What is The Best Way to Clean Your Hardwood Floors?

Before we move on, let me give you a word of warning. NEVER use oil soap on your hardwood floors. People swear by Murphy's oil soap and so do I, but not to clean hardwood floors.

Please do not clean with any oil soap. In time your floor will need refinishing and the new finish simply will not adhere and your manufacturers warranty will most likely be null and void. I have copied a notice from BonKemi to their disributors below.

To: BonaKemi Distributors

RE: Murphy' Oil Soap

Murphy's Oil Soap was tested as maintenance cleaner for hardwood floors to find the possible effects on future screen and recoats. A 2- 1/4" red oak strip floor was prepared using BonaKemi waterbased finish. The floor was then maintained for four weeks, using he manufacture's recommended procedures. Suggested concentration levels were used on a portion of the floor, with slightly differing levels across the remained of the floor.

Before screening the floor for a recoat, it was apparent that an "oily" residue remained on the floor. While screening, the disk gummed up with a waxy residue.

During application of a new topcoat, "fisheyes" developed in spots, and crawling in some areas was observed. Adhesion on the new finish application was poor with complete failure in some areas.

Due to the apparent incompatibility of Murphy's Oil Soap residue with subsequent recoating, we cannot recommend its use as a maintenance program cleaner for hardwood floors.

Bonakemi is the leader in hardwood floor cleaning products. You can get their products here.

What Type Of Hardwood Flooring Do You Have?

Before we get into the cleaning of your hardwood flooring, we need to find out what type of floor you have and what type of top coat finish your harwood floor has.

You probably know if your flooring is made from hardwoods or it is a wood engineered floor. Engineered hardwood flooring is a type of floor that has been created from several wood layers. (Unlike solid hardwood floors which are made from one piece of wood.)

Engineered wood floors are still considered “hardwood,” but they are built in layers of hardwood. The top portion is wood but the reamining layers are cross glued.

The other type of "wood" flooring would be laminate flooring. Laminate flooring can have the appearance of wood, but it is made with synthetic materials. This flooring is a cheap alternative to wood flooring and is pretty resistant to scratching and denting.

3 Types of Hardwood Floor Finishes

Ok, so we now know what type of flooring we have. The second step is finding out what type of finish is on your flooring.

There are only three basic hardwood floor surface finishes, oil surface, wax surface and polyurethane surface floors.

Polyerethene is the most common and is also the only finish that can be used anywhere.

Hang with me here. There are also 3 types of polyurethene finishes. Water based, oil based and moisture cured.

Water based is used over water based stains and oil based is used over oil based hardwood stains. Moistured cured is normally applied on commercial flooring such as bars and restraunts.

If you want to maintain that sense of richness and beauty in our hardwood flooring. Here's how you do it.

The Absolute Easiest and Best Way to Clean Hardwood Floors

-Sweep/vaccuum your hardwood flooring. Be sure to use non-abrasive attachments on your vacuum cleaner.

-Use a very soft mop and apply a recommended hardwood floor cleaner. The Bonakemi products are probably the best (and most popular) for cleaning your hardwood floors. They also have kits which include your cleaners, mop and accessories.

- Step back and narvel at the beauty. Nothing is more beautiful than a clean, polished hardwood floor. Bonkemi really does make them look like new again.

Simple Rules to Maintaining A Beautiful Harwood Floor

What To Do

Place Protector pads on ALL furniture legs on wood floor.

Place walk off mats and area rugs in high traffic areas (make sure they stay dry and are cleaned underneath often)

Sweep/vacuum dirt as often as necessary.

Clean up all spills immediately.

If you are a pet owner, keep your pet's nails trimmed.

What Not To Do

Do Not wear high heels, let kids rollerblade, skateboard or sweep broken glass. (Vacuum the glass).

Do Not use a wet mop to clean your hardwood floors.

Do Not use ammonia or dust cleaners.

Never ever wax a polyurethene finsh.

BonaKemi at the 2011 International Home and Housewares Show