Hardwood Floor Vacuum Basics

The best vacuum for hardwood floors will not have beater brushes, will be light weight, have a maneuverable head for getting into nooks and crannies, and enough suction to pick up heavier debris like small pebbles and cat litter.

If the vacuum head does not come padded, I recommend attaching thin cushion to the portions that rub along the floor to prevent scratches. Felt furniture strips work well for this. Brush them clean after each use to ensure grit doesn't stick to the padding and scrape the floor. Choose your felt pads carefully. You get what you pay for. I haven't had much luck with the white or light tan pads often found at retail stores. I recommend these below. You can also look for the dark brown d-fender or 3M felt adhesive pads at a hardware or home improvement store.

Vacuum cleaners for hardwood floors

You may want more than one wood floor cleaning option, depending on how much square footage of wood flooring you have and the kind of traffic / debris you need to deal with. Here are my specific recommendations with more details below.

In a household with kids and/or pets, a portable, powerful cordless Dust Buster with attachments is very helpful as an extension to a regular vacuum for daily vacuuming. It works great for sucking up crumbs after cooking meals and eating. Run it along areas where the cupboards, oven, refrigerator and even garbage can meet the floor. Whisk across chair seats and around the legs of the table after meals.

Keep up on dirt and little rocks that quickly gather and scratch your wood floor near entrances into your home. Suck up spilled cat food or litter, lint in the laundry room, on steps, door mats and area rugs, in closets ... dust busters on hardwood are quick and easy and help keep your floors looking great longer. If you keep up on the higher trafficked areas, you don't have to vacuum or sweep as often.

If the idea of bending over with a dust buster isn't for you, try a stick-style vacuum (made for hardwood floors) that is light, maneuvers around corners and furniture pretty good, and even works great along baseboards. I prefer the bagless variety.

Some hardwood floor owners prefer the wet/dry type canister or upright vacuum. They help you quickly deal with both spills and other liquid cleanup as well as dirt and grit that can scratch your floors. You don't need a broom, dust pan, mop or bucket if you use one of these machines. Owners love the idea of vacuuming, and then mopping with heated cleaning product (released on your floor by a trigger you squeeze), and then drying the floor ... all with one piece of equipment. It takes practice to use the unit correctly. You may need to wipe up water leaks with a towel, and you will need to purchase cleaning product for use with this machine.

For those who have asked about a hardwood floor steam cleaner, the Bissell steam mop is a good consideration. It weighs less than 7 pounds and the head swivels to get under kitchen cabinets and around furniture. It uses only water to create steam, so there are no cleaning products to buy and no chemicals or odors. It may not necessarily disinfect the floor, but it does wash the surface and leave it looking fresh and clean. It's possible it might leave droplets or small puddles of water - not good on wood floors. So follow up with a towel (drag it around with your feet) to ensure you catch any water that's left behind.

NOTE: I am a bit uncomfortable with the idea of "steaming" hardwood floors. In fact, I'm not real fond of wet vacuums either. Since wood is so sensitive to water ... leaving the water management during the cleaning process to a machine seems risky. If there are small puddles or streaks of water left behind that you don't notice, it could cause damage to your floor. So, please use caution.

Hardwood Floor Cleaning Products
Area Rugs and Area Rug Pads for Hardwood Floors