Hickory floor sneak peek (plus hardwood cleaning tips)
We have officially finished installing solid hickory hardwood flooring on our main floor. I still have to repair some wall dings and install baseboard molding throughout, but getting the flooring part done feels great!
As soon as the last board went in, I started searching for products to clean my brand spankin’ new floors. If you’ve been following this blog for awhile, you know I’m a bit of a cleaning product/tool junkie. I could literally spend 45 minutes browsing the supermarket’s cleaner aisle. (I never claimed to be normal, people.)
Over the past few years, I’ve used a Swiffer® SweeperVac to get most of the dust and debris off my hard floors before mopping them. It seems to work pretty well, although I’ve had to replace the machine several time. (Apparently, it’s not built for longevity.) Since I already had a Swiffer machine on hand, the first thing I tried on the new hardwood floors was a Swiffer wet cloth. However, I didn’t like that the wet cloth got used up and dried out before I was done with all the rooms. And I’m not crazy about the idea of using two wet cloths every time I clean my floors. Also, it might just be my “new wood floor paranoia” but I thought they left a smidgen of film behind on the floors.
Next, I tried my Oreck® Grab-It & Steam-It®. I really believe this machine does a great job of cleaning hard floors. But it takes a bit longer to get the job done (you need to go slow so the steam action can work). So I prefer to reserve this tool for when I have time to do a really good deep cleaning.
As far as a go-to tool for my everyday hardwood cleaning needs, my new favorite is the Bona® Hardwood Floor Mop.
I’m digging this mop for a few reasons:
1. I don’t have to buy cloth refills. (It comes with a washable, microfiber cleaning pad.)
2. I don’t have to plug it in or buy batteries for it.
3. It has a wider mop head so I can cover more ground faster.
4. It’s made specifically for hardwood, so no residue or damage.
5. It has a built-in sprayer activated by squeezing the handle, so I can control the juice. (It comes with a refillable cleaning cartridge.)
So right now my hardwood floor regimen consists of using my SweeperVac to catch the dry debris/dust and then using the Bona® Hardwood Floor Mop to clean the floors.
Here are a few additional tips I’ve found for maintaining hardwood floors:
- Lay down mats both outside and inside your exterior doors to lessen tracked-in dirt. Consider including a shoe removal area to avoid damage from water, de-icers, etc.
- Prevent marks by using floor protectors under furniture and rugs in children’s play areas.
- Save money when using disposable electrostatic cloths by using both sides before tossing them.
- Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar attachment, which can scratch a wood floor’s finish. Instead, vacuum floors with a floor-brush attachment on a vacuum cleaner or an electric broom.
- Prevent standing water. Hardwood floors should be damp-mopped only, using a cleaner that’s safe for wood floors.
Do you have any tips to share for how you clean your hardwood floors?
Disclosure: At my request, I received a Bona® Hardwood Floor Mop to review on this blog. As always, all text and opinions are 100 percent mine.
Do you know if the Bona Floor Mop can be used on Pergo floors? Every time I mop a film is left behind and it’s too hard for me to clean the floor on my hands and knees.
Thank you.
Sure, Leslie. I checked their website and here is what they say about using the Bono Floor Mop on laminate floors: “Bona Wood Floor Cleaner can be used on laminate flooring. Although the wood cleaner is gentle enough, we always recommend using a cleaner that is specifically designed for the surface that needs to be cleaned. Bona Tile & Laminate Floor Cleaner is specifically designed for stone, tile and laminate surfaces.”
Great review.
It looks beautiful, Susan! I love the varigated look to this pattern of hardwood! Nice!
thank you for the info about the cleaning of hardwood floors. my husband and i are planning on putting in hardwood floors in our living and dinning room area in the near future.
Good luck with your project, Anita! It is hard work … tedious and time-consuming. But it is truly worth it when it is all said and done.
Bravo!! it looks great …so inspiring saving this one for sure. 🙂
Thanks so much, Isabel!
I have Pergo flooring, which is a laminate. Is it ok to use the Bono floor mop on it?
Bona Wood Floor Cleaner can be used on laminate flooring. Although the wood cleaner is gentle enough, they always recommend using a cleaner that is specifically designed for the surface that needs to be cleaned. Bona Tile & Laminate Floor Cleaner is specifically designed for stone, tile and laminate surfaces.
I love, love, love your floor, it is just gorgeous, and what I like about the color is it didn’t darken your house. Really good job.
Thanks so much, Patricia.
Are you sure about using steam on hardwood floors? I’ve read opposing opinions on that. It just goes counter-intuition for me. :-S Just my 2 cents….
Thanks for the feedback, Katya. According to the Oreck website, the Grab It and Steam It is safe on sealed hardwood floors. But I’ll definitely keep a close eye on it when I decide to use it for any deep cleaning. Again, it’s not my everyday go-to tool; I probably only use it a few times a year. Thanks again for stopping by.
Interesting the steam mop recommends the use for SEALED hardwood floors only. I think it is unwise to EVER apply steam to a prefinished wood floor as the joints between the boards will absorb the moisture. I believe it will damage the edges of the “pre” finish
Good point. 😉
Help with my hickory hand-scrapped floors. It has many knots which I thought would look good…but these knot areas are very,very rough and snag and rip any fabric cleaning tool. Have you come across this situation? Been thinking about having entire floor sealed! Help!
This has not been my experience, because we chose a natural finish rather than a “cabin-grade” or rustic finish. This means all the deep knots and imperfections in the hickory were kept out of the pieces we got. Plus, the floors were pre-finished with several clear coats. I think a couple coats of a good sealer would do wonders for your rough spots. Varathane has a product called Triple Thick polyurethane. It isn’t actually rated for floors, but it’s so thick I think it would do a great job of building up a thick finish that should take care of those rough spots. Just a suggestion … Good luck with your floors. 🙂
Beautiful floor. I just love natural hickory. It reminds me of when I was a little kid in my parents house.
Hey Susan, I need your wood wisdom for help.
Im becoming far too OCD over my hickory floors. We just moved across the country from CA to AR a few weeks ago, and bought a lovely home, with the most gorgeous wood floors.
Ive been a huge Bona fan for over a decade when i lived in CA with my porcelin and wood floors.
Ive tried Bona, wood floor cleaner, deep wood floor cleaner, wood polish, to the point I’m now simply using a hot damp mop… and the still look cloudy and foot-printy.
I have mats inside and outside every door and have hosed out the garage thinking it was dust from there we were draging in.
…and still
I spent far too much time a week trying to fix.
~t
Have you tried vineger and water?
That is what I used on our oak floors in our previous house and they looked beautiful.