Timber is one of the world’s most popular flooring materials. Timeless, elegant and highly durable, timber flooring is perfect for every home – as long as you know how to keep it clean.
Maintaining your timber floors is relatively simple. But, as a natural material, timber needs additional care to protect the finish and keep it looking good. In this article we’re going to discuss how to clean timber floors the right way, and what you need to do to keep oiled and lacquered timber looking fantastic for years to come.
What Timber Cleaning Products to Use
Timber floors should always be cleaned using soaps that are specially designed for wood. As a natural material, wooden floors contain moisture and oils that keep the wood looking beautiful. Soaps have the potential to strip these natural oils, which causes the timber to dry out and become dull or cracked over time.
This can be prevented by using timber floor cleaners that are formulated with natural oils and soaps. These products contain non-toxic chemicals that simultaneously clean, lift stains and replenish the timber’s natural finish.
For regular cleaning and mopping, we recommend using high quality soaps from WOCA, Berger-Seidle or Ciranova. Their range of timber floor cleaners are based on natural soaps and oils that can lift dirt while replenishing the timber’s natural protection.
How to Clean Timber Floors the Right Way
Wooden floors are easy to clean and relatively low maintenance. If you have oiled or lacquered timber floors, there are three main ways to keep them clean:
- Dust the floor with a dry mop. Timber floors should be cleaned with a dry mop once per week. This is enough to pick up any dust, dirt and pet hair that has accumulated. Avoid using a dry mop if the floors feel dirty or gritty, as this can scratch the timber finish.
- Pick up dirt and grit with a vacuum. If your floors look or feel dirty, it’s best to use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of any dirt, sand and grit. Vacuums should be fitted with a cleaning head that’s designed for timber floors, and you should regularly check the bristles to ensure they aren’t damaged. Likewise, check the wheels on the vacuum and make sure they roll freely.
- Clean the floor with a damp mop. Timber floors should be cleaned with a damp mop every 2-4 weeks. Be aware that natural timber will absorb excess moisture, which can damage or stain the finish.
Timber floors should be allowed to dry thoroughly after being mopped. You should wait at least an hour before replacing furniture, rugs and small items that were moved prior to mopping. It’s also a good idea to open some windows to speed up the drying process!
How to Remove Stains from Timber Floors
As a porous material, timber can absorb oil, grease and other liquids, which may cause staining. To remove a stain without damaging the finish you need to:
- Immediately clean up any spills. Prevention is the best cure for staining. Use a clean towel to immediately soak up food, drink, grease and pet urine.
- Identify the stain. How you remove a stain depends on whether you’re dealing with food, drink, pet stains or something else entirely. Figure out what you’re working with and then choose a suitable cleaning product. For instance, some floor cleaning products are ideal for lifting grease and oil, while others are better at removing wine and other dark stains.
- Clean the stained area. Use a mix of timber floor cleaner and warm water to gently clean the stain with a soft towel. Avoid scrubbing and don’t use abrasives such as kitchen scourers.
- Deal with stubborn stains. Grease, oil and dark stains (such as red wine and pet urine) can be difficult to remove with normal floor cleaner. For these spills you may need an intensive wood cleaning solution.
- Dry the floor. Finally, you can use a soft towel to wipe away the cleaning solution and any excess moisture. Repeat the process if the stain persists.
Some types of stains can’t be removed from timber floors with cleaning products alone. For these types of stains, you may need to use a dedicated stain removing product. Stain removers typically require scrubbing and may affect the floor finish.
Always test stain removers in an inconspicuous place, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions about reapplying oiled finishes after cleaning.
Clean and Protect Your Timber Floors with Quicksand Supplies!
With a little bit of care and timber floor varnish, your floors will look fantastic for decades, and they’ll be able to stand up to the rough and tumble of everyday life. If you’re searching for timber cleaning products or hard wax oil for timber floors, Quicksand Supplies has everything you need to keep your floors in perfect condition!
Our range of timber floor cleaners includes products for regular maintenance, intensive cleaning, stain removal and more, so we can get your floors looking spick and span.
You can browse our Timber Floor Cleaner or Exterior Decking Oil range online at any time, or contact us if you need help selecting the right cleaning products for your floors!