You’re probably wondering if mopping wood floors is bad or can do it without any hesitation.
Floors are such a surface on our house that has to go through the most turbulence. Specks of dust from outside spilled food, oil, grease, and much other trash all fall on the floor. That is why it is necessary to keep the floor clean and ensure to clean it religiously.
If you have a wooden floor, then the concern of you might be a bit more than the people who have tile floors or floors of ordinary brick and cement floors.
Many of you wonder and ask if you can mop a wood floor or not!
The wood floors can be cleaned by mopping. Sometimes the floors need more than just brooming. Depending on the amount of dirt and need for cleaning, you can certainly mop your wood floor by using various cleaning agents.
In the following article, I will be talking about types of wood floors and ways to mop and clean your wood floor, and why it is good to mop your wooden floor.
Is It Needed To Clean The Wooden Floor?
We tend to clean everything around us not only out of habit but also due to the need. Likewise, on wooden floors, it is necessary to mop it once in a while.
Only brooming or cleaning with dry clothes can’t make the floors clean or disinfected enough. That is why it is instructed to mop wood floors from time to time.
The positive sides of cleaning wood floors are given below:
- It helps to keep your impression good.
Whenever any guest comes to your house, the first thing they notice is your cleanliness. That is why it is essential to mop your wooden floor to get that extra clean effect.
- Clean floors not only look nice, but they also increase the safety of everybody who comes into your home. Dirt, muck, and grease can constitute a slipping danger if the floors are not adequately kept.
- Disinfecting your floor is really important. The traffic density of the furniture creates a home for dirt and germs. That is why it is necessary to clean the house as well as disinfect it by mopping wood floors.
- No one wants to stay in a dirty place.
Only brooming the wooden floor will not clean all sorts of dirt. Especially the sticky dirt that is hard to get rid of. That is why it is needed to mop the floor from time to time.
I have discussed why mopping wood floors is important. Now I will discuss some relevant queries related to mopping wood floors below-
Is Vinegar Good For Mopping Wood Floors?
You can mop your wooden floor using vinegar, but you need to be very cautious about it.
Vinegar is a non-toxic natural cleanser that helps to clean your wood floor harmlessly and also helps to disinfect the floor. For mopping wood floors using vinegar, you need to follow the steps below:
1. Dilute The Vinegar Solution:
Take a gallon of water and mix it with half a cup of white vinegar. Make sure to use white vinegar as this is the mildest one available. Also, use warm water to dilute the vinegar.
2. Dip A Clean Mop Into The Solution:
Then take a dry mop and dip it into the vinegar solution. Make sure you are using a clean mop. Always clean your mop after using it, so the next time you are using it, you will get a clean mop to begin with.
3. Wring The Mop To Damp-Dry:
Make sure to wring the mop till it’s damp. Never is a complete wet mop on a wooden surface.
4. Mop In The Direction Of The Floorboards:
Now start mopping the floor in the direction of the floorboards. So that if the water dries out and leaves streaks, it wouldn’t be much visible with bare eyes.
5. Make Sure To Dry The Floor After Cleaning:
Let the surface air-dry itself or dry it off using a towel if the floor is excessively wet. You can dry your hardwood floor with a soft, clean towel or let it air dry after mopping it.
Although a bit of water won’t affect most surfaces, leaving a lot of water on wood items is never wise.
Is Bleach Good For Your Wood Floors To Mop With?
Generally, bleach can be harmful to your wooden floor as it can penetrate through the wood fibers and damage your floor. But a diluted solution can be used once in a while to clean the floors thoroughly.
Cleaning your hardwood floors with a tiny amount of bleach that has been properly diluted with adequate amounts of water is an excellent and safe alternative. Nevertheless, how you utilize it makes a difference. Bleach is only safe to use if it is used adequately and the mixture is mixed appropriately.
