A hardwood floor can make a beautiful addition to your home, but when it comes to cleaning them, you need to take some special steps. Despite their appearance, poor hardwood floor cleaning practices can lead to dampness, scratches, and other issues.

In this guide, we’re going to take a look at the floor cleaning tools and techniques that you need when it comes to cleaning hardwood floors correctly. Are you ready to learn more and start taking better care of your flooring? Then read on!

1. Avoid Mopping Hardwood Floors

While it may seem as though mopping hardwood floors would be a good way to get them clean, it could actively damage them. Unlike tiles, hardwood floors are very porous, which means that they absorb a lot of water.

Over time, mopping your hardwood floor will lead to issues with damp and could even lead to warping or swelling. If this happens, you may need to replace your floor.

Instead of mopping your hardwood flooring with water, use a dry mop to keep them clean.

2. Vacuuming Incorrectly

One of the joys of a hardwood floor is that they’re easy to vacuum, which means that you can keep your home clean with less effort than if you had carpeted floors. 

However, not all vacuum attachments are suitable for hardwood floors. If they have rotating brushes or a beater bar, you should avoid using this attachment on your hardwood floors.

Despite their name, hardwood floors are vulnerable to scratches from these attachments. With scratches come extra nooks and crannies that will be harder to clean, as well as a worse appearance.

3. Using Harsh Cleaners

If you use harsh household cleaners on your hardwood floor, hoping that they’ll get rid of any remnants of stains, you could be causing more damage. Harsh cleaners can eat away at the wood or leave pale stains on the flooring. 

You should use very gentle cleaners when cleaning your floor. The key to avoiding stains is to clean up any spills with an absorbent cloth or paper as soon as possible.

4. Using Too Much Wax

This may seem like an odd issue. Wax is what makes your hardwood floor look shiny, after all, and who wants a dull hardwood floor? However, too much wax will actually attract dirt, making your floor grimy.

Don’t apply wax too often to avoid this issue. An alternative solution is to use a floor buffer instead of wax.

5. Using Steam Cleaners

Steam cleaners may be good for carpets but they will cause real issues for hardwood floors. The heat and moisture can damage the surface of the wood and can cause it to warp.

Steam cleaners never belong on hardwood floors, not under any circumstances.

Hardwood Floor Cleaning: The Right Way

We hope that you’ve enjoyed this guide to hardwood floor cleaning and now know what you should avoid. If you’re unsure, are worried about damaging your floor, or don’t have the time to clean your hardwood floor, we’re here to help.

We’ll be happy to clean your floor and make it shiny, clean, and beautiful. We offer a free in-home consultation service, so why not book today?