How to Clean
Hardwood Floors

Nothing brings warmth and beauty to traditional and contemporary homes like natural and synthetic hardwood floors. Hardwood flooring’s most significant benefits are durability and longevity, but even the finest hardwood floors require cleaning and maintenance.

Learning how to clean hardwood floors isn’t difficult. As long as you use the right wood floor cleaner and follow these tips, you’ll be a pro in no time. Take it from us—we’ve cleaned hardwood floors and almost everything else in thousands of homes. Here’s the best way to clean hardwood floors and keep them looking new longer.

Why Hardwood Floor Cleaning is Essential

Hardwood flooring isn’t inexpensive, so maintaining and cleaning hardwood floors will help them last longer. Cleaning your floors regularly will keep them looking beautiful and minimize the wear and tear they endure from dirt and dust. As long as you follow a few simple steps and use a safe cleaning solution, you can learn how to clean hardwood floors like the pros.

Regular hardwood floor cleaning also helps protect your family and guests. Think of the pollutants and contaminants that find their way into your home on the soles of shoes. Aside from the dirt and grime that dull our floors, there are plenty of germs that can cause illness. When you clean your hardwood floors regularly, you’re cleaning for health by minimizing the spread of germs.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors Like the Pros

In most cases, the best hardwood floor cleaners are ones you make with naturally mild ingredients found in most homes. The best mop for cleaning your hardwood floors is a microfiber flat-head mop you can easily wring out. It’s easy to control the moisture in the mop, and the microfiber weave captures dirt and grime better than traditional mops. In addition to your cleaner and mop, you’ll also need a vacuum and a bucket of water. 

Prepare Your Hardwood Floors for Cleaning

Dirt, dust, and debris are natural enemies for hardwood floors, so always sweep and vacuum before cleaning them. It’s a good idea to always check your vacuum sweeper brush for debris that could scratch your hardwood. Ensure you get into corners next to molding and trim, and use your wand attachment to vacuum the baseboards. 

Prevent Streaks When Cleaning Hardwood Floors 

Streaks on hardwood floors after cleaning make it seem like all your hard work was for nothing. To prevent streaking when cleaning hardwood floors, mop and rinse with the wood grain. Ensure your cleaning solution is mixed correctly, and change out your rinse mop water often. It’s also essential that you don’t get the floors too wet or let your cleaning solution sit for too long before rinsing.

Hardwood Floor Cleaning Fundamentals 

Going with the grain of the wood, spray a light mist of your homemade floor cleaning solution onto about a 3×3 area and start mopping. Remember, water and moisture can damage hardwood floors, so you only want just enough cleaner to get the job done. Move across the floor backward as you mop to prevent walking on the wet floor. There’s no need to rinse; just let your hardwood floors dry. If they look dull, you can use a clean, dry microfiber mop to buff back the shine.

How to Remove Stains From Hardwood Floors 

Modern flooring is designed to be much more stain-resistant than in the past, so most stains won’t require a lot of work if you act fast. Remember to get up spills right away, especially liquids like wine or fruit drinks. Skip the harsh commercial hardwood floor stain removers and turn to the old standby, hydrogen peroxide. Dampen a clean white cloth with hydrogen peroxide and cover the stain for a few hours. 

Hardwood floors are also susceptible to scuffs from shoes, furniture, and other items. If you have dark flooring, turning on an overhead light will make scuffs more visible. You can use a clean balled-up sock or tennis ball to remove light scuffs. To remove heavier scuffs, dampen a sponge and use baking soda for extra firepower. Wipe the area with a damp cloth, then use a dry cloth to bring back the shine.

The Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners

Maintenance and hardwood floor cleaning don’t require special ingredients and methods. The key is to know your type of hardwood, its finish, and the manufacturer’s suggested cleaning and maintenance recommendations. Many synthetic floors look like natural hardwood, and they are not! So make sure you do the research before cleaning.

So, what is the best wood floor cleaner? Your best bet is a DIY cleaner made with safe, simple ingredients. Commercial hardwood floor cleaners often contain harsh chemicals that can cause respiratory issues, irritate skin and eyes, and cause other health problems.

Here’s what you need to make a safe and natural hardwood floor cleaning solution at home:

• Spray bottle
• 4 cups of distilled water
• 1 teaspoon pure castile soap
• Lemon juice or your favorite essential oil

Mix the water, castile soap, and your choice of fragrance in the spray bottle. Shake the cleaning solution vigorously, grab your mop, and you’re ready to go. If your home has a lot of hardwood floors, you can adjust the recipe and use a bucket of water.

Cleaning Products to Avoid With Wood Floors 

Knowing what cleaning products not to use on hardwood floors is critical for protecting them from damage. The internet is packed with well-meaning advice for learning how to clean hardwood floors faster and easier. But take it from the pros—too much water or heat and using oil soaps or ammonia is bad for your beautiful floors. 

String Mops

Conventional cotton mops are built to absorb excess water, so they can leave too much cleaner and water behind. Too much cleaning solution can lead to streaks, and too much water can damage hardwood if left on for too long.

Steam Mops

We love steam mops for non-porous hard surface floors and so much more because the heat and moisture lift so much dirt. Plus, you kill a few germs along the way. But the steam that cuts through grime can also seep into hardwood floor pores and cause damage.

Oil Soaps

There’s nothing like oil soaps to create shiny hardwood floors, and they do a fair job of cleaning. However, using oil soaps or similar products frequently creates buildup. Frequent use can make floors slippery, appear hazy, and even cause problems when it’s time for refinishing.

Ammonia or Vinegar

Ammonia, white vinegar, and other alkaline cleaners are simply too harsh for hardwood floors. These acidic products can discolor wood floors and leave a permanent haze. Even when diluted, alkaline products can damage the surface and the layers beneath.

Instead, it’s best to use a gentle, pH-balanced cleaner specifically designed for hardwood floors to preserve their appearance and longevity.

How to Maintain Hardwood Floors

There’s no set frequency for how often to clean hardwood floors, so it’s best to check out the manufacturer’s recommendations. Preventative care makes all the difference in protecting your floors and minimizing how often they require cleaning. Here are some tips to remember:

• Put floor protectors on your furniture legs. These are felt pieces that stick on the bottom of your couch or chair legs so they don’t scratch the floor when you bump or move them.
• Take off your shoes when you enter the house. While you might think this rule only applies to carpeted floors, the bits of rock and debris under your shoes can easily scratch your wood flooring.
• It’s not just your feet that you should worry about. Trim your dog’s nails so those paws don’t leave scratches in the wood.
• Be just as cautious with wine spills on wood floors as you are with carpet. The wine can warp the wood if left too long.
• Sop up excess water that might spill on your floor. Sure, it will dry on its own, but prolonged exposure can damage the soft wood.

Sweep Daily

Daily sweeping is a critical step in regularly maintaining your hardwood floors. Small particles from your shoes will carry through your home and can easily scratch the wood’s surface. A good broom with soft, durable bristles is a wise investment to get the job done.

Vacuum the Floorboards

Unlike what most people think, the vacuum is not just for carpets. Use your vacuum extender attachments and round brush accessory to suck up the dust bunnies along the baseboards, as well as the particles between the floorboards that may have been missed while sweeping. Remember: Bits and bobs might not seem like a big deal, but those pieces could end up scratching the wood.

Count on The Maids to Make Housekeeping Easier

Now that you know how to clean hardwood floors, check out our other handy cleaning guides and start planning your next project. Whether it’s through our professional how-to’s or one of our popular residential cleaning services, The Maids®️ wants your home to be a cleaner, healthier place to live. Find out more and get your free custom cleaning quote today.