How to Clean Hard Wood Floors

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

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Gleaming hard wood floors create a warm and inviting environment in your home. Properly cared for, hard wood floors can last a lifetime. Cleaning your wood floors with a traditional mop is a simple way to keep them shining.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Broom or vacuum
Dust mop or disposable cloth mop
Bucket
Oil soap
Mop

Step1

Sweep or vacuum your hard wood floors to remove loose dust and particles that have accumulated. Dirt and tracked-in material can dull the surface of your floors if allowed to remain underfoot.

Step2

Dust the floor with a dust mop or disposable cloth-covered mop. This step is particularly important if you have pets. Pet hair is difficult to remove with a traditional broom.

Step3

Fill a mop bucket with warm water to which you have added a small amount of oil soap. Oil soap smells nice and contains conditioners that help protect the wood.

Step4

Submerge the mop in the bucket and wring out completely. Using too much water on hard wood floors can cause them to warp and buckle. The mop should not be dripping.

Step5

Mop the floor using long strokes. Frequently change the water in the bucket as it becomes dirty. Mopping with dirty water leaves a film on your floors.

Tips & Warnings

Do not wet-mop wood floors that are not sealed. Too much water can be absorbed by the wood and the floors can buckle and warp. Unsealed wood floors should be swept, vacuumed and dry mopped.