How to Clean an Old Hardwood Floor

Cleaning hardwood floors isn’t such a tough job, especially if you have just installed a new shiny one. But keeping old hardwood floors in good shape could be a serious challenge.

If you don’t learn the best way to clean an old hardwood floor it will remain grimly. Before you rush into calling cleaning services Chiswick to deal with the old flooring, you should try some of our useful tips.

First thing you need to do is determine the way the floor has been finished. The best way to do this is to splash a few drops of water on the floor. Wait for a few minutes and check the result. If the water has beaded up, your finish is sound, if it has soaked in the wood, your finish is unsound.

Sound hardwood floors could be cleaned with water-based homemade detergents such as a mixture of vinegar and water or just mild soapy water. When it comes to cleaning unsound hardwood floors, Chiswick cleaners advise to use mineral spirits, because they won’t damage the wood.

Before you start cleaning a hardwood floor, you need to remove all dust and debris from it. Use a vacuum cleaner, a soft broom or a dust mop, choose the cleaning tools carefully, making sure they won’t scratch the wood.

Another very important thing is not to get a hardwood floor too wet. Even if your floor finish is sound, water could still get into small cracks and gaps on the wood and make it swell terribly. When using a mop, always wring it very well to make sure it is only damp, not wet.

You could fill small cracks in the wood by adding a few drops of water on them. The wood will swell and close the crack.

As you know, there are many commercial hardwood floor cleaners, but using a homemade detergent is always better as they are cheap and non-toxic. Here are some suggestions for homemade cleaning solutions:

• Mix one cup of white vinegar with 2 liters of water
• Add ¼ cup of Borax to 2 liters of water and a few drops of mild liquid soap

If our tips don’t help, there is a large number of hardwood floor renovator products on the market. You should use them with caution because they contain harsh chemicals which could harm both the floor and your health.