Hardwood flooring is easy to care for, and both solid and engineered versions will last for decades. However, excess water and moisture will damage them, especially when it's the solid version.
Sealed floors vs. unsealed
Before you damp mop, knowing if the floor is still sealed correctly is essential. Place a drop of water on the surface; if it sits on top, you're fine.
However, if the water is absorbed, it means the finish is damaged. Therefore, you should not proceed with damp mopping.
Why not steam clean?
Steamers are a great, natural way to clean and disinfect floors, but not for wood floors. These cleaners use a lot of water heated at very high temperatures to create a vapor.
Wood is porous and will expand, cup, crown, and warp. There are "made for hardwood" steamers on the market, but proceed cautiously.
Although it says, "fine if the floor is sealed," know that sealing damage doesn't happen all at once. Some areas of the floor may still be sealed, while others are not.
How to clean hardwood floors
- Dust mop several times a week to eliminate dust and dirt. It's sharp and can scratch.
- Vacuum your wood flooring in Wellington, FL, once a week (remove beater bars) to pick up what the dust mopping missed.
- Clean and polish a few times a year; wipe floors to ensure there's no standing liquid–even with polish.
- Use everyday, simple preventative measures. For example, place welcome mats at each entrance so people can wipe their feet.
Visit us for your wood floors
And you'll find that perfection right here at family-owned Floor Specialists. You'll see brands like Allwood and Cali Bamboo (and more). You'll get a hardwood flooring installation with us that adds the "wow" factor to any room.
Visit our showroom in Wellington, FL. We work with homeowners and businesses in Wellington, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, and Boca Raton, FL.
