Wooden floors will ‘retain shine for years’ with 1 cleaning habit
An expert has revealed exactly how often you should clean your wooden floors to keep them gleaming for years to come, and how exactly you should clean them. Wooden floors are a common fixture in British homes, and they can be difficult to keep clean at the best of times. They can be especially troublesome during cold and unpredictable weather, when dirt and mud is walked into the house from outside.
So, how often should you be cleaning your wooden floors, and what is the best way to clean them? Two experts have weighed in, revealing the answers for those who have wooden floors in their homes. Lifestyle writer Amanda Lauren and housekeeping expert Mary Marlowe Leverette have revealed that hardwood floors should be mopped once a month. This, along with giving it a lighter clean more regularly in between, will leave your wooden floors with “shine for years”.
“Once a month (or more often if necessary), clean your floors with a mop for hardwood floors to deep-clean the wood and make them shine,” they said in a post on Real Simple. “To avoid frustration and extra work, pick a good time to clean hardwood floors. The best time is when foot traffic will be minimal, like when everyone is out of the house.”
Melissa Witulski, business operations manager for Merry Maids, revealed that homeowners should do quick, regular cleans in between their monthly mopping. When it comes to the monthly mop job, there is a natural solution she suggests using.
Mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar or 1/2 cup of cleaning vinegar. It is important not to overdo it with the vinegar, because this could lead to wooden floors looking dull.
Then, simply place a clean microfiber mop into the solution and ring it until it doesn’t drip. It is important that the mop is damp, not soaking wet. “You do not want to apply excess water to the floor,” the experts warn.
When allowing the floor to dry, it is a good idea to turn on any fans in the room. Excess moisture can damage wooden floors, so add circulation any way you can. If you do not have fans, open all of the windows in the room to allow for better air flow and faster drying.
The experts have also warned homeowners to never steam clean their wooden floors, as this can cause darkening of the wood and even warping of its shape.
