Hardwood Floor Cleaning 101: Do’s, Don’ts & Expert Tips

Hardwood floors are a beautiful addition to any home, but they require proper care to keep them looking their best. Follow these simple steps to transform your floors from dull and grimy to gleaming and clean.

Determine the Finish of Your Hardwood Floors

Before you start cleaning, it’s important to identify the type of finish on your hardwood floors. This will determine the best cleaning method.

Types of Hardwood Floor Finishes

• Surface-Sealed Floors – Most modern wood floors are sealed with urethane, polyurethane, or poly-acrylic. These floors are resistant to stains and water damage, making them the easiest to clean. Simply sweep and mop, and you’re done!
• Penetrating Seal-Treated and Oil-Treated Floors – These finishes soak into the wood grain and harden, requiring protection with liquid or paste wax.
• Lacquered, Varnished, Shellacked, or Untreated Floors – While these finishes offer some surface protection, they are not as resistant to moisture and wear. Floors with these finishes should be treated with liquid or paste wax to prevent damage.

Not sure what type of finish you have? Try these quick tests:

• Rub your finger across the floor. If no smudge appears, the floor is surface-sealed. If a smudge forms, the floor has a penetrating seal, oil finish, shellac, varnish, or lacquer.
• Add a drop of water to the surface. If the water beads up, the floor is sealed. If it absorbs quickly, the floor needs to be sealed to prevent damage.

Do’s and Don’ts for Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Proper cleaning is essential to maintain the longevity and beauty of your hardwood floors. Follow these best practices:

Don’ts:

• Avoid oils, waxes, or furniture sprays. Oils leave a residue, furniture sprays create a slippery surface, and wax makes re-coating difficult.
• Avoid harsh chemicals. Ammonia, alkaline, acidic products, and abrasive cleaners can dull or scratch the finish.

Do’s:

• Use a pH-neutral floor cleaner recommended by the floor finisher. We suggest using Quick Shine® Hardwood Floor Cleaner since it won’t leave behind a sticky residue like cleaners that contain excessive soap surfactants.

Routine Cleaning for Hardwood Floors

To keep your floors looking their best:

• Sweep or dry dust daily, especially in high-traffic areas like the kitchen and dining room.
• Mop once or twice a week to remove dirt and grime.

How to Mop Hardwood Floors Properly

Mopping is a crucial part of hardwood floor maintenance, but it’s important to do it correctly to avoid damage.

• Never use excessive water. Flooding wood floors can cause warping and damage. Instead, use a damp mop, not a soaking wet one.
• Use the right cleaner. Simply squirt Quick Shine® Hardwood Floor Cleaner on the floor and spread it with a damp microfiber or sponge mop.
• For spray mops, we recommend using the Quick Shine® Multi-Surface Spray Mop for an easy and effective clean.
• Rinse the mop pad frequently to prevent streaking and dirt buildup.

Dealing with Stubborn Dirt

If your floors need deep cleaning, try Quick Shine® Deep Cleaner to cut through tough grime. For extra care, use a cloth to clean problem areas—this allows you to “feel” the dirt and ensure a thorough clean.

Restore Shine to Dull Hardwood Floors

If your hardwood floors have lost their luster and need a refresh, use Quick Shine® High Traffic Hardwood Floor Luster to bring back their original beauty. Simply squirt and spread with a damp microfiber mop for a long-lasting shine. It’s like a new floor in a bottle!

By following these steps, your hardwood floors will stay clean, protected, and looking brand new for years to come. Happy cleaning! 🚿✨

varnish, or lacquer. Not sure if your floor is sealed? Add a drop of water to the floor. If it sits on the surface, it is a sealed floor. If it soaks right in, you will want to seal your floors to avoid damage.

DO’S AND DON’TS When Cleaning Hardwood

Don’t use oils, waxes, or furniture sprays. Oil leaves a residue, furniture spray creates a slippery surface and wax takes time to apply and makes re-coating difficult.

Don’t use straight ammonia, alkaline, acidic products, or abrasive cleaners. They’ll dull or scratch the finish.

Do use a floor-cleaning product recommended by the floor finisher. We recommend Quickshine hardwood floor cleaners, as they are pH neutral and will not leave behind a sticky residue like many other cleaners which contain a lot of soap surfactant.

ROUTINE CLEANING

In high-traffic areas, like the dining room and kitchen, you should sweep daily if possible and mop your floors once or twice a week.

HOW TO MOP HARDWOOD FLOORS

Never flood-coat wood floors! Use a damp mop rather than a soaking wet one. With our Quick Shine® Hardwood Floor Cleaner, simply squirt the cleaner on the floor and spread it with a damp microfiber or sponge mop. You can also use our cleaner in spray mops too. We recommend our Quick Shine® Multi-Surface Spray Mop. It is important to rinse the mop pad frequently to release the dirt and soil you are picking up so you are always using a clean pad. This prevents streaking by eliminating the possibility of pushing dust and dirt around. Our cleaner is ready-to-use which means you do not have to finish with a clean water rinse. Now that is easy! But, don’t be afraid to get on your hands and knees if necessary. When a floor needs serious attention, clean it with a cloth. (It’s better than a sponge because you can “feel” the dirt as you wipe!) For downright dirty floors, try our Quick Shine® Deep Cleaner to cut through the toughest grime.

If your floors are to the point of needing to be refinished, our Quick Shine® High Traffic Hardwood Floor Luster will bring back the color and beauty to your floor. Simply squirt and spread with a damp microfiber mop for a shine that lasts. It’s like a new floor in a bottle!

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