How to Clean Hardwood Floors Without Damaging Them

Step by step

1. 1

   Dry dust the floor first

   Run a soft microfiber dust mop over the whole floor. The National Wood Flooring Association suggests doing this daily, because tracked-in grit is what scratches.

   What it looks like: a gray line of dust and crumbs on the mop pad, and no gritty feeling under your socks.

2. 2

   Vacuum once a week on the bare-floor setting

   Once a week, or as needed, vacuum with the bare-floor setting turned on. Get along the walls and under the edges of rugs, where dirt hides.

3. 3

   Wipe spills right away

   When something spills, wipe it up right then with a dry cloth or one that is just slightly damp. Do not let a puddle sit on the boards or soak into the seams.

1. 4

   Once a month, start with a clean pad and a clean floor

   Dust mop or vacuum first, so you are not pushing grit around. Put a freshly washed microfiber pad on your flat mop.

2. 5

   Mist one small section at a time

   Spray a fine mist of your wood floor cleaner on one small section. Bona says to clean in sections with a fine spray, so the floor should look barely damp, never wet, with no puddles.

   What it looks like: a fine haze of tiny droplets, never a puddle.

3. 6

   Mop the section, then move on

   Mop the misted section, then mist and mop the next one. When the pad starts to look dirty, swap in a clean one or rinse and wring it out well, as Bona advises, before you keep going.

   What it looks like when it worked: an even shine with no streaks, and no dull patches where the mop went.

4. 7

   Put felt under the furniture

   Stick felt pads on the bottom of chair, table and sofa legs. Lay a throw rug at each outside door so less grit gets tracked in.

When it will not work, and what to do instead

Sometimes the floor still looks wrong after a careful clean. Here is what that usually means.

• Streaks after you mop. Bona says streaks come from cleaner left on the floor mixed with dirt that was already there, or from spray drifting over from other cleaners. Dust first, use less cleaner, and switch to a clean pad more often.
• You have been using vinegar and water. Plenty of people do, and it does seem to cut dirt. The trouble is that vinegar is an acid, and Bona says it breaks down the finish and dulls the shine over time. Switch to a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner.
• Waxed or oiled floors. Cleaners made for polyurethane are not for these floors. Use the products the floor’s maker or installer names.

Why it works

Your floor is protected by a thin, clear coat on top of the wood. That finish takes the wear so the wood does not have to, the same way a screen protector takes the scratches instead of your phone.

Grit tracked in on shoes scratches like sandpaper, so dry dusting does the most good. Water is the other danger, because Bona says too much of it can cause swelling and discoloration. Vinegar is an acid, and over time it breaks the finish down and leaves it dull.

So the whole routine is about keeping that clear coat happy. Keep it free of grit, give it only a light mist, and use a cleaner that matches it.

Maybe you just moved into a place with real wood floors, or you finally pulled up old carpet and found them waiting. You want to treat them right, and every bottle in the aisle says something different.