Floor care: How to care for solid and engineered wood floors

Are you a pro at floor care? If you’ve taken the plunge and had luxury solid or engineered wood floors put into your home, then it’s only natural to want to keep them in tip top condition. So to help you ensure that your wooden floors last and still look new for many years to come, here’s our guide to essential floor care.

Both solid and engineered wood floors are popular options for contemporary home flooring as they look gorgeous, last well and are very durable. But if you’ve been used to having carpets in your home before, you may well find that your cleaning and floor care routine needs to change to in order to look after wooden floors.

A good quality engineered wood floor looks very much like solid wood, but the way it’s made is different. It’s constructed from several layers of plywood, which are joined together and then finished off on top with a solid wood layer.  Although much of the care for both types of flooring is the same, in the case of engineered wood floors, they can be more solid and durable, so might suffer less from some issues.

Floor care guide: The essential tips

So how best can you care for your floor? Here’s our essential floor cleaning guide.

Dry brushing

You’ll probably find that you notice dust more on wooden floors than on carpets, so might end up cleaning them more often to compensate. But it’s a good idea, as when dirt and grit from people’s shoes is walked into wooden floors, it can scratch the floor. It might not be noticeable initially, but you’ll notice the wear and tear over time.

By regularly including dry brushing into your floor care plan, especially in hallways, areas of frequent footfall and by doorways, you’ll help to keep the floor clean and prevent unwanted damage.

Damp mopping

Water is not a wooden floor’s best friend! Too much contact with water can cause the wood to warp – solid wood is more susceptible than engineered wood. But damp mopping should be part of your weekly floor care cleaning routine.

The secret to successfully damp mopping a wooden floor is to wring out the mop as much as possible. Make sure there’s not any excess water on it. If you do accidentally end up with patches of water on the floor, clean it up quickly with a dry cloth.

Wood cleaning products for floor care

To help bring the shine back into your wooden floor, try adding a specialist wood cleaning product to your damp mopping regime. You probably won’t need to add it on every occasion, but if your floor is beginning to look a bit dull, a specialist product can help rejuvenate the look.

Vacuum cleaning your wood floor

A vacuum cleaner isn’t generally the best option to use on your solid or engineered wood flooring. However if you have a bare floor setting or attachment with your vacuum, then this can be safely used.

Waxing

If your floor does suffer from unexpected bumps, scratches or other damage, then you might want to consider waxing it. Waxing is a good way to help restore the natural beauty of your floor.

Take care not to over-wax it though – on average, it should only need waxing once or twice a year, so this a floor care technique to use in moderation.

6 other ways to take care of your wooden floor

* Put rugs in areas of heavy footfall to help protect the life of your floor.

* Use felt protectors on the feet of furniture, so that it doesn’t scratch or dent the floor.

* If you move furniture placed on wooden floors, always pick it up to move it – don’t try and drag it across the floor as this could result in unwanted scratches on the floor.

* If there are any accidental spills on your floor, always wipe them up immediately.

* Avoid using a steam mop on your wooden floor, as the steam can damage the surface of the wood.

* If you’re concerned about moisture affecting your floor, use a dehumidifier to reduce the amount of moisture in the room and improve ventilation.

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(Disclosure: collaborative post)

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