How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Knowing how to clean hardwood floors can keep your apartment looking neat and fresh. Cleaning hardwood floors incorrectly can damage or discolor the floor, so be sure you know what you’re doing before attempting to clean your floors.

Step 1: Identifying the Flooring Materials

You may think that you can identify a floor’s material by looking at it. But this is not always so. Floors made out of different materials can look very much alike. For instance, laminate flooring, a synthetic material, looks nearly identical to real wood. Its visible textured layer is not real wood, but an image of wood, stuck on to an underlying core layer. If you’re not sure what material your floor is made of, ask your landlord. For laminates, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for care.

Step 2: Maintaining Hardwood Floors

Older buildings and newer construction may have real hardwood floors. Your floor’s finish could be urethane or wax (usually found in older buildings). As a natural material, wood expands and contracts with changes in temperature and moisture. For this reason, you should never soak a wood floor. The boards can warp or discolor from water and harsh cleaning agents

Step 3: Daily Upkeep to Cut Down on Cleaning

To avoid using water and cleaning solutions, maintain your hardwood floors on a daily basis. Use a damp mop or duster to keep dust and dirt off of your floor. Vacuum your floor regularly. Wipe up spills immediately, to avoid staining.

Dirt and dust on your floor causes scratches and dents in the wood, when the your shoes come into contact with the debris. Mats outside your doors, and area rugs, will help to prevent scratches.

Step 4: Cleaning a Dirty Hardwood Floor

If your hardwood floors have gotten especially dirty, you’ll have to do a thorough cleaning. This should be done several times per year. Cleaning products used on hardwood floors should have a neutral pH. To be on the safe side, use a product specifically formulated for wood floors.

To remove any residue on your floors, you can use use a little vinegar. Dilute a small amount of vinegar in a bucket of water and damp mop your floor with it.

Clean any stained areas with your regular wood cleaner. Then, rinse with the vinegar solution and dry. Difficult stains can be removed with sand paper or fine steel wool. Gently rub the sand paper or steel wool on the wood, over the stain. Once the stain is gone, apply wax or urethane finish to seal the wood where you removed the finish with the sand paper. In addition to cleaning, hardwood floors with a wax finish usually require buffing.

Step 5: Things to Avoid

Using detergents or ammonia can damage the finish on your hardwood floors. Never clean your wood floors with soaps or oil soaps. Don’t use wax on a hardwood floor with a urethane finish. Carefully read all labels before applying any cleaner to your hardwood floors to keep your floors looking their best.

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Lisa Bernstein: As a long-time apartment dweller and seasoned condominium trustee, I have dealt with numerous landlord-tenant, property management, and day-to-day apartment complex issues. My extensive, direct experience has led to invaluable insights into apartment life from both the tenant and management perspectives.