Polished wood floors can last for years with proper care. Cleaning them the wrong way can dull them, but there are ways to keep them shining. The following steps and tips will help you keep your wood floors looking beautiful for years.
What Type of Finish Does Your Floor Have?
The best way to keep hardwood floors shiny is to know what type of finish has been applied to the wood. If you don't know, you can test the finish to see what kind of cleaner to use.
- If a drop of water is quickly absorbed or causes spotting on the finish, it means the hardwood has not been sealed and should never be cleaned with water. But if the bead of water just sits on the surface without being absorbed, it means the hardwood has been sealed.
- If you want to test if a floor has been waxed, take some fine steel wool and rub it lightly over the floor in a corner. If the floor has been waxed, there will be a gray, waxy film left on the steel wool.
And having said this, why don’t we look into ways how to clean polished floors?
Learning how to clean and keep your polished floors is not hard. It also does not require particular expertise in concrete and is cheap as it may require just a few
To start you off on how to clean your polished floor it is important to establish the finish that has been used on your floor. This is necessary knowing before so you don’t use chemicals that can remove the finish or cause a reaction. Ideally, it is also advised you don’t use acidic agents like bleaches that can result in stains on your polished floor.
Cleaning Polished Floors
Polished polish requires that you mop off the dust and dirt debris regularly. Also, you should wet-mop the polished floors frequently or when you notice dirt forming on the surfaces. You can use dampened microfiber or vacuum cleaners. This removes any dust or dirt debris from the corners of the floors
To wash your polished floors, you will need to have the required items which are water, microfiber mop, dust mop, or vacuum cleaner. An approved commercial polished concrete cleaner is also required for the removal of stains. And of course, you shall require a bucket or a sink.
Start by moping the dust and dirt debris from the polished floor using a mop or vacuum. This should remove most of the dust particles and grime that if left unchecked will result in worse stains in the future. You should practice this daily or regularly and immediately notice them.
The other process is to use a damp mop to wipe out dirt as soil, soil particles, and other debris that get stuck on the polished floor. You can use a polished floor cleaner that is neutral to avoid further staining of the floors or damage to the floor. Then rinse with clean water to give your floor a shiny look.
The daily cleaning and removal of dust accompanied by using a wet mop to scrub the stains whenever they happen should be enough to keep your polished floor clean. However, you may still be faced with stubborn stains that need a thorough cleaning to remove. And you may wonder how do I remove these stains and have my polished floor look bright again.
Well, let’s look into ways how to clean stains from polished floors here:
1. Dust mop the floors daily
Dust collects and forms on your polished floors frequently even without expecting it. You’re likely to notice dust particles and grime forming on the floor now and then. This may be accelerated by the amount of traffic the floor is getting from time to time. And dust forms stains if not cleaned early. Therefore why wait for simple dust debris and cause stains that are unpleasant in the first place? This, therefore, calls for a daily routine of dusting the polished floors. With the use of a microfiber mop, dust off the floors of any dust and retain their glossy shiny look.
2. Wet mop the floors weekly
Polished floors should be moped using a dampened mop at least weekly. This should be your routine to keep hard stains off the floors. Dirt that lays on the floors, even the smallest dust particles, may form into big and damaging stains if not washed. If you’re able to clean the floors every week, dirt and grime will have no chance of being absorbed into the floors forming stains. You can use a microfiber cloth and a solution of water and floor cleaners. Wet vacuums can also be used at times. Either method used you can maintain the status of and ensure the cleanliness of your polished floors. This way, you’ll not require the services of an expert to clean your polished floors without paying for services.
3. Use neutral floor cleaners
It is recommended you use neutral cleaners while cleaning your polished floors. This is because there are acidic cleaners that can cause damage reactions when mixed with the chemicals on the floors causing damage. You should first establish the finish used for your floors from the contractor's or the manufacturers’ manuals before purchasing any floor cleaners. Therefore, use neutral cleaners if possible to give good care to your polished floors. Also, ensure you follow the recommended proportions while mixing and preparing the solution to clean your polished floors. Some of the best floor cleaners are Enviro-Pro EP512 cleaner and polisher or Focus NC 111 neutral cleaner deodorant. among others.
