How to Clean Your Hardwood Floors so They Look Like New (II)

As we have already discussed in Part #1, keeping your hardwood floors in beautiful condition requires regular cleaning. However, even with regular upkeep, your floors will start to show signs of wear and tear at some time. So, deep cleaning hardwood floors periodically (yearly) is one of the best ways to restore them to their natural finish, stain, and shine without having to remove and replace them with entirely new flooring.

Olde Tyme Floor Company offers a professional, hardwood floor cleaning service that uses special machines that will clean and/or strip your Hardwax oiled flooring and prepare them for re-oiling. Our process eliminates the need to resurface the floors, which hugely reduces the level of disruption and mess, which is caused, particularly in commercial properties where the hardwood flooring spans a vast amount of surface area.

Olde Tyme Floor Company offers several types of maintenance services which will depend on the type of floor, including the amount of foot-traffic it receives Monthly, Quarterly, Bi-annually, and Yearly. Obviously, the floor dynamics will determine the frequency of maintenance. So, it depends on the amount of traffic that the floor receives every day. As commercial floors receive high foot-traffic every day, a deep-cleaning routine is necessary, frequently.

What OTF Can Offer Your Floors Under Our Professional Maintenance Program?

Step 1: Move/Reinstall the Furniture (if required).

When moving furniture for deep-cleaning, we always follow these important steps:

(So, please read these rules, especially if you intend to do this yourself)

1. Gather all the necessary supplies, such as dollies, moving blankets, and straps to secure the furniture.

2. Carefully lift the furniture and place it on a furniture dolly/s.

3. Slowly and carefully carry or use a dolly to move the furniture out of the room (be careful NOT to bump into any walls or other objects while moving).

4. Once the furniture is out of the room, you can begin the deep cleaning process by:
   a) Vacuuming the floors thoroughly.
   b) Use the floor manufacturer’s recommended cleaner.

5. When the cleaning has been completed and the floors are thoroughly dry, carefully reinstall the furniture back into the room. (Please make sure to lift the furniture carefully to place it back in its original location)

If you want to reinstall the furniture in a different location, please follow the same steps as above: be sure to measure the new space and consider the layout of the room BEFORE moving the furniture, so you can make sure the furniture fits and looks good in the new location.

Step 2: Sweep/Vacuum the Floors

As we mentioned above, we use special machinery to clean your hardwood floors.

The machine we use has counter-rotating brushes that penetrate the grain of the wood for deeper cleaning while using minimal amounts of water to protect the floor from damage. Then, a powerful vacuum extracts the moisture / water along with the dirt and grime, leaving behind sparkling-clean floors. For more details about how to properly vacuum-clean your floors, please refer to Part 1 of this article.

Step 3: Clean your Floors with Soap and Warm Water

Soap benefits:

• Designed for the regular cleaning of hard-wax oiled surfaces.

• Removes all the dirt and grease thoroughly, without leaving a film.

• Keeps the “matte”, natural look of the hardwood floor.

• Very concentrated and highly efficient.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to clean your floor with soap and warm water:

1. Fill a bucket with warm water. The water should be warm to the touch, but not hot.

2. Follow the product’s instructions of how much liquid soap should be used in the bucket.  (The amount of soap you need will depend on the size of the bucket and the amount of dirt and grime on your floor)

3. Stir the water and soap with a tool to create suds.

4. Dip your mop or sponge into the bucket, making sure to wring-out all the excess water.

5. Start mopping the floor, working in small sections (3′ wide x 6′ long). Start at the farthest corner of the room, and work your way toward the door.

6. When you’ve finished mopping one section, move on to the next room.

7. Once you’ve cleaned the entire floor, go back over it with a clean, damp mop or sponge to remove any soap residue.

8. Allow the floor to air dry, or wipe it down with a soft, dry towel or mop.

Your floors should now be clean and free of dirt and grime!

Mop floors in sections until they’re fully cleaned. It’s more efficient if you clean floors section-by-section, rather than trying to clean the entire floor at once. This method will help to ensure that you’re thorough and that you don’t miss any areas.

Here are some additional steps you can follow to clean your floor in sections:

• Divide the floor into sections: This will help you keep track of the areas you have already cleaned and make it easier to see if you have missed any spots.

