Hardwood floors enhance the look of your interior and add a bit of warmth to your house. And unlike floor coverings, linoleum, or tile patterns, they don’t struggle with being out-of-date. But nobody will be dazzled by faded, cloudy wood floors.

Most homeowners keep their wooden floors safe by placing a rug over them, which does more harm than good. So how do you clean hardwood and get them nice and shiny again?

How To Properly Clean Wood Floors?

Dirt and dust are the worst enemies of your wooden floors. That’s why cleaning it should be executed with great care. Cleaners with harsh chemicals can strip wood floors, leaving them dry and brittle. Avoid soap because it leaves a residue, making your floor dull. You can create homemade wood floor polish with a few natural ingredients to restore your floor’s natural shine.

Vacuum The Floor

Remove all rugs on the floor. Vacuum your floor thoroughly, then use a soft broom or dust mop to sweep up to get all the dirt around furniture legs that the vacuum can’t reach. Sweep your floor daily, so dust and grime don’t build up and cause scratches, deteriorating the floor’s finish.

Mopping

With a microfiber or sponge mop and warm water, mop the floor following the wood grain direction to prevent streaks. Avoid over-wetting your mop. Adding a few drops of dish soap won’t harm your flooring. But remember that the dish soap mustn’t contain any wax or oils.

Rinse the floor with clean water. Dry it once you are done mopping to remove any leftover moisture.

Make Your Own Wood Polisher

Olive Oil, White Vinegar, & Water – This is the best natural cleaner for laminate and wood flooring. Combine a quarter cup (1/4) of olive oil with one-third of a cup (1/3) white vinegar and five cups of hot water. Add a few teaspoons of lemon juice (or lemon essential oil) to add a citrus scent.

Vinegar is a natural polish that will help eliminate debris and grime. And olive oil is the key ingredient to making your floors shine and look rich.

Vegetable Oil & Vinegar – Mix equal measures of white vinegar and vegetable oil to produce a simple yet compelling cleaner for your entire floor.

The vegetable oil preserves your floor’s finish and allows it to maintain its shine.

Black Tea – Brew 5-6 tea bags for 15 to 20 minutes and pour the tea into a spray bottle.

The acidic level in black tea can get the dirt out of the grooves of the hardwood floor.

Apply The Homemade Polisher

You can apply any ingredients or mixtures discussed above to polish your wood floor naturally. Once your polish is mixed, lightly spray it on your flooring and use a dry microfiber mop head to smear it in.

Start from the corner and work in sections to best control the amount of polish you’ve applied. Apply only gentle pressure. Thin layers will dry faster than thick ones, and you can lay another coat if necessary.

No Rinsing Needed

After you apply the polish, your floors will look naturally shiny. To eliminate the excess moisture, you can buff dry the floor surface with a microfiber mop.

Shine Your Hardwood Floor With A Commercial Polishing Product

You can also purchase a commercial wood floor polish; choose one with a spray applicator.

Begin at the back edge of the room and pour a small amount of the solution on the floor. With a flat-surface mop, spread it in the same direction as the grain. Use long, even strokes and work towards the opposite wall. Mop in a back-and-forth motion to eliminate all air bubbles before proceeding to the next section.

Allow the polish to dry before you return furniture to its spot and allow foot traffic on the floors. Apply a second coat if needed.

Make Your Hardwood Floors Shine Again

Shiny floors completely transform the look of your home as it brightens the entire room. Even in smaller, darker rooms, it gives a feeling of bigger space and light. The method above will help you keep your floor glossy and free from chemical remains in commercial products.

Supreme Flooring has got your back with hardwood flooring options for a reasonable price. Now that you know how to keep your hardwood floors shining, it’s time to invest in a hardwood floor that matches your home.

Check our hardwood flooring options, and if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.