How to wash a parquet floor: what to wash and how to properly care for parquet

One of the most beautiful and environmentally friendly floors is a floor finished with parquet. It looks luxurious, but, unfortunately, is quite demanding to maintain. This is what stops many from arranging such a foundation in their apartment. However, if you know how to wash a parquet floor and how to properly care for it, you can be convinced that the material can easily turn from capricious to practical and delight its owners with its beauty for a long time.

How to clean parquet floors

A few words about parquet

This type of flooring consists of a large number of small elements made from wood species such as maple, beech, birch, etc. Sometimes there are also quite exotic types of covering made from wood from plants growing in the tropics - bamboo, wenge, merbau . The material has a beautiful appearance, is quite durable and reliable, has excellent sound insulation properties and retains heat well in the house.

The structure of the parquet board

Comparative table of wood hardness for parquet

On a note! Parquet, despite the description above, is not an ideal type of flooring, as it does not like moisture and temperature fluctuations. The thing is that it is made of wood, which is capable of changing its size under the influence of environmental factors and reacts sharply to any fluctuations. This is what basically causes all the problems that owners of parquet floors experience.

Parquet comes in several types - piece, mosaic or typesetting, panel and in the form of parquet boards. Let's take a closer look at them.

Parquet

Table. Types of parquet.

Parquet prices from

Tarquette parquet

The solid board has proven itself quite well. Just like piece parquet, it is made from natural wood of various species.

Basic rules of care

Whatever parquet is used to decorate the floors in the house, it requires special attention and care. This is not a coating that you can give up and wash in the same way as, for example, linoleum. The material will not forgive this and will quickly lose its appearance, and the money spent on installation, one might say, will go down the drain. Although, if you look at it, caring for parquet is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance. It’s just important to follow simple rules regarding cleaning and washing it.

Parquet cleaning

You don’t need to wash your parquet often, but you can’t leave it completely without wet cleaning. There are two types of cleaning material using water.

1. Current , which is carried out according to a specific schedule and usually no more than once every two weeks (subject to low traffic in the room). Parquet floors need to be washed twice a week only in rooms with an average level of traffic, and in places where a lot of people walk, the flooring will have to be washed more often - daily, which, of course, reduces the service life of the parquet.
2. General cleaning is necessary only when the usual method of wet cleaning has become ineffective. Usually it is carried out no more than once a year, but if the room has high or medium traffic, then 3-7 times throughout the year.

Parquet floors require periodic cleaning

In addition to the restrictions regarding wet cleaning of parquet, caring for it requires adherence to certain rules. Only in this case will the coating last as long as possible, maintaining a beautiful appearance. Rules for cleaning and caring for parquet:

• Varnished parquet cannot be washed immediately . The material must be left at rest for at least 14 days after this procedure. The maximum that can be done is to collect dust with a vacuum cleaner equipped with a soft brush;
• if something was spilled on the parquet, it is important to remove the stains immediately before they are absorbed into the wood;

Marker on the parquet

• a small rug must be laid on the parquet floor in the corridor near the front door , which will collect the bulk of the dirt penetrating from the street into the house;
• It is important to put protective caps on the legs of furniture standing on parquet or place felt or felt pads under them . This measure will prevent scratching the delicate material;

Protective Silicone Cap for Furniture

• in the room where this type of flooring is located, there must be a constant optimal microclimate for it . The air temperature is maintained within +18-25 degrees, and the importance is no more than 50-60%;
• daily cleaning should be dry , using a brush or vacuum cleaner;
• wet cleaning should only be done with a rag well wrung out of excess moisture;
• Do not forget about periodically updating the protective coating on the parquet (oil is usually applied once every 6-8 months, and varnish - once every 5-10 years).

Transparent protective mat for parquet

Advice! It will be useful for animal owners to know that special antistatic agents for parquet are available on sale. They will keep the surface clean longer - wool will not accumulate on the floor.

Everclear Antistatik care product (antistatic)

Types of protective coatings - varnish or oil?

A variety of varnishes and oil-wax mixtures are used as protective films.

Option #1 - varnishes

Varnishes based on synthetic solvents have a pungent odor; people susceptible to allergies may experience burning and stinging in the eyes. And some wear-resistant modern varnishes require mandatory ultraviolet lighting during curing.

Proper care - beautiful flooring

Before applying varnish, the surface is primed: the pores are filled, the surface is protected from cracking, and varnish consumption is reduced. It is better to apply a test coat on an inconspicuous area.

