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Cleaning Heavily Soiled Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are well known for their durability and elegance. With hardwood, you get a neat, aesthetically appealing flooring that gives your house that extra edge, but similar to most wood flooring, cleaning and maintaining hardwood floors requires care and attention to detail. So, is it possible to remove dirt from heavily soiled floors?

For heavily soiled hardwood floors, the accumulation of dirt and grime is often due to inadequate regular cleaning. To clean, mix a solution of mild dish soap and water, mop gently, and then dry thoroughly to prevent water damage.

Another common issue is the buildup of old, hardened waxes or floor polishes, which can trap dirt and make cleaning difficult. To address this, apply a commercial hardwood floor wax remover as per the product’s instructions. This will dissolve the old wax, making it easier to clean and prepare the floor for a fresh coat of polish.

Cleaning Heavily Soiled Hardwood Floors

If you’re looking to learn convenient ways to clean your heavily soiled hardwood floor, then you couldn’t be in a better place. Read on as we discuss proven ways to clean and maintain your wood flooring.

Using Vinegar to Clean Hardwood Floors

Using Vinegar to Clean Hardwood Floors

You’ll need a sponge mop, a sweeper with a soft bristle brush, white vinegar, and a bucket of warm water for this technique to work. Below are some steps to follow when using vinegar to clean hardwood.

Sweep the Floor Using a Soft Bristle Brush

Before using water or white vinegar to clean your heavily soiled hardwood floor, you should sweep the floor to remove dirt lying on the surface.

This step is important since hardwood floors can easily stain if exposed to both dirt and moisture. Sweep the floor until you can no longer feel the particles when standing barefoot.  

Although you might be tempted to rush this step since it’s more prepping than cleaning, please try your best to sweep all areas, including the hard to reach surfaces beneath the furniture. 

Removing food debris and dirt particles is a great way to keep your hardwood floors looking neat and classy.

Add White Vinegar to Warm Water

Be careful when mixing warm water and vinegar to ensure that the mixture isn’t saturated. Ideally, four capfuls of white vinegar should work well with a ¾ filled bucket of warm water. While you can also use cold water, warm water is preferred due to its ability to remove stains by breaking bonds formed by stains on the floor.

Once you’ve added the vinegar, stir the mixture gently before introducing the mop. Don’t hesitate to introduce hot water regularly to keep the mixture warm enough. When adding hot water, be sure to stir gently and allow the mixture to cool if it becomes excessively hot.

Place the Sponge Mop Into the Solution

The best way to maintain your hardwood floors is to use high-quality cleaning tools. Sponge mops like the Libman 02026 Wood Floor Sponge Mop are ideal for wood surfaces due to minimal water release.

And since excessive water is known to delaminate the finishing of hardwood flooring, it’s best to wring out the mop well-enough before using it on the floor.

Allow the Hardwood Floor to Air Dry After Mopping

When mopping your hardwood floors, avoid targeting the visible areas only since neglecting the less-trafficked areas can also lead to staining, especially when the floor is exposed to moisture. Therefore, take your time and clean all surfaces with your mop and vinegar solution.

Once you’re done mopping, it’s time to let your hardwood floor dry. The good thing about sponge mops is that they rarely release excess moisture, therefore leaving your floor near-dry at the time of completion. But if you want to fasten the drying process, consider turning on the ceiling fan for ten to fifteen minutes, depending on your floor’s surface area.

Using Water and Murphy’s Oil Soap to Clean Hardwood Floors

Using Water and Murphy's Oil Soap to Clean Hardwood Floors

This cleaning method is ideal for high-traffic floors in your home. You’ll need Murphy’s Oil Soap, warm water, a spin mop, and a vacuum cleaner with a soft brush. Below are the steps to observe when using this technique.

Use a Vacuum Cleaner to Collect Dust and Debris

Highly-frequented areas like the kitchen, living room and bedroom floors need the vacuum cleaners’ power and precision. While a soft bristle brush can get the job done, using a vacuum cleaner is recommended due to its effectiveness, more so in removing debris, hair from animals or humans, and dust.

Rushing the vacuuming process only means that your floor won’t be as squeaky as desired. So take your time and vacuum even the less obvious areas. Vacuuming is crucial when cleaning high traffic areas as they are notorious for piling up dirt and debris, which can easily ruin your hardwood flooring.

Add Murphy’s Oil Soap to Warm Water

Once done vacuuming your hardwood floors, it’s time to bring in your secret weapon, Murphy’s Oil Soap. If your cleaning bucket is ¾ full of warm water, add around 4-5 cupfuls of Murphy’s Oil Soap and gently stir it. 

Murphy’s Oil Soap will help maintain your hardwood flooring’s shine, ensuring it looks good as new even after months or years of use.

