Hardwood floors are one of the easiest types of flooring to keep clean. Unlike carpets, they need a little maintenance and can last for several decades if you care for them properly. Having clean wood floors make your home look more spacious and beautiful.
Most wood floor maintenance methods are similar. You won’t have to carry out a different cleaning, depending on the particular wood flooring you have. However, some finishes may need you to pay extra attention to cleaning and extra care to remove stains.
Cleaning the hardwood floor with a damp mop is the most efficient and fastest wood floor cleaning method. Before the mopping, ensure you remove all dust and dirt from the floor surface by vacuuming the wood floor because dust particles act as abrasive and scratch the floor. Alternatively, you can use a soft broom before mopping the floor. Rinse and repeat the process a few times until you have a clean hardwood floor.
Removing dust and grit on hardwood floors is essential because they can make your floor look unattractive by leaving scours, scuffs, and scratches.
Different types of hardwood floor cleaners are available. Using a pH neutral cleaner and water is usually the best option. Ensure the sealing coat is not damaged or touched because the water-based solution will escape through worn patches and penetrate the floor, leading to warping.
Most modern hardwood floors have polyurethane-based finishing that makes them look glossy and shiny. Polyurethane gives the floor a mirror-like appearance, making the material extremely hard-wearing. Hardwood floors have another group of finishing agents called penetrating seals. These are oil or wax-based products that penetrate the wood to protect it from within.
Hardwood floors can become stained, but using a small amount of alcohol can remove stubborn stains. After the cleaning, polish and buff the floor, and your hardwood floor would be clean again. If you have hard-to-remove stains on the floor, you may have to sand the entire floor.
Wood floors require cleaning at least once a week, especially in areas with high traffic. Take preventive measures like telling your guests and people entering your house to remove their footwear before stepping on your hardwood floor. This will help to reduce heel marks on the floor and maintenance costs.
Wood floor polishing
Many persons do not know the difference between polishing and refinishing their wood floor. Polishing means strengthening the already existing finishing by adding another coat, while refinishing means removing the old floor finishing and applying a new one.
Feel free to contact Vip Carpet Cleaning London now for your wood floor cleaning and polishing services in London.Book NowGet a Quote
HOW DO I POLISH & CLEAN WOODEN FLOORS?
The first step is to remove furniture in the room to free up space, if possible, or use furniture pads to prevent floor damages. The next step involves sweeping and vacuuming the dust before cleaning the floor with a wet mop. Ensure the floor gets dried after moping before proceeding to polish it.
You can apply the polish with an applicator pad when working in small areas – ensure the applicator is wet and follow the wood grain while polishing. Use a technique similar to the feathering technique used by painters, where they dampen the canvas and apply colour with a single stroke of the brush. After that, they let the paper absorb the colour and spread due to the paper being damp.
Using this method ensures the polish spreads evenly, even if the floor has damages, such as scratches. Wait for at least one hour to let the polish dry, but you can let the polish dry for about 24 hours if you want to expose the area to heavy foot traffic.
To achieve a more even floor finishing, it’s best to get a professional like our polishing experts at Vip Carpet Cleaning London.
How often do I need floor polishing?
The frequency of polishing your floor would depend on the amount of foot traffic on the floor. If the floor is in a small family area, you may not have to polish it as often as you would polish the floor in a business area with many visitors.
A room’s size also determines the time and effort you would spend polishing the floor. Although floor polishing is a simple task, it is best to leave it to a professional to achieve the best possible result.
If you need a professional you can trust for your wood floor polishing and cleaning, contact Vip Carpet Cleaning London today on 020 8050 3535 to get a free quote and advice on the best cleaning method.