Caring for varnished parquet

For a long time since the appearance of this type of flooring, parquet has not been treated with varnish. It was washed with plain water and then rubbed using special products and a clean rag. This was the only way to give the floor shine and chic. But I had to polish the parquet very often, which was tedious. Thanks to this, parquet manufacturers decided to varnish the material so that it retains its shine for a longer period. But varnished parquet, in addition to its advantages, also acquired disadvantages - now its surface could be easily scratched, which means that it had to be treated with even more attention.

Lacquered parquet floor

Before wet cleaning, the varnished coating must be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner - this allows you to remove sand and small stones, which under the rag could create an abrasive effect and spoil the surface. Only after this is the parquet wiped with a damp, well-wrung cloth, and then treated with a dry cloth.

Advice! To wash varnished parquet, it is recommended to use products specially designed for this purpose, which can be purchased in the store. It is also recommended to rub it with a special polish that has a water- and dirt-repellent effect.

Lobacare Remover - cleaning varnished parquet

Flooring rugs for furniture

Furniture on wheels has a negative impact on the parquet floor, and on any other floor too. Take, for example, a computer chair, which is a headache for the floor covering: wheels moving in different directions harm the varnish and lead to cracking.

Excellent plastic mats

But not everything is so sad, the hard work of scientists did not go unnoticed; plastic mats can be found on store shelves. They save the floor from scratches and do not spoil the appearance of the room at all, because they are transparent, that is, invisible.

Parquet cleaning products

To wash parquet, it is best to purchase special cleaners, which are available in the form of concentrated solutions or aerosols. They must be used only in accordance with the instructions so as not to damage the base. Typically, these cleaners contain substances that do not have a negative effect on wood - some can even be used daily.

Examples of parquet cleaners:

• Rubi;
• Aqua Sport Wood Flor Cleaner;
• Glutoclean Pufas;
• Loba ParckettCare.

Bona Cleaner parquet care product

Aerosols for parquet are used on the principle of glass cleaning fluids. They are applied to the surface to be cleaned and then removed with a clean, dry cloth or a special mop with a soft nozzle.

Attention! Compositions intended for cleaning parquet should not contain ammonia or alcohol, as well as any solvents.

Parquet care products

Methods for removing scratches

Undoubtedly, scratches are the most common damage that needs good camouflage. Option one - select a special wax-based pencil that matches the color scheme of the parquet board. Then you need to melt it and apply the softened wax to the unsightly scratch. The next stage is leveling the surface, removing all excess wax using a rubber spatula. After this, the surface is polished with a soft cloth.

Careful care of parquet boards

The second option is a young walnut (suitable only for shallow scratches). First you need to split it, remove the core, and rub it on the scratch. The wood in the treated area will darken and the defect will become less noticeable.

The above methods are suitable for removing shallow scratches, but what about others? Using repair varnish will help here. Before starting the process, the surface is thoroughly cleaned and varnish is applied to it (according to the manufacturer’s instructions). Also, deep scratches can be eliminated using a putty of a special composition, which must match the color of the floor. The putty is applied with a rubber spatula, and the excess is removed. After drying, the surface is sanded with sandpaper, dust is removed, and a layer of varnish and wax is applied.

Brushes, mops and rags - the best way to wash parquet floors

There are several recommendations regarding the equipment used to clean parquet floors from dirt. For example, microfiber cloths are great for cleaning it. They are quite soft and absorb moisture well.

Only a special mop should be used - soft, without hard edges, so as not to accidentally scratch the base. It is best to use one that has a hygroscopic nozzle and a mechanical spin.

Use only soft mops

Some housewives expect to use a vacuum cleaner to wash parquet, but this unit is not suitable for such a delicate surface. It releases too much water, which can be absorbed into the wood and ruin the floor. An exception is special vacuum cleaners for parquet boards.

To sweep parquet floors, it is recommended to use a brush with natural soft bristles. It could be goat or boar hair. Synthetic brushes can only be used if they have soft and thick bristles.

Floor sweeping brush

Compositions used

The main attribute is parquet cleaning products. Without this, it will lose its original beauty and quality. You can use formulations containing:

These products are used only for their intended purpose. As soon as the varnish layer on the surface has dried, it is recommended to apply a special emulsion. This is necessary for the floor to maintain its beauty, increase strength and wear resistance.

