Wood Floor Cleaning | Wood Floor Refreshing
Floor Cleaning Dublin is your local, professional wood floor cleaning and wood floor polishing company. We deal with all types of wood deep cleaning projects, wood floor degreasing, wood sealing, wood refreshing & wood polishing services. We will assess your wood floor and we will recommend the most appropriate sealer/refresher. Floor Cleaning Dublin specializes in residential wood floor cleaning, commercial wood floor cleaning & industrial wood floor cleaning services. The first step is to book us in and have your floor assessed. Then we can take it from there. So what can be done to restore and refresh your wooden floors?
While most people know what type of floor they have, some don’t. Some people move into a turn-key property and have no information about what type of wood floors they have or if the floor is even real wood. Many people have attempted to clean or even sand laminate floors or amtico floors being 100% sure that it is real wood. Most wood floors in Ireland are pine, red deal, oak, maple, beechwood or walnut. There are many other types of floors but these ones are the most popular. There is no magic cleaning product or sealer that will work well on all of them.
Varnished Floors – Most old wooden floors are sealed with a varnish. Because all old sealers were oil or solvent based, it is very likely that the finish is a very dark yellow. That is not the color of the floor but it is the color of the sealer. Most varnished floors look glazed and can have a matt finish, semi gloss finish or a high gloss finish. Varnished floors are very durable and very easy to clean and maintain. The new water based floor lacquers look more natural, are much more cost effective and are incredibly durable. Some water based floor lacquers are single pack while others are two pack. The main difference between single pack and two pack floor lacquers is the fact that the two pack floor lacquers can be used as top coats over stained floors.
Oiled Floors – The oiled floors are gaining terrain big time. In a world where people are looking for 100% eco sealers and natural looking finishes, an oil sealer makes a lot of sense. An oiled floor is likely to look unfinished, non glazed and you should be able to feel the fiber of the wood when you touch it. You can have your floors sealed with a clear or a colored floor oil, you can use a floor oil or a hard wax oil or you can use floor oils with special hardeners to make it more durable and more chemical resistant.
Of course, there are a number of other sealers but oils and varnishes are the most popular and more widely available.
Wood Floor Cleaning | Wood Floor Refreshing | Issues
Contrary to what some people think, wood floors are very practical and very durable. The issue is usually the maintenance or lack of maintenance. Wood floors need proper care and maintenance to look great and have longevity. If you do not respect the regular maintenance and the care required your floor will appear dull and damaged. Both types of finishes, varnishes and oils, require regular cleaning and regular maintenance. Some people successfully maintain the natural beauty of their wooden floors, others cause permanent damage within a few weeks of the floor being installed. So what is going on?
In our experience we have discovered that the biggest issue with wooden floors is the owner not knowing how to properly look after it. Not doing the homework required to find out more information about their wood floor sealer and also using the wrong cleaning products.
Water Damage – The main issue that affects wood floors is water. Too much water. While washing wooden floors with water is not a bad thing, using too much water or not drying the floor fast can cause permanent damage. There are special wood floor cleaning products compatible with oiled and varnished finishes that can be diluted in water and used to wash the floor. The mop head has to be semi-wet not soaked. But, some people don’t pay attention to this detail and then they end up with water damage on their floors. The sealant on your wooden floor is likely to scratch over time and there is little you can do about it. Small cracks, nearly invisible, will expose the bare wood under the sealer. If a lot of water is used on those particular areas, the wood will absorb it and over time black lines and black dots will appear all over the floor. This is the water damaging the wood under the sealer. When that happens, the wood is damaged and the dots are there to stay. The only way to remove it is by sanding it. Another potential damage that can be caused by the overuse of water is the joints expanding. When the mop is very wet, some of the water will leak between the joints of the wood and it will make the wood expand. While wet, the wood will expand and when it dries, it retracts. By doing so, it creates movement on the floors and over time, the floors will start making squeaky noises when walking on it. Doors won’t close properly and small bellies will start appearing on the floor. Now is a bit too late for a quick repair. The floor is seriously damaged.
Wrong Chemicals – While the sealers have greatly improved over the years, they are not even close to the durability that used to be provided by the old solvent based lacquers. But, with the proper care, a new wooden floor, oiled or varnished, can have up to 10 years of protection. Pretty much all brands of wood sealers and finishes will have a maintainer, a refresher & a heavy duty wood floor cleaner that was designed to clean fast and not affect the finish in any negative way. Even wood care products from Bona can be used on Carver or Tover finishes without any problems. But they have to be “wood floor cleaners”. What most people do is to use one mop head and one universal floor cleaner for all their floors. Then the trouble starts. First of all, all universal tile cleaners are slightly acidic and have a high PH. The acidity that can help clean a lino floor or a tile floor fast, can permanently damage a wooden floor. The floor will dullen and the sealer will fail in its job. Another main issue with universal floor cleaning products is the residue that is left behind. The wooden floors will become sticky and patchy looking. This is a very common problem in Ireland. New floors become dull and aged alot faster than they should because of incorrect maintenance. Bleach based chemicals are also great at dulling up wooden floors and transforming a beautiful natural looking hardwood floor into a patchy and discolored floor.
