How to clean prefinished hardwood floors yourself?

How to clean prefinished hardwood floors step by step?

Near 20 minutes to complete

About USD 20

Required Items:

Mop

Bucket

Polish

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Preparation

If you have a ready-made detergent composition, the procedure for its use is described in the instructions on the package. If it is not available and wet cleaning is required, a regular soap solution will do.

To clean prefinished hardwood floors, you need to act like this:

1

Prepare the soap solution

We fill a clean bucket with 30-50% water at room temperature. Add some soap or detergent.

2

Remove shoes before cleaning

In order not to stain the clean coating, before cleaning, remove shoes.

3

Wet and wring out the cloth (mop)

We lower a rag (mop) into the bucket, squeeze it carefully so that the water stops draining.

4

Wipe down the parquet

We wipe the parquet with this rag, capturing the corners and joints of the ceilings. Rinse the fabric periodically in clean water. If the parquet floor area is large, we change the water in the bucket as it gets dirty.

5

Special cleansers

To wash the parquet from old dirt or difficult stains, use special cleaning products.

6

Parquet polishing

At the end of wet cleaning, polish the coating with a terry towel or soft cloth.

7

What is a parquet floor⁣?

Parquet is one of the most ancient and traditional floor coverings. In wooden planks, to simplify installation and strength of the connection, grooves, and spikes are cut out.

The service life of parquet is largely determined by the thickness of the plank. As a standard, it is 15-16 mm, of which the working layer (it is also called the wear layer) is about 8 mm – it is this thickness that can be “removed” during scraping and grinding. Increasing the thickness of the plank allows you to extend the life of the parquet, the maximum thickness of the plank is 22 mm. Thicker parquet should be chosen when laying in rooms with high humidity – it is less prone to deformation.

The width of the parquet does not affect its performance, it only affects the aesthetic perception. On average, it is about 2.5-4 cm, but can reach up to 6 cm or more.

What is a parquet floor? Parquet floors are a beautiful and environmentally friendly coating. But a spectacular appearance needs to be maintained regularly, and this stops many. Do you know how to thoroughly wash parquet and how to clean it from dirt and stains? It's not as difficult as it might seem, and it's quite possible to do it yourself.

The main types of parquet cleaning

There are several types of parquet: piece, panel, type-setting (mosaic), in the form of a parquet board. And any types of parquet needs to be looked after. At the same time, simple washing with a rag will not work: the coating will lose its appearance and quickly become unusable. However, cleaning and cleaning parquet is within the power of everyone, it is enough to know a few proven recommendations. The parquet board dislikes wet cleaning, but it will have to be done periodically.

There are two types of surface care using water:

• Current cleaning. The frequency of this depends on the traffic of the premises. If there are few people, cleaning every 15–20 days is enough. With an average patency, the regularity of washing is 1–2 times a week, if the patency is high, you will have to wash the parquet daily or every other day, and this will seriously shorten the life of the coating.
• General cleaning. It is carried out when ordinary wet cleaning is not enough. For sparsely populated spaces, one annual procedure is enough, and if the patency is not lower than average: 3–7 times a year.

How to clean parquet from dirt?

Old stains are difficult to remove. Therefore, the floor must be washed regularly. Considering that the parquet is made of natural wood, it is important to know about the features of its cleaning.

How to clean oil from parquet

If grease gets on a wooden surface, you must immediately dilute a few tablespoons of detergent in water and apply it to the stain. Allow time to stand and wash off the soapy solution with warm water. You can also remove grease with a stain remover or use turpentine and sandpaper.

How to wash parquet from dirt

Alkali is used to remove dirt: soapy water or baking soda. But you shouldn’t get too carried away with them, so as not to lose the treasured radiance. It is better not to use sandpaper, thinner, alcohol, or a grinding machine. They damage the coating.

How to clean parquet from construction dust and whitewash

There is a solution: you can remove building dust or whitewash with a parquet cleaner, which can be purchased at a hardware store. The parquet is wiped with a cloth soaked in this solution. Do not wash off. So, the floor will be covered with a protective film.

How to wash hair dye?

Stains are washed off with a mixture of turpentine, ammonia and olive oil. After mixing the components in equal proportions, apply to the stain, then wait 20 minutes, and rinse with warm water.

How to wash old parquet

For a battered finish, it's best to use an oil or wax-based polish. These refresh the parquet board, delicately dissolving the dirt, and, as far as possible, restoring its former luster. To heighten the effect, you still need to wax and polish.

How to wash varnished parquet

After varnishing a wooden base, you should refrain from washing for the first few weeks. Then wipe with soapy water. Cleaners with abrasives are out of the question.

Care parquet 

In order for the parquet to serve as long as possible and retain its spectacular appearance, several recommendations must be followed:

• Spills should be cleaned up as soon as possible. If moisture is absorbed, this will significantly worsen the quality of the wood, and even warm floors will not correct the situation.
• Freshly varnished parquet should not be washed for the first 14 days. Accumulated dust can be removed with a soft-brushed vacuum cleaner.
• It is necessary to create and maintain a microclimate suitable for wood: humidity not higher than 60%, temperature from +18 to +25⁰С.
• For wet cleaning, a thoroughly wrung out cloth is used.
• Daily cleaning – only dry, you can use a vacuum cleaner or a brush.
• To protect the top layer of parquet, protective caps should be put on the legs of armchairs, chairs and other furniture. An alternative is felt or felt linings, thin transparent rugs.
• Anti-static parquet compounds can help reduce the accumulation of animal hair. Fewer buildups mean less need to clean.
• If the parquet is in the hallway, it is useful to put a rug near the front door. It will collect most of the street dirt and dust, reducing the need for cleaning and sanding the parquet.
• The protective layer requires regular renewal: varnish is applied every 5–10 years, oil every 6–8 months.

