Whether you’ve just installed a brand-new engineered hardwood floor or you’re hoping to spiff up a floor that’s starting to show its age, our tips on how to clean engineered hardwood floors will help you get maximum shine with minimal effort.
Tip #1: Sweep or vacuum daily
Our top tip for making engineered hardwood floors shine is to work at it a little bit every day. Sweeping or vacuuming away dust, dirt, and debris frequently is not only the easiest tip for cleaning engineered hardwood flooring, but it will also prevent these contaminants from being ground beneath your feet into the surface of the floor, creating scratches and causing premature wear.
Vacuums should disengage the rotary brush before vacuuming hardwood floors, as the brush can damage the floor surface. Use the “hard floor” or “bare floor” settings, which raise the vacuum and deactivate the brush roll. You can also use a vacuum with a soft-bristled brush attachment.
Tip #2: Avoid using Harsh Chemicals and use a pH-neutral cleaner
Vinegar and water were once recommended as an environmentally friendly DIY option for cleaning wood floors. However, with the introduction of new finishes, this method can harm your wood floor. To avoid damaging the floor’s finish, use a pH-neutral cleaner. We recommend Loba’s Universal Cleaner Concentrate, a sustainable cleaning solution for Carlisle’s prefinished flooring. When applying, always use a damp mop, never oversaturate or add too much liquid to the floor, and always clean up spills immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth.
Tip #3: Use a recommended cleaner for heavy-duty cleaning
You may have received a cleaning recommendation from the manufacturer for your engineered hardwood floor, specifically for the finish on the floor. It’s crucial to test any cleaner in a discreet area first to avoid damaging the finish. While steam mops and vacuums are popular, the NWFA (National Wood Flooring Association) does not recommend their use on hardwood floors as they can cause long-term damage to the finish and the wood.
Tip #4: Protect high-traffic areas
One of the easiest ways to care for engineered hardwood floors is to use rugs, runners, and welcome mats in high-traffic areas like entry points, hallways, and kitchens. These coverings can help prevent the grit on the bottoms of shoes from grinding into the floor and damaging the finish.
Tip #5: Touch Up, Recoat or Refinish to fix major damage
Sometimes, cleaning methods and protective coverings aren’t enough to prevent a floor from being damaged. Touching up small areas over time may be necessary and can be done with a touch-up kit supplied by your flooring manufacturer. If the area is more significant than a few minor scratches, replace the planks with your attic stock or tape off individual boards and recoat them with the necessary finish. If the entire floor needs recoating, a Dustless Recoat kit might be the right option, depending on the quality of your floor and its finish. While some engineered floors use a very thin top layer, allowing only one refinishing, Carlisle engineered floors have a thick top layer and can be refinished as often as our solid wood floors. However, depending on the floor and the finish, you may need to replace boards to avoid an uneven appearance, and that is why we recommend saving some “attic stock” from your initial installation that you can use to replace damaged boards. Contact your flooring manufacturer for the best option and products for your engineered hardwood floor.
