What's the best way to clean hardwood floors?
Use a dust mop and try to minimize water exposure to your hardwood floors by using a spray mist bottle to apply your cleaning solution.
Use a dust mop as your primary cleaning tool
The best way to clean hardwood floors is using a dust mop, rather than a heavy wet mop and bucket. You should refrain from mopping your hardwood floors on a daily basis, as excessive moisture and water will damage your floors over time, but every now and then you need to give them a good deep clean. You can do that by throwing a towel or rag over the top of a dust mop and just, spraying the floor with a good wood floor cleaner, and using that towel to mop it up and constantly flipping the towel over to a new clean spot.
Avoid using too much water as it will damage your hardwood floors
When you’re mopping, you want to avoid excessive use of water, so use a spray mist bottle to just spray a light mist of your cleaning solution over the floor. What you’ll actually be cleaning is the clear urethane layer over the hardwood floors, rather than wood itself.
Use a minimal cleaning solution (10:1 water to Windex or White Vinegar ratio)
You can create your own floor cleaner by mixing a little bit of Windex or White Vinegar into water. The mix should be ten parts water to one part windex.
Check cleaning products on a window first to ensure no oily or cloud residue
One thing to keep in mind is that you want to avoid using any chemicals on your floor that might leave a cloudy residue over the surface. For example, scented cleaners and pine oils may leave a residue. So, try spraying your floor cleaning solution on a window to check whether it wipes clear and make sure it doesn’t leave any residue or cloudy marks or stains.
Do’s & Don’ts
- DO Minimize water exposure to hardwood floors, by using something like a spray mist bottle which will avoid excessive moisture.
- DO Dry floors quickly after cleaning
- DON’T saturate the floor with water or floor cleaning solution and a
- DON’T use oil-based cleaners, like pine oil or scented cleaners, shower glass cleaner or furniture polish on floors and avoid products that leave a cloudy residue.
