Cleaning and Maintaining Timber Floors
Experience the cleaning and replenishing qualities of Floor Care and Wax Polish
SHOP NOWLEARN MOREAnyone with a wooden floor knows that the look and feel of real timber beneath your feet is hard to beat. And yet, when it comes to cleaning and maintaining these floors, a lot of people seem unsure what to do. One of the questions we get asked the most is ‘what is the best way to clean timber floors?’
As we’ll explain here, cleaning timber floors is actually a breeze when you know how, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive exercise.
Firstly, let’s deal with what NOT to do.
How NOT to clean timber floors!
- Don’t make the floors too wet – excessive moisture can cause swelling and warping.
- Don’t use harsh cleaning chemicals – some cleaning products contain harsh chemicals that can damage the finish on the floor, or they emit harsh odours that affect those with sensitivities or allergies.
- Don’t use steam cleaners – water and heat on wood is not a good combination. Again, it can cause swelling and warping which is why many flooring manufacturers will void their warranty if a steam mop has been used on the floor.
- Don’t use a vacuum cleaner with a metal head or a rotating brush with harsh bristles – vacuum heads that are good for carpets are not always good for timber floors.
The best way to clean wooden floors
Ideally, when cleaning a wooden floor you want to be make sure that it is also protected from everyday wear and tear. You can easily clean and protect your floors by following these steps:
- Protect your floors with hardwax oil. If your floors are coated with a hardwax oil then you are already one step ahead. Not only do hardwax oils enhance the natural beauty of the timber, they also provide a wax coating that protects floors. If you have a different coating then don’t worry, the next steps still apply.
- Vacuum your floors regularly to lift abrasive sand particles which can often cause scratching. Make sure the head on your vacuum cleaner is suitable for timber floors, i.e. a cleaner head with soft bristles is ideal.
- Use Floor Care. This is a mopping additive designed to both clean and maintain floors. The great advantage of Floor Care is that it contains vegetable oils and carnauba wax which means that when the floor is cleaned, it leaves a thin replenishing, protective layer on the surface, without making the surface slippery.
- The best way to use Floor Care is with a Spray & Glide Mop. With this mop, a little goes a long way and the floor doesn’t get too wet.
For more information and a demonstration on how best to use Floor Care and the Spray & Glide Mop, please watch our YouTube video – “How to Maintain Timber Floors”.
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How to maintain and replenish wooden floors
After some time, it is inevitable that your timber floors will start to look dull and may even get some light scratches (especially if you have pets).
When this happens, the product you need is Wax Polish. Wax Polish revitalizes your timber floor while forming a durable, water repellent and non-slip finish. Wax Polish can also be used to remove fine scratches and is available in two sheen levels: Matte (for surfaces protected with matte Evolution Hardwax Oil) and Regular (for use on all the higher sheen levels).
Everything you need for cleaning and maintaining your timber floors
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10 handy hints to protect timber floors:
- Put felt pads on the feet of all your furniture.
- Use rubber wheels on chairs.
- Pick up furniture, don’t slide it.
- Place doormats at all exterior doors to trap dirt and grit from outdoors.
- Check the soles of your shoes for gravel and grit.
- Use rugs in high traffic areas.
- Make sure rugs are shaken out and vacuumed regularly.
- Don’t wear high heels.
- Wipe up food and spills in good time.
- Never place plants directly on a wooden floor even if they are in a waterproof saucer.
FAQs
The Whittle Waxes Story
Most companies go from A to Z. We went from Z (Zimbabwe) to A (Australia). What an exciting journey it has been - and it's not over yet!
Although Whittle Waxes officially launched in Australia in 2004, our journey (and love affair) with timber started a long time before that. Company founder, Giles Whittle-Herbert, grew up on a farm in Zimbabwe, where he inherited a passion for working with wood that goes back generations. For many years he ran a successful carpentry business in Zimbabwe.
On arrival in Australia in 2004, Giles noticed a big gap in the market for natural and safe hardwax oils. He already had an excellent working relationship with an overseas supplier, so all he needed to do was make the Australian market aware of the many benefits of hardwax oils.
20 years later, Whittle Waxes is proud to be leading the way in the supply of natural, high quality finishes in Australian, with satisfied customers across the board, including home renovators, professional polishers, flooring suppliers, timber companies, architects, and designers.
Our Evolution Hardwax Oil continues to exceed expectations and is now a firm favourite all across the country, particularly with those who appreciate a quality finish that is safe, durable and environmentally friendly. Whittle Waxes has introduced a number of other quality products, including colour stains, exterior oils, Wax Polish and Floor Care for easy floor maintenance.
At Whittle Waxes, we genuinely love to interact with our clients so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch. Thanks for all your support!