HOW TO CLEAN HARDWOOD FLOORS 

Learn how to clean hardwood floors with smart methods that make caring for your flooring even easier. Maintain a clean, polished look with these tips for choosing the best wood floor cleaner, removing stains, and more.

The best way to clean hardwood floors

Floors take a lot of wear, including daily traffic and inevitable spills, scuffs, or mishaps. The best way to clean hardwood floors starts with smart preventive measures, which not only help protect floors but also cut down on the time you spend cleaning. To lessen tracked-in dirt, place floor mats both outside and inside exterior doors. In snowy or rainy weather, set up a boot removal area to avoid damaging floors with tracked-in water and de-icing agents. Along with a spot to sit down and a place to store shoes, keep a cleaning cloth or small towel tucked away next to the door to quickly clean up errant puddles on wood floors.

Prevent marks on hardwood floors

Even when the forecast doesn’t call for precipitation, it’s smart to remove shoes when coming indoors to avoid tracking dirt, grime, and germs all over the house. Especially with hardwood floors, scratch-causing heels and cleats should be left at the door. Prevent marks on hardwood floors by using floor protectors under furniture and adding area rugs in play areas to ensure children’s toys don’t scratch the floor. In addition to these daily best practices, follow our tips for cleaning wood floors to keep your home’s flooring in top shape.

HOW TO CLEAN HARDWOOD FLOORS DURING YOUR REGULAR CLEANING ROUTINE

A regular once-over with a broom or dust mop will do wonders for cleaning hardwood floors. How often you have to do this chore depends on the traffic your hardwood floors receive. For a quick clean, dust wood floors with a mop that has been treated with a dusting agent to pick up dust, dirt, and pet hair that might scratch the floor surface. Options for the best mop for hardwood floors include those with a microfiber head. This material is designed to trap dust and grime. Follow the mop manufacturer’s recommendations for using wood floor polish or dusting sprays; some mops won’t require an extra cleaning agent.

When considering how to clean hardwood floors, don’t overlook vacuuming. For weekly or biweekly cleaning, vacuum with a floor-brush attachment. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar attachment, which can scratch a wood floor’s finish. For quick dusting, use disposable electrostatic cloths ($8.99, Target).