Hardwood floors are highly sought-after home surfaces thanks to their timeless appeal and natural beauty. However, these surfaces are delicate, and abrasives like dirt and grit can easily add scratches to the surface of the flooring.

There’s a lot of debate about the best way to clean hardwood floors and whether you can clean them with water or not. Even before we can delve deeper into the topic, it’s important to mention that water is wood’s worst enemy. Yet you can clean your hardwood floor with water, but you MUST consider all the vital guidelines in this article.

The Best Way To Clean Hardwood Floors

Floors take a lot of wear and tear, including high foot traffic, dirt, inevitable spills, and mishaps throughout the day. The best way to care for your hardwood floors is by implementing preventative measures that protect the floors from excessive dirt, mud, and debris that can take a toll on the surface. A good idea is to place floor mats on the inside and outside of exterior doors to minimize tracked-in grime and dirt.

The key to maintaining the aesthetic appeal of your wood floors and avoiding expensive repairs is to clean them regularly and methodically. Experts recommend quick regular cleaning a few times per week to protect floors from getting too dirt and deep cleaning at least once every month to maintain their shine.

There are a few effective natural products that you can use to clean hardwood floors, as discussed below:

Cleaning Hardwood Floors With Water

You can use water to clean your hardwood floors (sealed and unsealed). However, there are some do’s, and dont’s that you must observe when using water or any other liquid base to clean wood flooring:

• Begin by dusting or sweeping all your wood floors thoroughly.
• Prepare a cleaning solution using four cups of warm water and a few drops of dish washing soap. Gently mix the solution until the soap is evenly distributed.
• Don’t pour the cleaning solution directly on the floor. Mist with a spray bottle or lightly dampen the mop or cleaning cloth, leaving it nearly dry.
  Note: Don’t soak or heavily dampen the washcloth/mop!
• Gently scrub a small section at a time with the damp mop or cloth and immediately dry the area with a clean cloth.
• Never leave standing water; you don’t want to let even the smallest spills sit on your wood floors as you’re cleaning. Wipe any spills as soon as they occur.

Avoiding Hardwood Floor Water Damage

Raw hardwood floors are often sealed with a polyurethane finish to create a powerful protective barrier against environmental conditions and damage to the floor. However, no matter how many layers of coating you add to your wood floor, it’s not ‘waterproof and will still be vulnerable to water damage.

Using a soaking wet mop or excessive water to clean hardwood floors often results in warped, water-stained, and damaged wood flooring. You will notice that the floors will begin to blacken and increase mold build-up.

Perhaps you’re wondering, ‘How does water seep in past the finish to reach the bare wood?’ That’s a good question. Being a natural resource, hardwood tends to react to environmental changes. This means that it can shrink or expand depending on the amount of moisture in the surrounding air.

For instance, when homes are heated during cold months, the indoor air becomes dry. Consequently, wood floors lose their moisture and shrink. This results in small openings and tiny, nearly invisible gaps.

The not-so-obvious cracks and separations between the individual boards in your wood flooring expose the bare wood to environmental factors, making it vulnerable to water damage.

Comparably, when the air is humid, for instance, in the spring or when you’re using a humidifier, wood flooring absorbs the moisture and swells. This closes up all openings and small cracks.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors With Vinegar

Vinegar is a versatile kitchen staple. Using it to clean your hardwood floors is a natural, inexpensive, and easy way to get the job done. However, there are some important tips that you must consider to ensure your hardwood floors are clean and completely safe.

• Ensure you’re using the right kind of vinegar. White vinegar is the recommended type of vinegar for cleaning wood floors. Alternatively, you can buy cleaning vinegar online or in any food store. Cleaning vinegar has a higher acid concentration than regular vinegar.
  Note: You should never use red wine or balsamic vinegar on hardwood floors.
• Prepare a cleaning solution by adding a cup of white vinegar into a gallon of lukewarm water and mix until the vinegar is evenly distributed. Remember that you should begin by sweeping or mopping the floor to eliminate dirt, dust, and debris before mopping. This helps avoid scratching the floor when moping.
• Use a soft microfiber mop to clean the wood floor. Microfiber mops are recommended for wooden floors because they are soft and easy to use without scratching the floor surface. They also come with a bucket that allows you to wring the mop out properly.
• Dip the mop into the bucket containing the cleaning solution. Wring it out properly so that it is not overloaded with the solution. Work the mop gently in an ‘S’ motion leading it in the same direction every time to avoid spreading dirt and germs around.
• Mop a small section at a time and replace the cleaning solution whenever you’re cleaning a new room for the best results.

Note: Although vinegar has incredible cleaning power for wood floors, it can dull some types of hardwood floor finishes. Therefore, you should always test the solution on a small inconspicuous spot before cleaning your flooring.

How To Remove Stains On Hardwood Floors

The products you use to remove stains on hardwood floors will be determined by they type of finish used.

Stains tend to remain on the surface if a hard finish like urethane has been used on the flooring. However, the stain is likely to penetrate into the wood if a soft oiled finish is used. This type of finish is common in older houses whose floors are yet to be refinished or resealed.

Stains that remain on the surface can easily be removed by wiping the stained spot with a clean, soft cloth. You can use either of the following remedies if your floor has a soft oiled finish:

• Dark spots and pet stains: Apply bleach or vinegar and let it soak into the wood for at least 60 minutes before rinsing with a clean, damp cloth.
• Water stains and watermarks: Rub the area with fine steel wool and floor wax. If the stain is stubborn, lightly sand the spot and clean it with fine steel wool and an odourless spirit.
• Oil-based stains: Keenly rub the stained spot with a soft cloth and dishwashing detergent to loosen the grease. Rinse with clean water and repeat the procedure if need be. Leave the spot to dry completely before using fine sandpaper to smooth the raised grain.