There’s nothing like the rich glow and warmth of real wood flooring to elevate a home’s style. However, without proper care wood floors will inevitably look worse for wear. Check out these 10 professional wood floor cleaning tips from leading London providers like Wood Floor Polishing London, at Vip Carpet Cleaning London.
1. Dust Mop Daily
When dust and grit build up, it scratches and dulls wood floor finishes. Running an electrostatic dust mop over floors every day scoops up fine debris that vacuums miss. The natural static charge attracts and holds dust without needing cleaning sprays.
2. Vacuum Weekly
While dust mopping is great for fine dust and dirt, bulkier particles and pet hair call for regular passes with the vacuum wand attachments. Use an upright model with brushes turned off to avoid scratching the floor’s surface.
3. Clean Spills Promptly
Liquids can warp wooden planks if not wiped up quickly. Blot spills promptly, then with minimal rubbing, and allow extra drying time. For sticky spots like syrup or oil drips, use solvents like rubbing alcohol or vinegar sparingly on a cloth before wiping with water.
4. Apply Floor Cleaner Lightly
When time comes for deeper wood floor cleaning, use the minimal ratio of cleaner to water recommended on the product label. Also opt for cleaners formulated specifically for wood rather than multipurpose types. Excessive soap residues dull finishes.
5. Choose Non-Abrasive Microfiber Pads
When tackling substantial grime or an overall refresh, make sure the cleaning pad under your mop head or scrub brushes will not mark-up the floor finish. Soft microfiber generates a gentle scrubbing friction without scouring actions that damage protective treatments.
6. Clean Along the Planks
When mopping, always wipe parallel to boards rather than pushing pooled water and grime across them. This prevents trapping debris between planks leading to damage. It also enhances floor cleaner contact for better cleaning results along each board.
7. Protect Floor Edges
Don’t overlook detailing baseboards, thresholds, and flooring borders along edges during cleaning. Built up dust and grime in flooring seams grinds away at wooden plank sides whenever foot traffic passes over. Get into crevices with thin cleaning wands weekly.
8. Let Floors Fully Dry
After washing floors, allow ample drying time before walking across them or returning furniture and rugs into place. Pooling or puddling water transfers grime back onto cleaned floors. Use portable fans to speed up drying time if needed in damp climates or deep cleaning situations.
9. Use Interior and Exterior Mats
Preventative protection is key for wood flooring. Use exterior and interior doormats so shoes rub off grit and moisture before treading over your recently cleaned wooden investment. Area throw rugs also lock in warmth while minimizing direct foot traffic exposure especially in cold climates.
10. Rejuvenate Finishes Yearly
Depending on traffic levels, have a professional maintenance service from Wooden Floor Cleaning Services Near Me chemically rejuvenate floor finishes every year or two. Fresh sealants fill in micro abrasions from cleanings for that like-new glow. It also prevents lasting stubborn stains.
What Are the Benefits of Proper Wood Floor Cleaning?
Keeping wood floors routinely cleaned by professionals pays off in protecting your investment for the long run. Preventative care delivers significant upside compared to reactively addressing damage after it has occurred.
Consistent and timely cleaning keeps floors shinier for longer. Regular dust and dirt removal prevents micro-abrasions that dull and wear down floor coatings when left to accumulate. This maintains the satiny, light-reflective properties that make wood floors so attractive.
Appropriate methods also inhibit warping or separation damage. Letting spills set causes lasting ripples and cracks or lets liquids seep between plank joins to degrade adhesion. Quick response removes moisture before planks bloat.
In addition to maintaining visual appeal, effective cleaning promotes healthier indoor air quality. Removing traces of mold, pet dander, pollen and moreergens makes interior environments friendlier for family members with allergies or breathing issues.
Overall the small time and financial investments in periodic whole-floor treatments like Wood Floor Polishing London’s offerings prevent much costlier repairs or flooring replacements down the road. An ounce of prevention truly equals a pound of cure for gorgeous wood flooring.
Vip Carpet Cleaning London offers complete wood floor cleaning services in London and Surrounding Areas. Call 020 8050 3535 or visit our website today to schedule!