Hardwood Floor Cleaners

Choosing appropriate cleaning products for your hardwood flooring depends almost entirely on the finish, or coating, applied over the top of the raw wood. There are a lot of misleading retail products on the market that have caused un-repairable damage, loss of warranty, or additional maintenance expense that would not have been necessary if the proper products were used.

Select Hardwood Floor Cleaners Carefully

1. Read product labels thoroughly and ensure they specifically state they are suitable for your floor's finish. Bona, Bruce and other Armstrong® products do a good job of describing proper usage, for example.

2. Regardless of the cleaning product used, never let it stand on the floor for any length of time. Clean the floor in sections, using a dampened (not soaking wet) cloth or mop. Be sure no puddles have collected before moving on to a new section.

3. Say NO to Oil- and Wax-based Cleaning Products on Polyurethane Finishes. There are a lot of products out there claiming to be very effective and safe for hardwood floors. Read those package labels carefully and be sure they say they can be used for polyurethane finished floors. Some labels actually say they can't be used for polyurethane though they market themselves to wood floor owners. Other products don't say at all - I suggest you avoid those too. Read the fine print.

Here are my top three recommendations:

4. Warranties by most manufacturers are voided if the consumer uses the wrong cleaning products for their wood floor type and/or finish. Oil soaps and products containing wax cleaners are one such example of what NOT to use for polyurethane coatings.

An oil soap product coats the floor surface with an oil residue that makes it nearly impossible to successfully recoat for maintenance in the future, even years later. To properly repair a floor contaminated with this type of product it must be completely sanded and refinished - a very costly and otherwise unnecessary event. One tell-tale sign that an oil soap or wax product has been used, when it shouldn't be, is the appearance of footprints as the floor is walked on in bare feet. You may also see smudges or an "orange peel" effect on your wood floor.

If you have already used a wax- or oil-based product on your polyurethane-coated wood floors, I advise that you immediately discontinue use and begin cleaning your floors with either white vinegar or a professional hardwood cleaner specifically for polyurethane finishes as recommended above.

Don't use a retail cleaning product that must be mixed with water. Do not use wax, paste, polish, abrasive cleaners, steel wool or scouring powder.

Choosing the right area rug pad and cleaning tools are just as important as the cleaning agents you use. It is well worth it to invest in the right hardwood floor cleaners and accessories from the start to keep your floors looking great for years to come.

Area Rug Pads for Hardwood Floors
Hardwood Floor Vacuums and Mops