Wrong Cleaning System – there are a number of large electrical manufacturers selling steamers as professional wood cleaners. You do not need to have a high IQ to know that using 120C hot steam to clean a wooden floor is not a good idea. Water itself is bad for wooden floors, heat is also bad for wooden floors, but when you mix those two elements together, they can cause alot of damage. First of all the wooden floor sealer will soften up and crack. Then a lot of water will be injected into the wood, beneath the wood and into the joints. Repeated use a of steamer on wooden floors will damage the floors.
Sunlight Exposure – Even if some floors are sealed with a UV safe sealer, if a wooden floor is exposed to very high temperatures and constant heat, it will slightly change color. Usually the sunshine will have a bleaching effect on the finish and will leave it looking dull and worn. While the wood might still be protected, the finish might not look right.
Scratches – even the most durable and the most heavy duty finish cannot provide full protection. While dragging a very heavy bed, a large sofa or a large press, the legs of it will scratch the finish. The issue will only get worse after the floor is washed and the water reaches the wood through those scratches and the surface wood gets water damage. The scratch lines will be made very visible.
Wood Floor Cleaning | Wood Floor Refreshing | Solutions
Not all wooden floors can be cleaned or refreshed. If the wood was soaked for years and washed with highly acidic chemicals for long periods of time, the wood could be permanently damaged and then there is no point deep cleaning it just to make a tiny improvement. But Floor Cleaning Dublin will let you know in good time about what can or can’t be done with your floors. We will recommend the most efficient and the most cost effective solution before we even start the project.
Wood Floor Cleaning | Varnished
Wooden floors with high to very high traffic are likely to get very dirty. The dirt can penetrate very deep inside the fiber of the wood, in the joints lines and beneath the varnish. What used to be a beautiful natural looking wooden floor would look like a lino or like a filthy carpeted floor. Assuming that the dirt has not permanently damaged the floor, we can restore your wooden floors to a pretty decent level. So what can we do for you?
We will deep clean the wooden floor with highly effective wood floor cleaners and degreasers to remove dirt, grease, body fats, food residue, saliva, grime, etc. Our wood cleaning products are specifically suitable for cleaning varnished and polished wooden floors. There are a number of products out there but we use Carver Deter Parquet, Bona Cleaner, Bona Deep Cleaning Solution or Tover Pulito. These outstanding wood floor cleaning products will remove whatever residue is on your varnished floors and will expose the wood. By having a spotless floor exposed, we can assess it and decide what is the best sealer or refresher. These products can be used with a standard mopping system, a flat mopping system or in conjunction with a scrubber drier.
Now that the floor is clean, a sealant can be used to seal it. While some people love a glossy wooden floor, others are after a matt finish. Using a flat mopping system we will apply 1-2 coats of water based floor polish/refresher. The most popular and the most durable water based floor polish for wood is the amazing Cleanfast Floor Polish 25%. This premium quality Irish manufactured wood floor polish is the perfect choice for commercial wooden floors or residential wooden floors with very high traffic. On our list of refreshers you will find Bona Hardwood Floor Polish, Bona Freshen Up, Bona Wood Floor Refresher & Tover Lux. Again, we take into consideration the condition of the wood floor, the customer’s preferred finish and the traffic on the floor. If the owner of the floor has pets, we are likely to use a deep penetrating, non glazing & unscratchable wood floor polish.
After the floor is sealed with one of the above sealers, we will buff the floor with a high speed burnisher. By doing so, we will create a very resistant polish coat that will last longer and it will look better. Regular buffing with a high speed buffer and regular cleaning with a maintainer will extend the life expectancy of your wooden floor dramatically. Now you are ready to use the floors. Same process applies for residential floor cleaning projects & commercial wood floor cleaning projects.
Wood Floor Cleaning | Oiled Floors
Cleaning oiled floors and restoring oiled floors is a more complex job and it requires proper tools and top quality maintenance oils and refreshers. Oiled floors are usually impregnated with a floor oil or some kind of hard wax oil. These products are great and protect the wood against liquids and day to day traffic. But over time, the protective coat of oil is likely to evaporate and wear off in the areas where there is more traffic. The floor is not damaged that badly, but not refreshing it in good time can make the job of cleaning it much more difficult. The wood that has no oil to protect it is likely to absorb liquids fast, it is likely to stain easily and it is likely to crack. Left exposed to the elements the wood will look patchy, dull and dirty all the time. Without a thick coat of floor oil to protect it, it is also very hard to clean it. The wood will dry the mop head in a few seconds and it is just a waste of time. So what can Floor Cleaning Dublin do for you?
