Cleaning your hardwood floors, laminate floors or tile floors can be simple if you follow certain guidelines. In the "Cleaning Video", I will go
over the basics. All you need is a flat mop, terry clothe, a "Little" water and 5 minutes to get it done. It's very important to wring out the towel, once you have wet it to insure you do not damage the floor. A soaked towel is NOT what we want.
Choosing the right hardwood floor cleaning solution
Most people purchase over the counter hardwood floor cleaning solution without weighing out the consequences. The other cleaning solution that people have accustomed to use is "Water & Vinegar". The consequences being, if you choose the wrong cleaner, it can seriously damage the appearance of your hardwood floors. The common issue we get calls about product build up or the dulling a cleaner can put on your floors.
MISCONCEPTION: After a few months of floor cleaner usage, most of our clients think the floors have dulled due to a product build up. This may be true, or perhaps the floors are dull due to product build up or "Etching". Solutions like "Vinegar and water" will damage your floors. Vinegar is an acid and acid will slowly etch the finish in time. As the surface is etched, the floor will become dull in appearance. The misconception is, just remove the build up and this will revive the shine. That is false! Unknowingly to the persistent homeowner, they try scrubbing, steam mops and other solutions in an attempt to remove the old build up. After multiple attempts, the homeowner will eventually come to the conclusion something is really wrong. Call us for a solution at 408-309-1880.
This is a PH scale. What you need to understand is that the cleaner of choice is ranked "Neutral" on the PH scale. Whether you realize it or not, hardwood floor is both acid and alkaline sensetive. Cleaning your hardwood floors is much like that of cleaning your skin or hair. By that, I mean you must have the proper PH level in your cleaning solution to avoid permanent damage. A hardwood floor cleaner that is on the acid side, will eventually begin to etch the protective coating of your floor. There is an old wives tale that we hear over and over, "Just use vinegar and water" to clean your floors. News flash, vinegar is an "Acid" based solution. Will it clean your floors? Yes. Most over the counter, general cleaning solutions contain chelates. It's just another word for acid.
Steam mopping hardwood floors | Mopping hardwood floors
Hardwood floors have a few enemies; termites, fire and more commonly, water. If you mop your floor with excessive water or any cleaning solution for that matter, you will in time damage the floor. Too much water can cause the boards to cup or crown with a delamination of the finish (The finish will peel). If you plan on using a "Steam mop", this can also cause harm to your hardwood floors. Anytime you inject moisture into your hardwood floors, your'e looking for trouble. It's another reason for your hardwood floors to begin to warp or buckle. So our recommendation is to NEVER use a steam mop for cleaning.
How to fix Dull hardwood floors
Let me clear, once your hardwood floors have been dulled by the use of an acid based cleaning solution, there is no amount of scrubbing that will make your hardwood floors shine again. The only solution is to have the floors either recoated or sand and finished to a like new state.
The Best solution to clean your hardwood floors
The safest way to clean your floors and not etch them is to use tap water. I demonstrate this is the video. If you insist on using a chemical, I would highly recommend using a product that is dedicated for hardwood floors that is PH neutral. Unfortunately, any time you use a chemical, you will leave a film behind. In time, you will experience a relatively heavy build up that will create an uneven sheen in your floor.
