How to remove dirt, dust, stains and scratches from your floors
We're here to show you how to deep clean your hardwood floors so they look good as new today and always. We'll walk you through the entire process, from sweeping and mopping to getting rid of scratches and stains and the best ways to keep your hardwood floors clean. Check out our complete guide, below.
Things You Should Know
- Remove everything from the floor, then vacuum or sweep it.
- Use a microfiber mop to mop the floor in an S-shape using water or a pH-neutral hardwood floor cleaner. Dry the floor completely with a microfiber towel.
- Get rid of oil stains with mineral spirits, remove urine with an enzyme clear, and banish scuff marks by rubbing them with a fresh tennis ball.
Steps
Section 1 of 5:
How to Deep Clean Hardwood Floors
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Clear the floor. Remove everything from the area you want to clean, including clutter, rugs, and small pieces of furniture. To make it easier on yourself, plan to clean the floors when everyone else is out of the house. [1] X Research source
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Vacuum and dust the floor. Use a high-quality vacuum without the beater bar running to remove dirt and dust bunnies. Go over the floor again with a dust mop or microfiber cloth —if anything is left after vacuuming it will just be spread around by the mop. [2] X Research source
- As an alternative to a vacuum, sweep the floor with an angled broom .
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Mop your floors in an S-shaped motion. Wet a microfiber mophead with water and wring it out. Mop the floor from the inside corner to the door. To get the floor as clean as possible, swap out the mophead as soon as it gets dirty for a new, clean one.
- If your floor is really dirty, dilute a pH-neutral cleaner like OdoBan with water according to the directions on the bottle.
- Dry off the floor with a microfiber towel as you go to prevent warping and staining.
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Clean the cracks with a putty knife and a toothbrush. Run a putty knife between the floorboards to loosen up dirt, then gently scrub them with a toothbrush. [3] X Research source Wipe up the gunk with a microfiber towel.
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Section 3 of 5:
What Not to Do
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Don’t let moisture soak into the floor. Wood warps when water sits around on it, but it can also warp in high humidity. Wipe up water whenever you spot it (pay special attention to entryways), including after mopping, and keep track of the humidity in your area. If you live somewhere especially wet, consider getting a dehumidifier . [13] X Research source
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Don't use harsh cleaners. Some homebrew cleaning methods recommend using vinegar in water, but that can end up eating away the finish on your floor over time. [14] X Research source For a DIY cleaner, mix .25 cups (59 mL) of castile soap with a bucket of hot water.
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Don't use wood polish on your floors. Commercial wood polishes do the opposite of cleaning your floor: they leave a gunky residue on top of the wood, which seals in the dirt below it. If you want to shine a surface-finished floor, wipe it down with a rag soaked in hot tea.
- Penetrating finished floors get a polished shine when you re-wax them.
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Section 5 of 5:
How to Keep Your Floors Clean
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Lay rugs and mats in high-traffic areas. Put floor runners in hallways and area rugs in play spaces. Using rugs protects your floors from wear and tear as well as scratches and stains.
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Things You’ll Need
- Vacuum or angled broom
- Dust mop
- Microfiber cloth
- Flat mop with extra microfiber mopheads
- pH neutral cleanser, like OdoBan
- Putty knife
Expert Interview
![](https://ca.wikihow.com/images/thumb/d/de/WikiHow-Expert-Interview-Transcript-Expert-Ashley-Matuska-Part-3_sample.png/340px-WikiHow-Expert-Interview-Transcript-Expert-Ashley-Matuska-Part-3_sample.png)
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about cleaning hardwood, check out our in-depth interview with Ashley Matuska .
References
- ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/clean-hardwood-floors
- ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/how-to-clean-hardwood-floors
- ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/clean-hardwood-floors
- ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/remove-stain-wood
- ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/remove-stain-wood
- ↑ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/cleaning/22221192/trisodium-phosphate
- ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/remove-stain-wood
- ↑ https://www.hgtv.com/lifestyle/clean-and-organize/remove-stain-wood
- ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/clean-hardwood-floors
- ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/clean-hardwood-floors
- ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a19631/maintaining-wood-floors/
- ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/wood-floor-scratch-repair/
- ↑ https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/how-to-clean-and-maintain-hardwood-floors
- ↑ https://www.today.com/home/how-clean-hardwood-floors-101-t71716
- ↑ https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/clean-hardwood-floors
- ↑ https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/tips/a19631/maintaining-wood-floors/
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