Cleaning hardwood floors can be intimidating, but keeping them looking beautiful is probably easier than you think. While scrolling online we noticed a few homeowner concerns in regard to the appearance of hardwood floor finishes. Worries such as the floor is 2 to 3 years old, it’s dull, or the sheen is not consistent throughout, the floors under the furniture looks great, etc.
What is so complicated about cleaning hardwood floors?
Honestly, it’s pretty easy to clean hardwood floors. However, consumers are bombarded with advertising for floor cleaning products sold by national discount retailers and big box stores. Unfortunately, these products are often produced to keep costs low rather than stressing the importance of quality. This can make cleaning hardwood planks much more difficult and you may not see good results.
Another common problem is cleaning an oil finished floor with a maintenance product that is designed for polyurethane. This can be enough to damage the oil finished beyond repair and is the perfect example as to how important it is to choose the right maintenance product for your floor.
So, how do we clean our floors?
First, you will need a proper vacuum cleaner.
Vacuuming first will make your life a thousand times easier. A canister vacuum with a soft brush attachment is the only way to go. Some advertisements show vacuums with power heads being used on wood floors, but this is not something we recommend. Powerhead brushes are capable of scratching urethane or striping the oil off of a floor.
Second, choose the right cleaning product.
TrueMark Poly/Glaze Tek Finishes | Factory Polyurethane
After vacuuming, lightly mist the floor with Hallmark Floors’ TrueClean Hardwood & LVT floor cleaner. Clean the floor by moving in the direction of the wood grain with a micro-fiber mop. Change the micro-fiber mop head every 250 sq. ft. to avoid dirt buildup. Launder the micro-fiber mop head after each use.
NuOil Finish | Two Stage Hybrid Oil Systems
After vacuuming, lightly mist the floor with Hallmark Floors’ NuOil Natural Oil floor cleaner. Clean the floor by moving in the direction of the wood grain with a micro-fiber mop. Change micro-fiber mop head every 250 sq. ft. to avoid dirt build up. Launder the micro-fiber mop head after each use. Best part about this is that NuOil Natural Oil Cleaner, adds a little oil to the finish with every cleaning.
How to test for maintenance related problems and the most common way to correct those issues…
TrueMark Poly/Glaze Tek Finishes | Factory Polyurethane
A common test is to tape of a 2’x2’ area with 3M Painters Tape (for delicate surfaces #2080). TrueClean is sprayed in a light mist on the on the test area and rubbed vigorously with True Clean. This process may need to be repeated several times. The towel at this point is invariably black with dirt. Most of the products sold on the shelves of retail floors are notorious for leaving residue. Another culprit is treated dust mops and dust sheets, (they leave a solvent residue), contributing to hazy dull floor. Once the haze is removed the majority of floors look dramatically different.
NuOil Finish | Two Stage Hybrid Oil Systems
Most cleaners are formulated for polyurethane finishes. Hallmark Floors Natural Oil Cleaner cleans and feeds the oil finish. Hallmark TrueClean is used to remove all of the soapy residue. Once clean, a coat of Hallmark Restoration Oil can be used to bring the floor back to life. *Remember to never use oil cleaner on polyurethane.
We hope these suggestions help you feel more confident about cleaning your floors. One last tip: never use wet mops or steam cleaners on your hardwoods – that never ends well. Hallmark Floors has the industry’s highest performing UV polyurethane finishes and the best oil finish in our NuOil hybrid oil systems. It pays to be knowledgeable. Proper care and maintenance will protect your hardwood floors for a lifetime.
Cleaning hardwood floors just got easier – register your Hallmark Floors product and receive a free bottle of cleaner!
