Wood Floor Care and Maintenance Tips to Help Keep Your Floors Looking Their Best

  • Daily Cleaning– Use a broom or micro-fiber dust-mop which can catch a lot of the daily dust/debris/pet-hair that finds its way onto our floors.
  • Weekly Cleaning– Vacuums can be used on the bare-floor setting (beater bar turned OFF). However, be careful as the extra weight and tools of a vacuum could scuff or damage a wood floor.
  • Monthly Cleaning– Use a spray mop cleaner designed for your floor type. Avoid using excess amount of liquid on your floors or using a steam mop, as they both can damage your floor’s finish.
  • Polyurethane Finished Floors– For polyurethane floors, we recommend Bona cleaners and mops which can be found here: https://us.bona.com/products.html.  For more specifics, see below instructions for polyurethane floors.
  • Oiled or Non-Poly Finished Floors– Use your hardwood manufacturers recommended cleaner which your flooring professional can provide or direct you to the right solution for your floor. Do NOT use a vinegar solution as this could cause your floors to have a hazy or cloudy look to them. Oiled floors need a cleaner with the right oils in them to replenish the oils already within the wood floor. For more detailed instructions, see below instructions for oiled floors.
  • Maintenance Coat– Over time, when your wood floors start to look a little dull, they can be renewed through re-coating or re-oiling. This involves having a flooring professional apply a new coat of wood floor finish or oil usually every 4-10 years. If this step is not completed, you will more than likely have to re-sand and refinish your entire floors which is a much more involved, messy and costly process.

Recommended Floor Cleaning Schedule

 

Polyurethane Finished Floors Care and Maintenance Tips:

  • Allow floors to dry 24 hours prior to foot traffic, 48 hours prior to resetting furniture and 30 days prior to replacing area rugs.
  • Do not clean a newly finished floor with chemicals for 30 days.

Routine Care

  • Put soft fabric‐faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching. These glides will occasionally need replaced. Check them periodically to make sure they are still in good condition.
  • Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent scratching.
  • Wipe up spills immediately. Use Squeaky wood floor cleaner if needed.
  • Do not wet mop a floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
  • Avoid walking on your wood floor with cleats, sports shoes and high heels (especially if the nail is exposed in the shoe).
  • When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it across the wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture and put it into place to avoid scratching and gouges.
  • Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.

Routine Maintenance

  • Sweep often/daily (bristle broom or vacuum) to keep debris from scratching the floor.
  • We recommend Bona wood floor cleaner for routine cleaning. Microfiber mop head is suggested. Do not use wax or silicone‐based polishes or cleaners.

Long Term Maintenance

  • On average, a wood floor will need another coat of polyurethane within 5 – 7 years after it has been finished. When you start to notice the high traffic areas becoming dull, call Mansion Hill Custom Floors to have a representative inspect the floor. This process can be done multiple times prior to having the floor completely refinished. Typically, the recoating process is done in one day and you can return home the following morning.
  • At some point a wood floor will need a complete refinishing. On average, a wood floor with proper re‐coatings will need refinished within 20 years. The time period on when to refinish will vary greatly, depending on your lifestyle and/or the number of your household. The process takes a minimum of three days and will vary depending on the size of the project. You will need to be off of the floors during the entire process. However, by refinishing the floor you can change the stain color to give it an overall brand new look.

Oil-Finished Wood Floors Care and Maintenance Tips:

Immediate Care

  • Allow floors to dry 36 hours prior to foot traffic, 48 hours prior to resetting furniture and 30 days prior to replacing area rugs.
  • Do not clean a newly finished floor with chemicals for 30 days.

Routine Care

  • Put soft fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching. These glides will occasionally need replaced.
  • Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent scratching.
  • Wipe up spills immediately.
  • Avoid walking on your wood floor with cleats, sports shoes and high heels (especially if the nail is exposed in the shoe).
  • When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it across the wood flooring.  It is best to pick up the furniture and put it into place to avoid scratching and gouges.
  • Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.

Recommended Cleaner Options from Rubio Monocoat:

Surface Care Spray

Rubio Monocoat Surface Care Spray is a ready-to-use cleaning product for the periodic care of surfaces treated with Monocoat Oil Plus and is also suitable for the easy cleaning of localized stains.

Instructions:

  • Spray Monocoat Surface Care Spray on to the surface to be cleaned.
  • Wipe dry with a terry cloth mop or cloth.
  • Repeat as necessary.
  • Allow the surface to dry for approximately 15 minutes.

Natural Soap

Rubio Monocoat Natural Soap is used to clean oil finished floors and maintains a matte finish. The first cleaning can be done 3 weeks after treatment with Monocoat Oil Plus. Surfaces treated with Monocoat Oil Plus can be cleaned weekly, if necessary, with a solution of ¼ cup of Rubio Monocoat Natural Soap per gallon of water.

Instructions:

  • Sweep or vacuum the floor using a soft brush attachment.
  • Mix a solution of Monocoat Natural Soap and water, ¼ cup/gallon of water.
  • Use 2 buckets: one for the soap and water mixture and the other for clean water only.  Immerse a mop in the soapy water and wring it out until it is only damp. Clean a section of floor. Rinse the mop in the bucket of clean water and wring it out thoroughly. Immerse the mop in the soapy water and wring it out until it is only damp. Clean the next section of floor. Repeat this routine until the floor is clean.
  • Do not leave any surplus water on the floor. Always use a damp mop, not a wet mop. Do not walk on the floor until it is completely dry (15 minutes).

 

Whatever type of wood floors you have, we can help guide you to the correct cleaners and maintenance schedule for your floors.  We can also help with maintenance re-coating or re-oiling to help renew your floors luster.  Give us a call today at 859-581-1800 or schedule a consultation at www.mansionhillcustomfloors.com/contact