4. Clean the floor in sections
If you’re washing a wide section of the polished floors at once, chances are some cleaners may dry up before you wipe the floor clean. And you don’t want to leave more stains as you try to remove the existing ones. So, while washing, scrub small sections of the polished floors, bit by bit. This allows you to clean and rinse the polished floors from one corner to the other or one end to the other, If you’re using a vacuum cleaner, apply the cleaner at a particular portion, give it some time to apply, and remove the dirt as you move to the next, Then come back and finalize the cleaning as you rinse the floor dry clean.
5. Spills should be washed instantly
A big contributor to stained polished floors could be the frequent spills from foods and drinks. These spills could occur due to the very reason for utilizing the floors for various occasions. Whereas you do not have much control over the occasional spills and when and where they happen, you must eliminate such whenever they touch the floor. Spills and other dirt particle deposits should be cleaned immediately after they are spotted. Otherwise, they will form nasty and hard-to-remove stains. Others could get and sink through the pores on the floors damaging the floor components like ammonia. Never let spills sit on your polished floor. Using water and neutral cleaners, you should be able to clean any spills on the floor whenever they happen. This not only maintains the appearance of your floor but leaves no room for stains to form.
6. Renew the floor finish yearly
With time, the shiny appearance of your polished floor may start to vanish. And you don’t your floor to appear old. Therefore it is only important if you can renew the shiny look of your polished floor yearly. You can use a high-speed burnisher on the polished floors to help renew the shiny looks. This can be applied before cleaning the dry polished floors. They work to scrape the dirt debris and help you achieve a shiny surface on the floors.
Cleaning various stains from polished floors.
Having looked at how to clean polished floors generally, of great importance is how to clean various stains from your polished floor.
How to clean greasy stains from polished floors
To clean a grease stain and other common marks, you can use water and soap. Mix water and soap well and scrub using a soft bristle brush of the stains thoroughly until they disappear. This should not be that hard since grease has been proven not to penetrate deep into the concrete making the floor. As advised before, always use a neutral cleaning agent especially if you don’t know the kind of finish used for your polished floor. Then rinse off the floor with clean water. This takes away the grease or any marks on the floor leaving it shiny and clean.
Removing Stains From Rug Pads
You likely use plastic and synthetic mats on your polished floors. As much as they are necessary for preventing marks from pulling furniture over the floor, these mats can also cause white marks on the surfaces. They mostly cover and trap some moisture from time to time which may combine with minerals causing white-like stains that may be hard to clean. Well, these are not good-looking and the best thing is to clean them off. You can use water mixed with a neutral floor cleaner like calcium deposit cleaner to scrub and remove the white marks. Then rinse well with water and allow them to dry before placing back the mats.
Dissolving Sticky Messes
Some stains may be very sticky such that removing them normally is not possible. For instance, dried-up chewing gum forms a sticky lump on the surface if not removed when fresh. The same case happens to things like plant saps and others. and using stain removers for other stains may not be efficient. You can also not use some acidic cleaners due to the fact they will react with the concrete chemicals and damage could occur to the floor. This hen you can have a self-made substance that can remove those sticky messes. a mixture of coconut oil and baking soda can work just perfectly. Apply the solution to the sticky stain and allow it to dissolve for about ten minutes. Then scrape it off the floor with some hard edges before applying a stain remover. Then rinse it thoroughly with a lot of water. Finally, allow the floor to dry. This should be able to effectively remove such sticky messes from your polished floor.
How to Clear Etching From Polished Floors
Etching occurs when an acidic liquid spills onto the floor causing an unsightly stain. This occurs from a reaction between the acidic component and the chemicals of the concrete. It may be because using an acidic floor cleaner accidentally or in the cause of daily routines incurs a spill of an acidic drink or liquid. If this happens, you may be required to call an expert or the initial contractor to rectify this damage. The expert has to reapply the finish of the concrete to make it look as uniform as the surrounding areas, This may be costly
The Bottom line
Polished floors are easy and simple to clean. Also, they’re cheap and economical to maintain and manage as compared to other floor types in the market. Polished floors need regular cleaning and maintenance. You’ll need to dust them daily so that hard stains do not accumulate. Wet mopping or vacuuming can also go a long way in cleaning and removing debris from your polished floors. It is also recommended you use neutral floor cleaners so as not to damage the floors through chemical reactions. If you can practice routine cleaning methods and follow the recommended instructions on how to clean polished floors, they will always be clean. And again you may not need the sealants to protect your polished floors.