Lacquer coating care

The varnished surface retains its shine and spectacular appearance longer, allowing you to do without rubbing with special means and not to clean the old parquet for a long time. But varnishing has a serious drawback – it is easy to scratch it during operation or maintenance. 

Cleaning Actions:

Before wet cleaning, lacquered parquet must be vacuumed to remove pebbles, sand, and other hard particles that can cause scratches when moving a rag. Then the surface is wiped with a damp but not wet cloth and cleaned with a dry cloth.

There are special compositions – polishes, designed to care for lacquered coatings. They make cleaning easier and more efficient. And parquet without varnishing is useful to rub with a specialized polish, this increases resistance to dirt and water.

How to prevent scratches on parquet?

Scratching is a serious problem for any parquet floor owner. The structure of the floor is affected by many external factors that lead to gradual damage. But there are several ways to prevent scratches, which should be discussed in more detail.

Ways to prevent scratches:

1. Always purchase hardwood flooring initially. It can be oak, beech and many other options. Durable wood resists scratches better. It will serve you for many years and will not lose its original appearance.
2. To avoid scratches, it is better to use professional varnishes. They have a more durable structure, able to withstand increased loads and adverse effects. Professionals recommend using acid-based varnishes. They adhere better to wood and create a strong protective film.
3. Another way to extend the service life is to reduce the likelihood of damage. You should not walk in street shoes, they should always be removed when entering the premises. Women's heels are especially dangerous, they can leave not only scratches, but also small dents. Therefore, slippers with soft soles should be used at home, they will significantly reduce the risk of scratches. Parquet will retain its attractive appearance for a long time.
4. It is recommended to install fabric pads on the legs of furniture and chairs. During the movement of these items, there is a possibility of accidentally damaging the structure of the parquet and scratching it. The pads will protect the flooring from adverse effects, it will serve you for many years.

The parquet should be polished. It consists of synthetic substances that provide additional surface protection from external influences.

Polishes significantly increase the strength of the varnish, it resists scratches much better. 

Summing up, you can summarize all the tips provided:

• Use hardwoods and professional varnishes, they withstand external influences better.
• Install felt pads for furniture and chair legs.
• Always take off your outdoor shoes, especially those with pointed heels.
• Treat the floor with polish, they will increase the strength of the varnish and hide small damage to its structure.

How to polish a parquet floor?

Such a technological operation, along with daily wet cleaning, will make the floor attractive and durable. How often should this be done? It depends on the degree of load on the floor.

With moderate mechanical loads, it is enough to carry out 1–2 polishing per year, and under conditions of increased loads. How to polish a parquet floor? The frequency of parquet treatment depends on the degree of surface wear and can be carried out at least once a month. These can be cafés, bars, canteens, etc. These are the establishments where parquet floors are exposed to everyday wear and tear.

Why polish a parquet floor?

The parquet board is factory coated with oil or varnish, which has a certain impact on its performance. The oil coating does not contribute to the closure of the pores, which allows dust and dirt to accumulate in them. This negatively affects the appearance of the flooring.

Therefore, additional processing of the parquet is required. Although the varnish coating is more durable, it also needs to be improved. In addition, the top layer of wood loses its characteristics due to aging.

Seam joints are especially vulnerable to dust or dirt ingress, and therefore sanding parquet is the only way to make parquet floors look attractive.

Methods of parquet polishing

The modern construction market has a wide range of polishing products. He's so big that it is difficult to make a choice in favor of one or another polishing agent.

Polishers are divided into the following types:

• Glossy;
• Semi-gloss;
• Matt.

Such materials have several advantages:

• Easy to use;
• Dries quickly;
• Environmentally friendly.

To determine if this type of polish is suitable for the floor, you need to cover a small area. If the coating holds well, it means that it can be used.

What do you need to know when polishing parquet?

Parquet board polishing requires strict execution of technological operations, depending on certain conditions:

• Area of the premises. Different equipment is used for different areas. The larger the polishing area, the more difficult the equipment has to be used.
• Degree of soiling of the surface. This factor affects the use of detergents.
• The top coating of the parquet board. Depending on this indicator, wax is applied or not applied.

Parquet polishing technology

To complete this, follow these recommendations:

• Take up a vacuum cleaner and remove all the dust, then remove the remaining dust with a damp cloth.
• Wash the substrate with water and detergents.
• Allow the floor to dry thoroughly.
• Gently spread the polish over the entire surface of the parquet with a mop and a soft cloth. In this case, the polish cannot be diluted. The consumption of the product is about 20–25 grams per 1 square meter.
• The applied layer should dry for 12 hours.

Thereafter, you can start the polishing process. If the polishing did not give the desired result, then the operation can be repeated, but it is advisable to apply the product perpendicular to the first layer.

If the base is waxed before applying a layer of polish, then the quality of the final result is higher and there is no need to polish the parquet again. This is more about the parquet board, originally opened with oil.

If you want to polish a small room, then this operation can be done independently. The main thing is to follow the instructions that are indicated on the package. Then the parquet floor will always have an attractive appearance and a long service life.

Summary