to maintain the shine of these floors. As such taking care of wooden floors is easy if you clean it appropriately to help it retain its look. Dirt and grime easily builds up on hardwood floors. These unwanted build-ups result from frequent foot traffic. Thus your wood floor appears dirty. If you have pets at home then that adds to the problem and your wood floor loses its sheen even faster.
A dull and dingy wood floor is certainly not aesthetically appealing. But that is not the only reason for which you should clean these floors at regular intervals. You need to maintain cleanliness of the floor because that is hygienic and healthier for you along that of your family members. Wood floor cleaning experts in London with years of experience in the industry point out even a thin sheet or dust or dirt can make a wood floor slippery. As a result there is an undeniable fall hazard. Dust and dirt build-ups keep accumulating. The development invites dust mite into your interiors. This is how you come under the higher risk group of developing asthma and other respiratory conditions.
Let us explore few tried and tested tips in the following sections of the blog post. The tips deal with how to clean hardwood floors properly and make those shine. But before that let us have a brief discussion about how frequently should you clean your hardwood floors.
What is the frequency of cleaning hardwood floors?
In order to maintain your hardwood floor clean, bright and shiny it is important to sweep, mop or vacuum it daily. As far as spills are concerned on your wood floor you must swing into action to clean up a spill as soon as it occurs. A more thorough cleaning is necessary at least on a monthly basis. However if your floor gets more foot traffic then you have to provide thorough cleaning more frequently.
Now let us get back to our core topic which was how you can clean your wood floor properly to retain its shine longer. Let us see what experts have to share.
Before you commence your mission
Before you start your cleaning operation, you should know the type of flooring you have. As a matter of fact wood floor comes in different varieties. For example there are engineered hardwood floor, solid hardwood floor and laminate floor that looks like wood to name a few. These varieties look pretty identical. In fact at times it is difficult to distinguish between the varieties. But as far care and maintenance are concerned the floors differ from one another. Technically speaking the same cleaning strategy works for both engineered and solid hardwood floors to a large extent. It is important to be sure about the exact kind of wood floor you have and based on that you can pick up the appropriate cleaning method. When you choose the right cleaning method there is no chance of damaging the floor.
More about different types of wood floor
Usually solid hardwood flooring is installed in strips or planks. Moreover it is either treated with a wood stain or is left natural as it is. The wood could either be sourced from an ash, maple, teak, oak or walnut tree.
Several thin piles of hardwood are glued together to manufacture engineered hardwood floors explains an expert who deals in wood floor cleaning in London over the years. In order to strengthen the floor pieces the layers are stacked with grains running in various directions. Usually the surface layer is a thin veneer or a thick layer of hardwood. If it is a thick hardwood layer then it must be suitable for sanding so that refinishing can be done in course of time.
Laminate flooring that looks like wood does not have hardwood as component. There is only photographic image of wood on the surface. Apart from that there is a thick layer of melamine resin on its fibre board.
Tools to clean hardwood floors
Now let us discuss the tools that you need to properly clean hardwood floors. As such the tools that one needs for this task may vary from individual to individual.
A broom that has soft bristles is ideal to clear away grit and crumbs from a hardwood floor without making scratches. Make sure that the bristles of the broom are made either of nylon or rubber. This makes grabbing the dirt easier. A dust pan or a handheld vacuum makes easier grabbing the accumulated soil. Similarly it is easier attracting dust with microfiber dust heads compared to sponge and cotton mops. You can clean a microfiber cloth much easily. It is okay to use vacuum on a hardwood floor. But make sure the vacuum has retractable beater bar to prevent scratching the floor surface and rollers with soft bristles. When you make use of an upholstery brush attachment it becomes easier reaching out the dusty corners of your room.
Cleaning solutions you can use
You should choose a wood floor cleaner that leaves the sealant bright without creating streaks. This is because most wood floors you will find are sealed with cured polyurethane or poly acrylic urethane. It is not right to use any harsh chemical like pine oil, undiluted vinegar, chlorine bleach or ammonia on wood floors. In fact you will get commercially manufactured products readily in the market that are specially designed for sealed wood floors. Do not ever apply wax – either liquid or paste – on your wood floor when the floor is sealed with polyurethane.
The tools that you require include the following –
- A broom, a dust mop or a vacuum
- A mop made from microfiber cloth
The materials that you need include – commercially manufactured cleaner meant for wood floors, paper towels and ofcourse water.
Floor cleaning experts working at Vip Carpet Cleaning London Ltd in London have something important to suggest in the ongoing context. According to them if you are using a commercially manufactured wood floor cleaner then make sure the product comes with a spray applicator or a mop with refillable spray feature. Else you could end up with a sticky floor by applying too much of the product. Remember that a sticky floor attracts more dirt.