For mopping wood floors with bleach, the following steps are needed to be followed:
1. Collecting All The Necessary Items:
For mopping wood floors with bleach, you will need many things such as
one or two gallons of water depending on the size of your floor,
- Bucket,
- Broom,
- Gloves,
- Towels or mops etc.
2. Prepare Your Floor To Mop With Bleach:
To mop your floor with bleach, you will first need to prepare it by dusting it off.
To clean your floor with bleach, first, clean off the dry specks of dust with a broom. Dry dust can make a mess while cleaning with a bleach solution which is wet, so it needs to be cleaned off beforehand.
To get rid of any scratchy materials is a vital step.
3. Making A Diluted Solution:
First, you need to pour 1 gallon of water into a mixing bowl slowly, then add half a cup of bleach. In a bucket, slowly add the fluid till the bleach is totally diluted.
You need to wear a pair of gloves to protect your hands. Because the goal is to cleanse your floorboards without damaging them, the amount of bleach you use will vary according to the type of wooden floor you have.
4. Use A Spray Bottle:
You may spray your mop with the bleach solution for mopping wood floors and making it a bit damp.
You should never use a thoroughly wet mop on a wooden floor. You need to make sure to wring it completely to avoid any bleach water contacting your wooden floor directly. It may lead to damaging the floor or cause discoloration.
That is why it is best to use a spray bottle and spray the mop with the solution to make it damp-dry.
5. Finish Your Cleaning Process By Rinsing The Floor:
To neutralize the water bleach from your mop, thoroughly rinse it in fresh water.
Ensure to squeeze your mop or ragout entirely until it becomes dry. This step can be completed with a separate and different mop. Otherwise, residue from the solution can remain in the mop, which might be harmful to the floor.
What are the Dos and Don’ts Of Mopping Wood Floors?
As we have said earlier, mopping wood floors is good. There are certain things that you need to keep in your mind before mopping a wood floor and some things that you need to avoid.
The dos and don’ts of mopping wood floors are as mentioned below-
The Dos:
- Make sure you’re using the right solution proportion for your wooden floor. Bleach or vinegar should not be used in excess on a wooden floor. This may result in great damage to the floor.
- Try following the cleaning method instructed by the floor manufacturer.
If your floor manufacturer has recommended a cleaning method, don’t try to go overboard just follow as he suggested.
- Try wearing a mask while mopping wood floors as the fumes or dust can harm you.
- Gloves can save you from many things. From getting your hands dirty to harming them from bleach, it can save you from everything. That is why I try wearing gloves while cleaning floors.
The Don’ts
- To avoid any damage, don’t spatter water on your hardwood floors or flood water on them. This will weaken the fibers of the wooden floor, and water will penetrate through them.
- On your hardwood flooring, you should not use undiluted bleach. To guarantee that your bleach does not destroy your hardwood flooring, you need to dilute or neutralize it first.
- Never sweep your wooden floor with a wet mop. It’s best if your mop is almost dry or slightly damp. This precaution is necessary to keep moisture and water from penetrating through your floors. It’s possible that moisture will seep into the boards.
Types Of Wood Floors Depending On The Floor’s Finish
There are basically two types of floors depending on the floor’s finish.
1. Surface Finishing:
This type of finishing is such a kind of fishing where the floor is protected with a layer on top of it.
In the surface finishing type of floors, the floors are not penetrable. They are protected with a water-resistant layer. Water or liquid components usually stay only on the top layer of the floor.
That is why it is entirely okay to clean such surfaces with any liquid or water-based cleaning agent.
2. Penetrating Finishing:
These are the kind of floors that are usually layered with wax on top.
These floors are coated with wax-like substances, so they are penetrable. They have no water-protected layer on top of them. Water or water-based cleansers easily penetrate through them, damaging the floor.
This is why it is prohibited to use such kinds of cleansers to mop wood floors to avoid damaging the floors.
Final Verdict:
From the article, we get to see that mopping your wooden floor is not bad. In fact, mopping is at times necessary for your floors for numerous reasons.