For daily cleaning of parquet without streaks, it is enough to use shampoos. This will help to easily remove dust, dirt, give freshness and beauty. There are products both unscented and with various scents.

Rules for cleaning parquet

Cleaning is simple. Necessary:

After the entire parquet floor has been washed, you need to go over it with a soft cloth to absorb any remaining moisture.

Homemade compositions

When cleaning parquet, folk methods for making a homemade cleaner can help. Soap will do. It must be taken into account that it must be low-alkaline. Shampoo solutions are also used. To remove grease stains, we recommend:

It is worth noting that some of them are risky and may damage the coating.

To remove other stains when cleaning parquet:

After using folk compositions, it is recommended to wipe with a damp cloth.

Special purpose compounds

The best and most reliable remedy is a cleaner. The compositions are aerosols or concentrates. The answer to the question of how to wash parquet without streaks lies here. Cleaners contain substances that are not dangerous to the wooden surface. This helps a lot when cleaning. These products do not leave behind streaks. This is their main advantage. The best cleaners include:

All of these specialty chemicals can be used during cleaning. But they won’t be able to deal with stubborn stains.

Cleaning equipment

Before considering the question of how to clean parquet at home, you need to decide on a list of everything you need:

After cleaning, the parquet will lose its functionality and beautiful appearance.

Fighting stains

Do not allow stains to appear on the floor. Children playing, an accidentally dropped cup of coffee, a drop of oil and much more are problems that lead to cleaning parquet floors at home. The biggest fear is that the stains may leave their mark forever. You should get rid of them immediately as soon as they appear. Cleaners will not be able to remove stubborn stains; emergency measures must be taken.

Some difficult stains to remove:

At first glance, floor cleaning seems difficult. But if you look carefully, this will not become a problem. It is enough to follow the recommendations and clean up the contamination in a timely manner. Living in a clean room is not only pleasant, but also safe.

Source

Fighting stains

Parquet, like any other type of coating, is not immune to the appearance of stains of various types on it. You need to deal with them depending on what caused the stain on the material.

Stain on the parquet

It is recommended to first freeze grease stains and only then scrape them off with a thin, sharp object. Moreover, it is important to carry out the procedure very carefully so as not to spoil the outer protective layer of the material. Freezing can be done by placing any bag from the freezer on the stain. After this, a layer of clean thick fabric is placed on the remaining grease stain, and it is necessary to walk over it several times with a heated iron.

The blood can be washed off well with a regular sponge soaked in cold water. If the stain is old, then it can be treated with a solution of ammonia. A solution of washing powder or a small amount of bleach (ratio to water 3:1) can handle the ink from the pen.

Blood stains are a minor problem

How to properly wash parquet?

Let's take a closer look at how to wet clean parquet using a regular soap solution.

Step 1. The required amount of water at room temperature is collected in a clean bucket. A small amount of detergent is diluted in it or a little soap is dissolved.

Detergent diluted in water

Step 2. Before you start cleaning, it is important to remove dirty shoes from your feet. This will prevent the newly cleaned parquet from getting dirty.

Shoes need to be taken off

Step 3. The rag or mop is dipped into a bucket and wrung out well until it is wet - no water should flow from it. The parquet floor is wiped with this rag. Corners and areas along the walls are thoroughly washed. The cloth should be rinsed periodically in clean water.

The floor is being wiped with a mop

Advice! If the floor space is quite large, then during washing it is best to replace the water in the bucket with new water several times.

Step 4. Areas with complex stains are treated with special parquet products.

Using a parquet cleaner

Step 5. After wet cleaning, the surface of the parquet floor is polished with a soft terry cloth.

The floor is wiped with a soft terry cloth

Prices for Polarwood parquet boards

Parquet board Polarwood

Special furniture and felt pads

And here progress is moving by leaps and bounds, however, finding such furniture is quite difficult. What's special about it? Actually, this is absolutely normal furniture on wheels (chairs, chests of drawers), the wheels are just made of soft rubber that does not leave black marks or scratches. Buying such furniture would be an excellent option if you want your parquet board to last for a long time.

Felt pads are an excellent invention worthy of high praise. Why? Sometimes there is a need to move furniture, and often the furniture is dragged, leaving traces of such irresponsibility and negligence on the floor.

Felt pads

To avoid such negative actions, you just need to glue felt pads to the “sole” of the furniture. You can also buy felt heels and screw them into the legs of sofas, chairs, and cabinets.