Place a Spring Mop Into the Mixture and Mop Away

Cleaning wood floors requires gentle mops that are easy to wring. For instance, the O-Cedar Easywring Microfiber Spin Mop is among the best spin mops for hardwood floors. The product comes with a built-in wringer that helps you drain out almost 95% of the water.

Mop until you’re satisfied with the appearance of your hardwood flooring. And since using too much water is a no-no when cleaning hardwood flooring, don’t hesitate to wring out your mop several times until it’s moist enough to absorb grime and tough dirt.

Using a Single-Disc Buffer and Mineral Spirit

Using a Single-Disc Buffer and Mineral Spirit

Screening the floor using a buffer is a proven way to eliminate those unsightly patches or stains on your hardwood floor. You’ll need mineral spirit, a single-disc buffer, a dust mop, a polishing pad, and a cleaning pad for this method.

Use a Dust Mop to Remove Dust and Debris

The first step when cleaning hardwood floors should always be dusting. Using a high-quality microfiber dust mop like the Eyliden Cleaning Mop for Hardwood, gently sweep all the dirt and debris on your floor. Again, sweeping is an integral part of cleaning hardwood floors, so don’t be in too much of a hurry to finish this step.

Add a Cleaning Pad to the Single-Disc Buffer

You’ll need to use high-quality disc buffers meant for floor cleaning if you’re to clean your hardwood floors and leave them looking neat. A great example of a buffer that’ll come in handy in your floor cleaning activities is the Oreck Commercial Orbiter Floor Machine, known for its stain removal properties and polish hardwood floors.

Before putting your buffer into use, place a cleaning pad, and spray mineral spirit. Please note that the mineral spirit should be placed on the floor surface as well. Use the buffer and screen the entire area that needs cleaning or stain removal.

Use a Dust Mop to Remove Fine Dust Produced by the Buffer

Successful cleaning of hardwood floors requires attention to detail. Before you attach the polishing pad on the buffer, use your dust mop to remove the fine dust particles on the floor. This shouldn’t take you too much time since you’ll only focus on cleaning the buffer areas.

Remove the Cleaning Pad and Place the Polishing Pad on the Buffer

Hardwood floors look great with a bit of shine. Once you’re done removing dust, place the polishing pad on the buffer and go over the hardwood surface again. Repeat this process until the scratches caused by the cleaning pads disappear. The floor should be neat and shiny once done with this process.

Disclaimer, using a buffer isn’t ideal for day to day hardwood cleaning, and should be used only when dealing with stubborn stains that don’t seem to disappear.

How to Maintain Hardwood Floors

How to Maintain Hardwood Floors

The National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) advises that you clean your hardwood floors regularly using minimal water. Here are some ways you can maintain them.

Clean Spills Immediately

Since wood tends to shrink or swell depending on temperature and moisture, it is crucial to wipe spills immediately when they occur. This is because moisture is notorious for causing splitting, gapping, and cupping in woods. Therefore, make a habit of cleaning spills once they occur to keep your hardwood floor in pristine condition.  

Make Use of Furniture Pads

Furniture is notorious for scratching and displacing planks on wood floors. As a result, it is advisable to use furniture pads to provide extra protection to your sensitive hardwood flooring. 

Products like the X-Protector Premium Furniture Pads can provide sufficient cover for furniture feet-in the process eliminating the risk of scratches.

Sweep and Dust Regularly

Allowing dust and debris to build up on wooden floors is a recipe for disaster. This is because dirt tends to scratch and dull hardwood flooring. Although daily cleaning isn’t necessary, cleaning hardwood floors at least four times a week is advisable.

However, the number of times you clean your hardwood floors should depend on traffic. Try cleaning areas with high foot traffic like the kitchen or living rooms frequently. And when sweeping your wood flooring, remember to use microfiber surfaces as they’re gentle enough. Never use steel wool or any rough surfaces to remove stains from your hardwood floor.

Use the Right Cleaning Product

With thousands of wood cleaning products in the market, you’ll need to be extra careful to choose one that suits your floor. Remember, companies use different materials to manufacture wooden floors, meaning what works for one wood type might not work for another.

For hardwood floors, try products that can hide minor scratches and re-nourish wood like the Libman 2065 Hardwood Floor Cleaner.

Recoat Hardwood Flooring When It Starts to Get Dull

Your hardwood floor will inevitably start to look dull over time. But the good thing is that recoating and refinishing hardwood flooring isn’t too difficult. Therefore, don’t hesitate to apply a new coating to your hardwood floor to bring it back to life.

Regularly recoating will increase your hardwood flooring’s lifespan, exactly why you should recoat at least once in five years.

Refinish After Long Usage

You’ll know it’s time to refinish your hardwood flooring when it develops stains and deep scratches that appear to penetrate the polyurethane finish. Discoloration due to either age or sunlight is also a sign that refinishing is required to restore your floor’s initial beauty.  

