Cleaning Tips for Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

Every person dreams of a perfect home, and does every possible thing to turn that dream into a reality. We carefully monitor every single aspect of our house and choose the best of things to make it look beautiful. One such aspect that comes into consideration while designing a house, is the flooring. One can have a prefinished hardwood flooring to add elegance to the house. It is a flooring with a polyurethane coating. As this coating is applied before the flooring is sold to you, it is called "prefinished". A prefinished hardwood flooring is an investment of a lifetime, and its maintenance is important if we want it to have a long life.

Tips to Clean Prefinished Hardwood Flooring

• A soft broom can be used to swipe out the dirt and debris on the floor. Regular sweeping of the floor will prevent the dirt from getting accumulated for a long time which will be difficult to clean later.
• A light vacuum cleaner can also be used to render the floor dirt-free.
• Use an appropriate floor cleaning solution. The hardwood floor manufacturer can give you the idea about the best suitable cleaner for your floor.
• Water-based cleaners can be used on a well-finished floor which has four coats of water-based finish, or three coats of polyurethane. This type of cleaner is safe and easy to use.
• Use a neutral pH cleaner, instead of a low or high pH floor cleaner. A high pH cleaner easily removes oily stains and grease, while a low pH cleaner is best for cleaning water and mineral deposits. Even though these cleaners are good, their extreme pH results in a dull floor. A neutral pH cleaner is mild and balanced, and removes oily as well as mineral deposits without causing any harm to the hardwood floor.
• A neutral pH cleaner should be used only after the floor finish is cured. It takes around a month for curing a polyurethane coating, while a water-based finish is cured in around 2 weeks.
• When you don't want to use a floor cleaner, damp mopping can be done. Dip the mop in a bucket of water. Wring, to dry it completely and mop the floor.
• Floor refresher is another option to maintain a prefinished hardwood floor. It helps in reviving the dull areas on the floor.
• Steam cleaning is another way to clean your hardwood floor and is one of the best ways of cleaning.
• Pay special attention to corners of the room as these places are easily ignored.
• Kitchen floor should be cleaned frequently to maintain hygiene. Flooring of other rooms can be mopped once a week, but don't avoid swiping your floors with a broom once daily, so that dirt does not accumulate in your house.
• Mix few drops of dishwashing liquid in water. Dip a sponge mop in the mixture, wring it completely and clean the floor. You need to wipe the floor with a damp mop after you finish cleaning with the sponge because dishwashing liquid leaves a film on the flooring, if not damp mopped. It is better to use a proper floor cleaner, rather than a dishwashing liquid as it is not a preferred product.
• To remove hard stains, take a small amount of floor cleaner on a piece of cloth and gently rub on the stain to remove it gradually. Do not be harsh while removing the stain.
• Buy a prefinished hardwood flooring kit containing a mop, a washable mop pad, and a floor cleaner for easy cleaning.

Precautions to be Taken

• Never wet mop your hardwood floor as water is a strict no-no for it.
• Never use soap or detergents to clean your prefinished hardwood floor. Instead, invest in a recommended prefinished hardwood floor cleaner to avoid any damage.
• Do not use ammonia on the floor.
• Do not wax your polyurethane finished flooring.
• Read the directions of use properly, before using a floor cleaner.
• Always use a floor-specific cleaner.

Hardwood flooring is difficult to maintain than other types of flooring. However, if one cleans and maintains it regularly, there will not be any issue. Now that you have gone through the tips of cleaning a prefinished hardwood floor and are also aware of the precautions to be taken while cleaning, it will not be a difficult task for you to maintain a clean and shiny hardwood floor for many years.