What’s the best way to deep clean hardwood floors? According to the deep cleaning professionals in Toronto, deep cleaning must happen every other month or more if you have several residents and pets in the home.
The professionals at Brilho Luxury Cleaning & Services explain their preferred methods for deep cleaning hardwood flooring, so your floors can look great for years to come. Continue reading to learn more about the deep cleaning process and what you need to get started.
Deep Cleaning Benefits Vs. Regular Cleaning
What’s the difference between deep cleaning and standard cleaning? Typically, deep cleaning requires more time to thoroughly cleans the area. Regular cleaning should happen daily or every other day for optimal results.
While regular cleaning removes dirt and grime, deep cleaning ensures your floors remain in peak condition and extends their lifespan. Daily sweeping keeps your home clean, but using the right cleaning solution and methods to rid your home of grime completely ensures a long-lasting, beautiful finish.
Wooden floors last a long time and provide beauty and easy cleaning to your home. However, even the least challenging floors require some upkeep and maintenance. While it is wise to limit how much water touches wood, deep cleaning with some liquid is essential.
Protect your floors and ensure your home stays as clean as possible through planned deep cleaning.
Tool and Cleaning Solution List
To optimally clean your wooden floors, you’ll need some supplies. We’ve listed some standard necessities in the following:
- A broom, dry mop, and vacuum
- A wooden floor-safe cleaning solution
- Warm water
- A wet mop with a microfiber pad
- A putty knife or credit card
- Extra microfiber pads
- A small bowl and toothbrush
These will come in handy during your deep clean, so ensure you prepare before beginning. Some mops come in a two-in-one wet and dry, or you can buy two.
A microfiber mop thoroughly cleans your home of dust and dirt while protecting your floors from excess water and scratches. For a cleaning solution, some prefer to make their own through dish soap, warm water, and vinegar. However, as long as your chosen solution is safe for your floors, anything works.
Preparing for Your Deep Clean
Before diving in, you should take a few steps to make the process easier and more effective. Follow these steps before starting for the best way to deep clean hardwood floors:
- Check your floors: You must see if your hardwood floors have a sealant before you start. They must have a seal to protect them from water damage and ensure they last as long as possible. To check this, drop a drop of water on your floor— if it stays beaded, your floors have a sealant; if it absorbs into the wood, they do not, or the seal is wearing thin.
- Remove all furniture, rugs, and possessions: You’ll make the process more manageable if you completely empty a room of all belongings. Doing so makes the process faster and eliminates the risk of dirtying your floors while they dry.
- Choose the best time: Ideally, no one will walk on your floors while they dry. To inhibit this, choose a time when residents are at work or school and pets are in the yard.
- Turn on ceiling fans: Blowing air will shorten your drying time and protect the clean for as long as possible.
Once you’ve completed these steps, move on to the deep cleaning process.
The Deep Cleaning Process
Deep cleaning is very similar to regular cleaning. Follow these steps for maximum success:
1: Remove Dirt
Remove all dirt, debris, and dust from the floors using a broom, hardwood-safe vacuum, or dry microfiber mop. Doing so will keep you from pushing dirt around the room and prevents scratches or harming the seal.
2: Check the Cracks
Once you’ve removed all loose dirt and debris, inspect the cracks between your wood floors. In older houses, the wooden slats can separate slightly over time. If this is the case, use your putty knife to go in between and remove grime from these hard-to-reach areas.
A small bowl of warm water, vinegar, and a damp cloth or toothbrush also works.
3: Wet Mop
Wet mopping removes buildup and grime on the floors and preserves the seal and varnish your floors should have. Be aware of how much water you leave on your floors; water can damage wood, so use it carefully. Before using the mop, thoroughly wring it to remove excess water.
You’ll go through multiple pads or microfiber cloths for this step. Using a dirty cloth will not clean your floors well and may cause streaks or dried dirt to remain.
4: Air Dry
Allow the floors to dry before replacing the furniture or allowing anyone to step foot in the room. This step shouldn’t take long if you turn on the ceiling fans and use as little water as possible. If necessary or preferred, you can manually dry the floor with a dry microfiber cloth.
Removing Paint and Tough Stains
Removing paint and other tough stains is a bit more challenging than standard deep cleaning, but it is completely doable with elbow grease and the proper tools. To remove paint, consider using rubbing alcohol and a toothbrush or putty knife. Always go with the wood grain, and consider using a hair drier to warm up and soften the paint for easier removal.
For other tough stains, use your warm water and dish soap mixture and spot treat with a damp cloth or toothbrush. Vinegar can help remove residues without damaging the floor but research your floor’s sealant beforehand.
Learn about various deep cleaning products for the best way to deep clean hardwood floors and gain maximum results. If you need help deep cleaning your floors, contact Brilho Luxury Cleaning & Services.
Call our experts at 416-923-3300 or email [email protected] to learn more about our service and schedule an appointment with us today. We guarantee exceptional results.
