How to care for a wooden floor: useful tips

Plank floors made of natural wood are the most ancient and reliable type of flooring, which, unfortunately, today is widely replaced by synthetic materials. After all, caring for linoleum is much easier than cleaning wooden floors, especially if they are unpainted. But wood flooring allows air to pass through well, retains heat, has a beautiful appearance, and has a calming effect on the nervous system. The main thing is to know the ways and means that will help keep your wooden floor clean.

Removing contaminants

Is there dirt on the flooring? Don't worry, you can restore the wood's purity. There are many ways to remove various stains on a wooden surface.

Black stains from shoes

These are traces of rubber. You can remove black spots using the following methods:

1. Laundry soap. Rub the piece over the marks and remove any remaining residue with a damp cloth. You can grate the soap, dilute it with water and beat until stable foam. Wash the coating with foam.
2. Stationery eraser. Rub the affected area well.
3. Place ice on the strips. Leave for a while, but not until completely defrosted. Frozen marks are easy to clean.
4. If the wood is resistant to nail polish remover, use a small amount.
5. Melamine sponge. Removes any dirt, including from wood.

Black marks can be easily removed, even if they are discovered late.

Urine

Traces of urine should be removed immediately. An unpleasant smell instantly spreads throughout the apartment. If there is a stench and the marked area cannot be found, shine an ultraviolet lamp on the floor. Immediately outline this area with chalk and begin getting rid of the problem.

To clean wood floors from urine, use the following methods:

1. Clean the dirty area with dishwashing detergent.
2. Use ammonia or rubbing alcohol. Dip a cotton swab into the product and wipe the desired areas.
3. 1.5 liters of mineral water and 1 tbsp. will help prevent the smell of urine on the parquet. l. vinegar. The prepared solution is sprayed onto the stains and left for a while. 15–30 minutes is enough. Then the wooden covering must be wiped with a damp cloth.
4. The parquet is washed with liquid BOS. The concentrate is applied to the surface, rubbed with a sponge and wait for the reaction, when the foam disappears, rinse with water.

The longer you wait to remove the stain, the more the urine will eat into the wood. Try to remove contamination from the moment it appears, and do not put it off until later.

Sticky substances

The best option to remove stickiness is to buy a suitable cleaning product. For example, liquid product Pronto. It copes well with any stains and gives the parquet a natural shine. Read the label before purchasing. It should indicate that this chemical is suitable for this floor covering.

As an alternative, you can use home methods for cleaning wooden surfaces:

1. Mix 4 liters of water and ½ cup of vinegar in a bucket. Wipe the sticky stain with the prepared mixture. Change dirty water, wash the floor with clean liquid.
2. Stickiness is removed with ammonia or medical alcohol. Apply one of the products to a piece of cloth and wipe the contaminated area. Wash the floors.
3. Remove the remaining sticky substance with a spatula. Take baking soda and a sponge, scrub the desired area, and remove the residue with a vacuum cleaner. This method is not suitable for parquet flooring. The putty knife will scratch the flooring.

To clean wooden floors from stickiness and other contaminants, many people use lime and sand. You will need 50 g of the first product, 150 g of the second. We dilute them in 4 liters of water. The composition disinfects and removes dirt from wood.

Crayon stains

Children are unpredictable: sometimes they paint the wallpaper, sometimes they paint the flooring with wax crayons. No one is safe from such a situation, and it is almost impossible to keep track of an active baby.

How to clean wooden floors:

1. Apply white toothpaste to the stains. Rub with a soft cloth or brush. Remove any remaining paste with a damp cloth.
2. Use a solvent. For example, White Spirit. Just be careful not to apply to hardwood or painted surfaces.
3. Apply sunflower oil liberally to the wax crayon. Wash the area with dishwashing detergent.
4. Try johnson's baby wipes.
5. Melamine sponge. The sponge will crumble a little when used, but the remains can be quickly removed with a vacuum cleaner or broom
6. Place newspaper in the right places. Take a hairdryer, turn on the maximum blowing temperature and point it at the marks. The wax will melt and transfer to the paper. Wash the flooring with water or cleaning products.

As you can see, there are many ways to remove wax from wooden floors.

Wash with store-bought products: 3 formulations

I offer my rating of products from the store:

1. Glorix - a product for floors and delicate surfaces.

Glorix - product for floors and delicate surfaces

The manufacturer promises:

• cleans and disinfects surfaces;
• removes allergens;
• eliminates unpleasant odor;
• suitable for furniture care;
• Gently cleans laminate, cork, parquet, wood, ceramic tiles, vinyl, linoleum.

Price : about 190 ₽

Instructions:

• for 4 liters of water add 50 ml of product - 1 cap;
• wipe the floors with the solution;
• no need to rinse off.

2. Pronto 5-in-1 floor cleaner - suitable for both wood flooring and furniture.

Pronto 5-in-1 floor cleaner

The manufacturer promises:

• cleans any wooden surfaces;
• cares for and protects from adverse external influences;
• does not leave streaks;
• Ideal for wood and laminate floors.

Price : about 310 ₽

Instructions:

• add 2 caps of product to 5 liters of water;
• wipe the floors with the solution;
• no need to rinse off.

3. Emsal Floor Care - concentrate for cleaning and caring for floors.

EmsalFloor Care

The manufacturer promises:

• protects wooden surfaces from moisture and swelling;
• removes light scratches;
• restores color
• leaves no streaks.

Price : about 420 ₽

Instructions:

• add 2 caps of product to 5 liters of water;
• wipe the floors with the solution;
• do not wash off.

