Preparing your floor However, if your floor has been previously treated with varnish, it will need sanding down to the bare wood before oil is applied. Sweep away any dirt or dust, and clean the floor with a wood floor cleaning spray and microfibre cloth. Ensure the room is well ventilated.
The best way to clean hardwood floors is to adopt a regular routine. Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for cleaning wood floors daily. A microfiber dust mop pre-treated with a dusting agent will pick up dust and dirt and prevent scratches. Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week.
Woodworkers often use mineral spirits before staining or painting, as it helps you spread a pigment over a surface easily. Pour a small portion of the mineral spirits onto the surface, then wipe along the wood grain to avoid making scratches or grooves.
To clean your floors with this DIY mixture, combine equal parts olive oil and white vinegar, a few teaspoons of lemon juice, and five parts hot water. Dip your mop or rag into the solution, wring gently, and then wipe down your hardwood floors with this homemade wood floor cleaner that shines.
You can use a commercial wood-cleaning product, like Bona or Murphy Oil Soap. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. You can also make your own cleaner by mixing one part vinegar to 10 parts warm water. Add a few drops of liquid Castile soap.
Don't use straight ammonia, alkaline products or abrasive cleaners. They'll dull or scratch the finish. Don't rely on lemon juice or a vinegar-and-water solution to clean hardwood floors. "I don't recommend using vinegar or lemon juice, at least not in large quantities, as these can damage the floor's seal," said Wise.
To clean the wood, use a sugar soap wipe, or a sponge, to liberally apply sugar soap across all wooden surfaces that you plan to paint. Wear protective gloves whilst handling this product. Wipe the surfaces down, then rinse the sugar soap off with warm water.
Be sure to wipe away any kind of dirt or debris from the surface of your flooring, as this stops any debris from setting under the oil. Make sure the room is well ventilated. This is to make sure any fumes from the oil are able to escape, and not linger in the room.
When excess oil is left on the surface the oxygen in the air cures the surface leaving it sticky and easily marked. This is a common problem that strongly indicates that some excess oil was still present on the surface of the wood flooring after oiling.
Protection – Regularly oiling your hardwood floors adds an extra layer of protection to prevent dings, dents, and scratches. The deeper the oil penetrates the wood, the more resistant your boards will be to wear and tear.
Don't use vinegar or baking soda.
Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or baking soda, but these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.
Manufacturers and industry experts advise against cleaning hardwood floors with water because wood naturally expands when it's wet and can cause your floor to crack or splinter.
Try mixing a weak solution of water and dishwashing soap. Dip a soft cloth in the solution, wring it out and wipe the entire piece. You want a damp cloth, not a wet one. Don't saturate the wood, and rinse your cloth often.
To use Sugar Soap, simply dilute it in warm water. Using a sponge, wash the required surface with the soapy liquid. Once the entire area has been washed go over it again with clean fresh warm water, in order to rinse off the sugar soap and remove the remaining dirt or grease.
Your wood floor will have either an oiled or lacquered finish, the former requiring care on a more regular basis with a manufacturer-recommended oil to be topped up once a year. Do not use a product such as washing up liquid when cleaning, as this could leave a layer of residue.
First, use one of your clean, dry cloths to wipe the door down. This will remove dust and most light stains from the wood. Be sure to follow the direction of the wood's natural grain, rather than wiping across it, and make sure the cloth is completely clean and free from oils or waxes.
Oil Stains
When cooking oil affects wooden floors and surfaces in the kitchen, mineral spirits can help to lift the oil stain from both treated and unprotected wood. Apply it using a clean cloth and rub it into the wood surface, though not so much that you oversaturate the wood. The stain should rub away.
Here's a secret: Tea's tannic acid makes for an excellent surface shine, according to HGTV. Boil a couple of teabags in some water and dump the tea into a bucket. Wring out a rag or mop in the solution and use it to mop the floors.
Wet mopping can cause your wood floors to swell
Slopping excess amounts of water on your floors as you mop can lead to real problems including: Boards cupping or swelling. Discoloration and flaking of the finish.
Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched. (The same goes for wood furniture.) Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations or pick a cleaner that's made specifically for hardwood flooring.