10 Tips on How to Clean a Real Wood Floor

Soild wood flooring (real wood) is a fantastic investment for your home, it’s hard to find a more timeless, stylish and effortlessly elegant choice for a property.

Real wood has a wonderful natural allure, and its style is compatible with any interior design aesthetic. Plus, natural wood comes in a huge range of different designs and finishes, meaning you can find a customised wooden floor that perfectly suits your signature style.

However, one of the most common questions that we get from customers that are thinking about investing in a new solid wood floor is, ‘how do you clean the floor?’.

So, to answer this top wooden floor FAQ, we’ve created a dedicated guide to cleaning solid wood floors.

Keep reading to find our top tips for looking after solid wood floors, and the most effective way to keep the floor clean.

Benefits of Real Wood Floors

Solid wood floors provide homeowners with a wide range of unique benefits, including their: 

  • Timeless design style
  • Warmth and natural beauty 
  • Character - thanks to their unique grain patterns 
  • Rich colours 
  • Exceptional durability 
  • Ability to increase property value - as a result of their high desirability, and hallmark of quality 
  • Ability to withstand heavy traffic and long-term usage 
  • Low maintenance requirements
  • Being easy to clean (keep reading for our full wooden floor cleaning guide) 
  • Ability to be refinished, sanded or re-stained multiple times 
  • Natural insulation properties 

You can buy real wood floors online from Floor Giants, or by paying a visit to one of our stores.

Our range includes a huge variety of solid wood floors, and our team of flooring specialists are on hand to advise you, and find the perfect fit for your property.

10 Tip for Looking After your Real Wood Floor

With proper care and maintenance, your wooden floor will be an investment that lasts for many years to come.

With a bit of extra consideration, you can preserve the elegant finish and all the superb qualities of your floor, even extending its predicted lifespan.

Our 10 top tips for maintenance, and the best ways to look after your solid wood floors, are:

  1. Clean regularly and carefully - we’ve covered this in more detail below.
  2. Avoid abrasive chemicals and harsh cleaners - these can damage the finish of your floor, alter its colour, or impact the wood’s natural properties.
  3. Avoid using excessive water when cleaning - if the floor soaks up too much water, it can cause the floor to swell or contract. For this reason, we also do not recommend using steam mops.
  4. Clean up spills quickly - this will minimise the risk of the wood being damaged. You can do this using a dry cloth or standard kitchen roll.
  5. Avoid using vacuums with beater bars - these can scratch the wood’s surface. So, before you use it, check that your vacuum does not have this feature. For the same reason, use mops made of a soft microfibre material.
  6. Keep the humidity in your home consistent - this will prevent condensation from causing your floor to swell or contract. You can do this by encouraging air flow in the home, drying clothes in other areas of the home, and using a dehumidifier.
  7. Close blinds during peak sunlight hours - this will prevent prolonged exposure to sunlight, which is a common cause of discolouration in wooden flooring.
  8. Place rugs in high-traffic areas - this will minimise the risk of dirt being trodden on the floors, and reduce wear and tear over time.
  9. Add felt pads to your furniture - this will stop the furniture from scratching the floor when it moves.
  10. Refinish routinely - use a specialist refinishing product for your wooden floors, and restore them with this solution on a routine basis (but don’t worry, this does not have to be done too often. Check the manufacturer’s guidelines on the solution, for the recommended refinishing schedule).

How to Effectively Clean a Real Wood Floor

Equipment:

  • Soft-bristle sweeping brush or vacuum 
  • Microfibre mop 
  • Microfibre cloth 
  • Specialist wooden floor cleaner 
  • Sponge 

Method: 

  1. Thoroughly sweep or vacuum the floor, ensuring any debris, dirt or dust is removed. 
  2. Dampen your mop (you can do this either with just water, or with a combination of water and a specialist wooden floor cleaner. Make sure the mop is only slightly damp. 
  3. Mop the floor thoroughly, following the direction of the wood’s grain.  
  4. If there are any stubborn stains, mix wood floor cleaner and water. Then, use a sponge to rub the stain gently, still following the direction of the wood’s grain. Keep doing this until the stain lifts.   
  5. Dry the floor, using a dry microfiber cloth. Ensure that, if there are any spills of the water or cleaning solution, these are dried quickly and thoroughly. 

As you can see, cleaning a solid wood floor is a very easy process. 

Very few specialist materials or equipment are required, and you can restore your flooring to its original, flawless finish with very little effort. 

At Floor Giants, we offer a wide selection of luxury solid wood flooring, in a huge variety of design styles - available to buy online or from one of our many UK stores.

So, if you have any further questions about laminate flooring, or you would like to purchase luxury laminate flooring from Floor Giants, contact our friendly team, we are on hand to help.