Painted

Proper care of a painted wood floor will not cause it to lose its shine. Do not use abrasives or soda to avoid damaging the paint. How to clean dirt off a wooden floor? It is better to wash with clean water and wood floor cleaners.

If you regularly use dishwashing detergent or baking soda, the paintwork will begin to peel off in layers.

Painted floor surfaces in the house can be washed with the addition of 2 tbsp. l. vinegar per bucket of water. Vinegar is replaced with ammonia or medical alcohol.

Painted floors cannot be washed daily; the paint will wear off. If you need to wash a greasy stain, where it is simply impossible to do without a soap solution, try this method: put ice on it or pour a little cold water.

Fat hardens from the cold, remove it with a napkin, wipe the floor with a damp cloth. Wash with clean water.

Do not use chlorine-based products. They brighten the surface. The flooring will be ruined forever, the only solution is to repaint it.

How to properly clean an unpainted floor

Unpainted wooden floors are most often found in bathhouses, cottages, verandas and summer kitchens. Such a coating requires careful cleaning, otherwise the wood will darken, become covered with numerous stains of grease, and the room will look sloppy.

When starting to clean unpainted flooring, you need to prepare:

• a brush with short, stiff bristles;
• a piece of cotton cloth;
• bucket with water;
• laundry soap or soda.

To obtain a cleaning product, baking soda in the amount of 3 tbsp. l. dissolve in 1 liter of water. If you decide to use laundry soap, then grind one bar on a coarse grater and dilute it in 5 liters of warm water.

Moisten the floorboards one by one with the prepared mixture, while rubbing them with a brush. Do not leave puddles on wooden floors for long periods of time. To prevent moisture from being absorbed into the surface of unpainted wood and the boards from swelling, each area to be treated must be wiped with a slightly damp cloth.

Not painted

Easiest to wash. Dust gets into the cracks, but you can use any means.

How to clean wood floors that are not painted:

1. Scrape the floor with a regular knife or glass. The method is old, it was used when paint was expensive. Be careful, you might cut yourself.
2. Wash the floor with a solution of soda, ammonia or medical alcohol, regular sand or laundry soap. You can use alkaline products with rubber gloves.
3. After washing, go over the floor with a dry cloth. It is necessary to remove any remaining moisture so that the floorboards do not swell.
4. If you find a greasy stain, use vinegar and sulfur clay. They are mixed in equal quantities, cover the stain, leave overnight, and remove the residue with warm water in the morning.

It is not recommended to wash unpainted floors every day. Sometimes remove dirt with a vacuum cleaner and do wet cleaning in the apartment.

Wring out the cloth well when washing. If you accidentally spill water on the floor, clean it up immediately. It is advisable to dry the floor, so leave the windows open.

When washing, pay special attention to the joints of the boards. These are the places where the most dirt accumulates.

Proper care

At least a couple of times a month you need to thoroughly vacuum and wipe the surface. In places where there will be a lot of walking, you need to lay paths, large and small carpets. Dirt and sand are very dangerous for wood floors as they can scratch them. Therefore, the brush for the vacuum cleaner should be chosen as soft as possible. As soon as even a drop of food gets on the floor, remove it immediately, even despite the various protective solutions that cover the surface. Remove it with a damp cloth, then wipe with a dry towel.

You should not leave water or other liquids on the floor because, again, even if it is covered with a water-repellent layer, moisture can penetrate the wood in a roundabout way and begin to deteriorate it. Soon there will be distortions between the boards and possibly creaks.

Do not walk on wooden floors in outdoor shoes. When you get home, take off your shoes and put on slippers with soft soles. Make sure that there are no sharp objects scattered across the surface that could leave scratches on it.

Parquet

Parquet is cared for differently. This flooring requires maintenance; it does not tolerate abrasives and hard brushes, and scratches quickly appear on it. First, the parquet needs to be vacuumed to remove dust and stones from the street. Then you can wash it.

After the parquet is washed, you will need to apply wax or a special mastic-based product. These products not only improve the decorative qualities of the finish, they provide additional protection from damage.

Conclusion

You can preserve the brilliant beauty of a valuable tree only by choosing the right care products.
Now, having learned the recommendations and tips, you can easily wash the floor with a brilliant result, and admire the well-groomed wooden floor for a long time. And now I suggest you familiarize yourself with the video in this article - it gives a clear example of how to wash such flooring. We can discuss your questions and ideas in the comments - write!

Rules

When caring for wooden floors, you need to follow simple rules. They will help keep the floor intact, without scratches or scuffs.

How to care for plank floorboards and parquet:

1. Do not enter the house with dirty shoes. Place a rug behind the threshold and clean it before entering the hallway.
2. Place protective covers on furniture. You can simply nail pieces of rubber to the legs. This way the floors won't be scratched.
3. Clean light-colored flooring more often. The dirt is more visible on it.
4. The use of abrasive cleaners is not recommended.
5. It is not advisable to use metal brushes to remove dirt. Carefully remove the dirt with a spatula or buy a special product in the household chemicals department.
6. During repairs, if you will not change the floors, cover them with plastic film. It will prevent dust, paint and plaster from getting onto the expensive coating.
7. Wooden coverings do not like moisture. Under its influence, the floorboards swell and the floor becomes deformed.

Caring for a wooden floor is easy. The main thing is to know what you can use to wash parquet, painted and unpainted floorboards. What products should not be used and how often should such cleaning be done.

Preparation

To ensure that the washing procedure is not done in vain, you should first wipe off all the dust on the furniture standing on this floor, vacuum it, and then remove the carpet, if any, and shake it thoroughly. Next, the surface itself needs to be vacuumed, but before that, remove large objects from the surface that can scratch the wood. We are talking about nails and screws.

First, you should vacuum your wooden floors.