- Remove everything from the floor, then vacuum or sweep it.
- Use a microfiber mop to mop the floor in an S-shape using water or a pH-neutral hardwood floor cleaner. Dry the floor completely with a microfiber towel.
- Get rid of oil stains with mineral spirits, remove urine with an enzyme clear, and banish scuff marks by rubbing them with a fresh tennis ball.
How to Deep Clean Hardwood Floors
Clear the floor. Remove everything from the area you want to clean, including clutter, rugs, and small pieces of furniture. To make it easier on yourself, plan to clean the floors when everyone else is out of the house.
Vacuum and dust the floor. Use a high-quality vacuum without the beater bar running to remove dirt and dust bunnies. Go over the floor again with a dust mop or microfiber cloth—if anything is left after vacuuming it will just be spread around by the mop. As an alternative to a vacuum, sweep the floor with an angled broom.
Mop your floors in an S-shaped motion. Wet a microfiber mophead with water and wring it out. Mop the floor from the inside corner to the door. To get the floor as clean as possible, swap out the mophead as soon as it gets dirty for a new, clean one. If your floor is really dirty, dilute a pH-neutral cleaner like OdoBan with water according to the directions on the bottle. Dry off the floor with a microfiber towel as you go to prevent warping and staining.
Clean the cracks with a putty knife and a toothbrush. Run a putty knife between the floorboards to loosen up dirt, then gently scrub them with a toothbrush. Wipe up the gunk with a microfiber towel.
How to Remove Stains
Dirt stains Every step of a shoe on a hardwood floor tracks in a little bit of dirt. If mopping doesn’t clean everything up, scrub the stain with soapy water and a scrub brush. Dry the area off when you’re finished.
Oil stains For light stains, rub a little bit of mineral spirits into the area, then wipe it down with a wet cloth (remember to dry it afterward!) For more stubborn stains, mix a teaspoon (12.45 grams) of trisodium phosphate into 1 US quart (950 mL) of water. Dip a cloth in the mixture and wipe the stain in one direction to remove it. Always wear long sleeves, gloves, and safety goggles when working with trisodium phosphate.
Water stains If you have light-colored water stains, rub them with mineral oil until they’re gone. If your light stain doesn’t come out after the mineral oil treatment, use a small amount of mineral spirits to break down the finish of the wood (where the stain lives), then refinish it with a varnish or wax. Unfortunately, dark stains are from water that actually has sunk into the wood, so the only way to remove them is by sanding down the floor until the stain is gone, then refinishing it.
Urine You love your pet, but they can be tough on your floors. The most important part of cleaning pet stains is to get rid of the smell, so use an enzyme cleaner or hydrogen peroxide to scrub the area until the stain (and smell) goes away.
Paint Mix a few drops of dish soap into 16 fluid ounces (470 mL) of hot water. Wet a rag and wring it out before scrubbing the stain. As little bits come up, wipe them away with a dry rag. Or, make a solution of 3 parts rubbing alcohol to 1 part lemon juice. Dip a paper towel into the mixture and squeeze it out. Lay the paper towel over the paint for 5 minutes, then gently scrape up the paint with a putty knife or credit card.
Scuff marks If you’re wearing shoes in the house, chances are you’ve got some scuff marks. The easiest way to remove them is to buff them out with a new tennis ball. More serious stains require a bit more abrasion—sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge and rub the scuff until it comes out.
Scratches As scary as a gouge in the floor may seem, they’re pretty easy to get rid of. Rub a raw walnut or a stain marker on small scratches to camouflage them, or lightly sand a deeper scratch before rubbing a wax stick on it.
What Not to Do
Don’t let moisture soak into the floor. Wood warps when water sits around on it, but it can also warp in high humidity. Wipe up water whenever you spot it (pay special attention to entryways), including after mopping, and keep track of the humidity in your area. If you live somewhere especially wet, consider getting a dehumidifier.
Don't use harsh cleaners. Some homebrew cleaning methods recommend using vinegar in water, but that can end up eating away the finish on your floor over time. For a DIY cleaner, mix .25 cups (59 mL) of castile soap with a bucket of hot water.
Don't use wood polish on your floors. Commercial wood polishes do the opposite of cleaning your floor: they leave a gunky residue on top of the wood, which seals in the dirt below it. If you want to shine a surface-finished floor, wipe it down with a rag soaked in hot tea. Penetrating finished floors get a polished shine when you re-wax them.
How Often to Clean
Sweep daily and mop monthly. Sweeping and spot-cleaning your floors prevents scratches and stickiness. Sweep your floor every 1-2 days and wipe up anything immediately after you spill it. Do a thorough mopping once a month.
How to Keep Your Floors Clean
Enforce a “no shoes” policy in your home. Dedicate an area by your door as the end of the “shoe zone” with a shoe rack and doormat. Shoes track in dirt and germs as well as things like pebbles that can scratch your hardwood.
Lay rugs and mats in high-traffic areas. Put floor runners in hallways and area rugs in play spaces. Using rugs protects your floors from wear and tear as well as scratches and stains.
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