Hardwood floors can be a different beast to other types of flooring and keeping them clean requires more deliberations than you might have first thought.
Rotating pads are designed to clean up grime and debris while also polishing, which sounds great and produced the desired results first time around. However, over time, an accumulation of rubbing and scrubbing through the use of these tools will likely damage your wooden floors beyond repair.
In short, yes, you can use floor scrubbers for hardwood floors, but there are a few things to look out for first!
What To Look For In A Hardwood Floor Scrubber?
Softer is better in the world of hardwood flooring. We want to use a scrubber with softer brushes or pads to prevent surface scratches or removing its finish. These softer materials also help polish up the wood too!
Cleaners that can clean with minimal water or suck up excess water is the way forward. Water damage is often referred to as cupping, it happens when excess moisture seeps through the unfinished underside of the boards causing it to expand more than the top. Using minimal water while still being able to clean and polish is the perfect combination… these are the type of hardwood machines to look out for!
Other Factors To Consider
Finding the right scrubber machine for your wooden floors is half the battle, and a battle well worth your time.
There are other factors to consider in order to maintain your floors without promoting further damage.
Sweep or Vacuum Your Floor First
Before using your machine, it is vital to sweep or vacuum any dust or debris from the floor. These particles will only be driven into the wood during cleaning (even with soft brushes) and promote scratches.
Regular Mopping
There will also be areas more heavily used over others. These areas should be swept and mopped more often to keep any debris, grime or dust from causing damage.
However, when mopping, wring out excess water from the mop. We don’t want the mop to be sopping wet. If you see too much water on the floor after mopping, make sure you dry it up with a towel right away, before letting it seep through and cause damage.
The more maintenance of your floors, the less you’ll need to rely on your floor scrubbers, and the less potential damage to your lovely wood.
Applying Fresh Coat of Finish
This is the most time consuming part of having wooden floors. But, you’re in luck, this can be done once every three to five years.
The layer of finish protects the wood and gives is a nice shine or polish.
Final Thoughts
There’s no tips and tricks here. Having wooden floor involves work. If you want your home to benefit from this beautiful finish, then it must be maintained.
Such flooring is not for everyone, and it does need to be worked on to keep it scratch-free and polished.
A wooden floor scrubber for your home does not have to be expensive though. You can source one no bigger than a vacuum cleaner for under $200 which can be stored away until the time is right to revitalize the wood!