Copyright protected content owner: ReadyToDIY.com and was initially posted on September 23, 2020.

Floor refinishing requires heavy sanding to remove scratches and discolorations. Due to the complexities associated with refinishing, it is advisable to consult with an expert to increase the chances of successful outcomes.

Advantages of Hardwood Flooring

Advantages of Hardwood Flooring

Enhances Beauty

Hardwood flooring is known for its elegance and class, making it ideal for almost all home designs. The fine polish and wood’s ability to blend with furniture ensure that hardwood floors suit both home and office setups.

Easy to Maintain

Hardwood floors are easy to clean and maintain. Besides sweeping, you can also steam clean and vacuum your wooden floors to remove dirt, dust, or debris accumulated over time. You don’t have to mop hardwood floors every day, but you must remember to use a well-wringed microfiber mop.

Another merit associated with hardwood floors is their ease of maintenance. Hardwood flooring responds well to white vinegar and Murphy’s Oil soap, making it possible to remove light scratches and stains.

Durable and Cost-Effective

Hardwood floors tend to cost a lot more than most wood flooring because of the high-quality materials used to enhance the durability and the maintenance of color. Therefore, although costly in the short term, hardwood floors will help you to save by avoiding repair or replacement costs in the long term.

Improves Air Quality

Unlike carpets, hardwood flooring doesn’t trap dust, pollen, and animal dander, making it an ideal option for people suffering from allergies. Laminate and tiles are also known to trap dust and grout, which reduces the quality of air circulation. But you won’t have to deal with issues such as scent absorption or dirt entrapment with hardwood floors.

How to Stain Hardwood Floors  

How to Stain Hardwood Floors

After years of repeated use, there’ll come a time when your hardwood flooring will start to show signs of wear and tear. However, with a bit of staining, you can rejuvenate your flooring to make it look and feel new. Consider observing the following steps when staining hardwood.

Clear the Room

You’ll need to clear the room for two reasons. The first reason is to have enough space to work with. Make sure to remove all the furniture such that you have a plain working area free of other objects. 

Secondly, you’ll need to remove objects that might be affected by dust. Seal the doorways and even HVAC vents to prevent dust from contaminating sensitive appliances or devices.

Sand Using a Random Orbital Sander

The second step is arguably the most critical to your staining success since you’ll need to sand carefully and deliberately. Prep the area you are about to work on, and after putting on your protective gear, place 60-grit sandpaper on the orbital sander.

For a neat, warm finish, sand your hardwood flooring in rows, carefully overlapping your runs by half the sander’s width. Once you’re done sanding with the 60-grit paper, switch to 80-grit sandpaper and repeat the process. Always keep the sander level with your floor and never stop the orbital sander when in contact with the floor.  

You might need to switch to 100 or 120-grit sandpaper and sand your hardwood floor one last time. In areas where a random orbital sander won’t fit easily, you can try a detail sander or palm sander to get the job done.  

Use a Vacuum Cleaner to Remove Dust

It is crucial to clean the hardwood floor before applying any stain carefully to make the stain finish last, i. While using a dry mop might help remove the dust particles, a heavy-duty vacuum cleaner is preferred due to its ability to perform a thorough dust-removal job. So don’t hold back when it comes to cleaning the flooring before stain application.

After you’re done with the vacuum cleaner, use soft, dampened rags or a wet microfiber mop to make the surface clean and free of debris.  

Apply the Stain and Protect It With Polyurethane

To avoid leaving footsteps on the floor, apply the stain carefully from the walls as you head towards the door. You should apply the stain generously and evenly, working on a two-foot section at a time. Always wipe away the excess stain before moving on to other sections.  

Once you’ve applied your preferred stain to the hardwood floor, it’s time to lay protection by applying a polyurethane sealer. For this part, you’ll need a foam roller to apply an even coat across the entire hardwood floor area.

Allow the polyurethane coating to dry before stepping on your rejuvenated hardwood flooring.

Final Thoughts

Cleaning Heavily Soiled Hardwood Floors

Although expensive to purchase, hardwood floors are among the easiest to maintain. You can easily remove light stains by using white vinegar solution, mineral spirit, or Murphy’s Oil Soap. 

However, to remove tough stains and scratches, you might need to use an orbital sander to get the job done.

Remember to use damp microfiber cloths or mops on hardwood flooring since hardwood doesn’t work too well with excess water. Stay away from steel wool or other tough surfaces that might scratch your sensitive flooring.

Copyright article owner is ReadyToDiy.com for this article. This post was first published on September 23, 2020.

In addition to regular vacuum cleaning, clean spills immediately since regular cleaning helps keep hardwood floors in top shape.

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ReadyToDIY is the owner of this article. This post was published on September 23, 2020.

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