• Start in one corner, using a dust-mop, or, vacuum to remove any loose dirt, or debris from the floor. Be sure to get all the corners and along the edges of the room.

• Once the floor is dust-free, start cleaning with a mop and a recommended floor-cleaning solution. (If you are using a mop, be sure to wring-it-out well so that it’s damp, but not too wet.

• Work your way through each section of the floor, using a back-and-forth motion, ensuring that you are covering the entire area.

• Once you have cleaned all the sections of the floor, allow it to air dry, or wipe it dry with a clean towel.

The Floors MUST DRY COMPLETELY, set-up fans to help reduce the dry time. It is essential that the floors are completely dry before applying the hard wax oil to them, as the oil will not adhere properly to a wet surface.

If the floor is not completely dry, the oil will not penetrate the wood properly and will NOT provide the desired level of protection. Additionally, the oil may not dry properly if the floor is not completely dry, which can lead to various problems, including a sticky or uneven finish.

If you’d like to reduce the drying time of your floor, set-up fans to help circulate the air and promote evaporation. You can also open windows and doors to increase ventilation, so the moisture can escape. However, it is critical to be patient and give the floors enough time to dry thoroughly BEFORE applying the oil.

Step 4: Abrade the Floors With a Red Polishing Pad

Abrading a floor with a red polishing pad can be an effective way to remove dirt, grime, and other debris from the surface of the floor. The red pads are typically soft-grit pads, which means they are effective at removing moderate amounts of dirt and grime without causing damage to the floor.

Here are a few steps you can follow to abrade your floor with a red pad:

1. Attach the red pad to the bottom of a floor scrubber, or buffer machine.

2. Turn on the machine and begin abrading the floor in a back-and-forth motion (With the grain).

3. Move the machine slowly across the entire surface of the floor, overlapping each pass to ensure that you are covering the entire area.

4. Once you have finished abrading the floor, turn off the machine and remove the pad.

Step 5: Vacuum the Floors

Vacuum your floors thoroughly to remove any remaining debris.

Step 6: Buff the Hardwax Oil Directly Onto the Floors With a White Polishing Pad

Oil Benefits:

• Made from natural plant oils.

• Environmentally friendly with absolutely no VOCs.

• Easy to maintain.

• In general, (1) coat is enough.

• Choose colors that will adapt to your floor.

• Very useful for touch-ups in small areas.

Olde Tyme Floor recommends using a polishing pad that is specifically designed to be used with Hardwax Oils on your hardwood floors.

These pads are typically made of a soft, absorbent material that will help to evenly distribute the hardwax oil onto the floor surface.

To apply the Hardwax Oil, attach the buffing pad to the bottom of a buffing machine.

Then, turn on the machine and slowly move it across the floor in a back-and-forth, circular motion, applying a thin, even layer of Hardwax Oil as you go.

(Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for the specific Hardwax Oil product you are using, as the recommended application techniques may vary).

Step 7: Buff-off & Remove the Excess Oil With Soft, Clean Towels

To remove the excess oil from the hardwood floors, use soft, clean towels and follow the following steps:

1. Absorb as much of the excess oil as possible by blotting the affected area with a clean, soft, dry towel (Do not scrub or wipe the oil, as this can spread it further and potentially damage the wood)

2. If the towel becomes saturated with oil, replace it with a fresh, soft, dry towel and continue blotting until no more oil can be absorbed.

3. Once you have absorbed as much oil as possible, you can try using a mild soap solution to remove any remaining oil.

Why Should I Use a Professional Hardwood Floor Maintenance Service From OTF?

Oil treatments give hardwood flooring a stunning finish that shows off the beauty and warmth of the natural wood. Over time, and especially in areas of high traffic, the oil will wear off, leaving the hardwood floors susceptible to damage from dust, pet claws, and liquid spillages that allow it to soak in. Regular, professional cleaning and re-oiling will STOP your hardwood floors from taking the weight of all sustained wear and tear and will keep them shining and scratch-free.

How Much Does Professional Wood Floor Maintenance Cost?

Every hardwood floor differs in the species of the wood, condition, and stain, so Olde Tyme Floor’s Professional Maintenance Service requires bespoke pricing. Please contact us to find out more about our pricing structure.