We will start by deep cleaning the wood to expose the floor. A dirty wood floor is very hard to assess. After a deep clean it can look as new or it could be so water damaged that cleaning it will be pointless. By using a mixture of oiled floor soaps & heavy duty oiled floor cleaners, we will pre-spray the floor, then we will scrub the floor with special floor pads to clean the fiber of the wood and extract the dirt out of it. The most heavy duty oiled floor cleaners are Bona Cleaner, Carver Net Parquet & Carver Deter Parquet. These products are heavy duty enough to deep clean and degrease the floor without negatively affecting the wood. After only one quick pre-treatment, the floor will look much better. A number of cleans may be needed before noticeable results are visible. After all this, the wood floor should be looking matt but spotless. Time to prepare for refreshing.
By refreshing a floor you are basically re-building the lost coat of oil. A maintenance oil or a refresher is pretty much a floor oil with a hardener. If a standard floor oil dries in about 12-24 hours per coat, the refresher should be fully dry within 2-3 hours. The floor will be impregnated with a thick coat of oil to waterproof it and to protect it against traffic. Our preferred maintenance oil is the amazing Carver Carsol Maintenance Oil. This product rocks. A thick creamy floor oil that levels up all imperfections and creates a matt finish all over the floor. The new Carver Carsol Maintenance Oil is designed for very high traffic areas. Depending on what type of floor we refresh, we can also use Tover Rinovoil Maintenance Oil or Bona Oiled Floor Refresher. We can only decide on what type of refresher we are likely to use after the floor is exposed and we can see the fiber of it. 1-2 coats of refresher is usually more than enough to re-build the protection.
The oiled floor will be buffed with a special pad at a later stage to ensure the full removal of all kinds of streaks and imperfections. All maintenance oils are compatible with all floor oils from all brands. No need to worry if your Bona Hard Wax Oil was refreshed with Carver Carsol.
The main mistake that oiled floor owners do is to ignore the maintenance. Please refresh your oiled floors at least once per year. Even if you are not using some areas, it still requires refreshing. If hiring a professional company like Floor Cleaning Dublin is too expensive, then you do it yourself one year and hire us every second year, but it has to be done. If the floor gets damaged, it is harder and more expensive to fix.
Wood Floor Cleaning | Maintenance
A professional wood floor cleaning company like Floor Cleaning Dublin can help you to restore your old and dirty wooden floors, but it is entirely up to yourself to maintain and refresh your wooden floors. If you are not prepared to do it, do not buy wooden floors. There are other alternatives where little care is required (Laminate, amtico, kahrs, lino). But if you have wooden floors, then please respect the maintenance and the regular care needed to keep them looking at their best, you will save money in the long term.
The wood care products industry has developed nicely over the years and there is a wide range of high quality cleaning products available. You do not need to spend a fortune on quality wood floor cleaning products, but you need to make sure that you are using proper wood floor cleaning products designed for wood floors only. You can select the most efficient system for your particular needs. Most manufactures of wood care products can help you out with a wide range of wood floor spray mops, cleaning kits, concentrated wood floor cleaners, wood floor maintainers, wood floor refreshers, stain removers for wooden floors, wood floor polishes, wood floor disinfectants, etc. You are spoilt for choice.
For oiled floors we would highly recommend the amazing Bona Oiled Floor Spray Mop. A very light and very well made oiled floor spray mop that will clean and refresh your oiled floors. The kit contains everything you need to be able to clean and maintain your oiled floors without having to mix up cleaning products. If you are after a concentrated oiled floor cleaner, then we can recommend Carver Deterol, Tover Deteroil, Bona Soap Cleaner, Bona Oiled Floor Cleaner or Bona Cleaner. All these products are perfect for cleaning, maintaining & nourishing your oiled floors. Just make sure that you dilute the product right and you use as little water as possible.
***remember, never scrub your oiled floor with a steel scourer or any kind of aggressive scourer***
For varnished floors you can select a Bona, Carver, Tover or Faber wood cleaner & wood maintainer. Again, you can select between a ready to use spray mop or a concentrated wood floor cleaner that has to be diluted in water. We recommend that you take a look at the amazing Bona Wood Floor Spray Mop. A low cost but highly durable spray mop designed to clean and maintain all types of varnished, lacquered & polished wooden floors. This particular kit contains everything you will need to be able to properly maintain your wooden floors. If you are after a concentrated wood floor cleaner, then here is a long list of heavy duty wood floor cleaners and wood floor maintainers that will satisfy even the most demanding user : Carver Deter Cleaner, Tover Pulito, Faber Greentech Wood Floor Cleaner, Bona Cleaner, Bona Wood Floor Cleaner, Bona Deep Clean Solution. While all these products are suitable for cleaning wood floors, some are concentrated while others are ready to use maintainers, some are highly alkaline while others are more gentle. If you are washing your wooden floors every day, then there is no need to use a very alkaline wood floor cleaner. But if you are deep cleaning a very dirty wooden floor, then you might need to consider using a strong wood floor cleaner.
If you are looking for a free no obligation estimate or if you are not sure what type of wood floor you own & what can be done with it, please call Floor Cleaning Dublin today and we will be happy to provide you with a free no obligation estimate and a clear plan. We have been deep cleaning wood floors since 2008. We are experts in our field. We know and love wood floors. We know which products work and how to get the best of them. We want to help you to keep your wooden floors looking at their naturally beautiful best for longer. Give us a call today.
