The Ultimate Guide to Cleaning Hardwood Floors

We love our hardwood floors—until the sunlight hits them and highlights all the dust we haven’t swept up. But just because hardwood doesn’t hide dirt does not mean it’s a high-maintenance diva. Cleaning wood floors properly can be a little intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. We’ve compiled a tool list and routine for you so you don’t have to do the hard work.

Things you will need:

DIY hardwood floor cleaning solution (scroll down)

DIY hardwood floor polish (scroll down)

Fine mist spray

1-2 microfiber cloths

dry mop

vacuum

duster

Daily

• Dust to keep dirt from piling up. Brooms tend to just push the mess around.

• Spot clean a few times a week, more if you have fur machines (aka pets).

Weekly

• Vacuum to nab harder-to-reach areas like corners and the spaces between planks. Just make sure your vacuum has a hardwood setting and keep the beater bar from hitting the floor to avoid damage.

• Mix together a cleaning solution

1 cup water

¾ cup vinegar

¾ cup rubbing alcohol

2-3 drops dish soap

fine mist spray bottle

Spray the wood floor cleaning solution directly onto the microfiber cloth

• Mop next—go with the wood grain to grab dirt—but remember that water is wood’s nemesis. A light mist of solution will do the job. Use a residue-free cleaner formulated specifically for hardwood floors like Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner.

Monthly

• Mix together a polish

½ cup vinegar

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup water

30 drops of essential oil (lemongrass essential oil or lemon

• Cle

hardwood every two to three months. Spray a little at a time and rub it in with a cloth or a microfiber mop. Best used on floors with a sealant on top. Try a section first before applying on the whole floor.

• Deep clean away a winter’s worth of abuse with a dream dirt-removing duo: Bona Powerplus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner and Bona Powerplus Microfiber Deep Clean Pad

• Use a nourishing protectant like Bona Hardwood Floor Polish. If your floors have a sealant, then that—not the wood itself—is what’s getting the most cleaning attention. A semi-regular polish evens out that protective surface and fills in microscopic scratches.

The Yearly Spring Clean

• Spring time is the prime time for an annual cleaning, mark your calendar in advance for this exciting event

• Renew next – when your protective surface is slightly stained and showing scratches, opt for a professional recoat of finish.

• Refinish your floors if they’re severely damaged, starting to yellow and/or have deep scratches. For something like this, we think it’s best to go with the professionals—trust a trained and tested craftsman to ensure you the most durable and beautiful results.

Even if your hardwood floors need a little tender loving care, the right tools and techniques will make them shine. Bona has a huge selection of cleaners and hardware that are designed to keep your boards looking their best.