How To Disinfect Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are a beautiful addition to any home, but when you have pets, kids, or a lot of visitors, cleaning alone is not enough to keep germs away. Even with routine sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping, germs can build up on hardwood surfaces over time. To maintain optimal cleanliness in your household and protect the longevity of your flooring investment, it’s essential to know how to disinfect hardwood floors properly. In this blog post, we’ll show how you can keep the hardwood looking beautiful and germ-free.

Disinfecting vs Cleaning of Hardwood Floors

There is a difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Cleaning is the process of regularly removing dirt, dust, debris, and other contaminants from surfaces using soap or detergent and water. Disinfecting is a more intensive procedure that uses specialized products to kill germs and bacteria on surfaces. It’s recommended to clean your hardwood floors first before you disinfect them.

Products and Tools You’ll Need:

Before we dive into the steps, here’s a summarized list of the products and tools you’ll need to disinfect your hardwood floors:

• Disinfectant solution for polished wood or non-porous hardwood floors
• Microfiber mop and bucket
• Rubber gloves
• Water

Step 1: Clean the Area

Clear the area of any furniture, rugs, or other items. This will give you space to move around and disinfect the entire area. Remove any debris, dust or other kind of dirt with a vacuum and a damp mop. Make sure the floor is clean for the next steps, a dirty floor can hamper the disinfection process.

Step 2: Dilute the Disinfectant Solution

Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands from the disinfectant solution.

Dilute the cleaning solution in a bucket of warm water. Make sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use a disinfectant solution that’s safe for hardwood floors.

Step 3: Dip a Microfiber Mop or Cloth in the Solution

Dip a microfiber mop or cloth into the solution and wring out any excess water. Make sure the mop or cloth is just damp and not soaking wet to prevent water damage to your hardwood floors.

Step 4: Disinfect the Floors

Use the damp mop or cloth to clean the hardwood floors and make sure to cover the entire area. Be careful not to leave any pools of disinfectant solution on the floor. Avoid using excessive force while cleaning as hardwood floors can easily be damaged if they are scrubbed too hard.

Let the solution sit on the floor for the recommended amount of time according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 5: Rinse the Floor

After the instructed disinfectant time, you carefully have to rinse the hardwood floor. Dip a microfiber mop or cloth into warm water and wring out any excess water. Make sure the mop or cloth is just damp and not soaking wet to prevent water damage to your hardwood floors. Again, cover the entire area. This step ensures that any remaining disinfectant solution is removed from the floor.

Step 6: Dry the Floors

Finally, use a dry microfiber mop or cloth to dry the floors. It’s essential to dry the floors immediately after cleaning to prevent any water from seeping into the wood and damaging them.

Disinfecting hardwood floors is an efficient and easy way to keep your home clean, healthy and free of germs. Using the right products and following the steps outlined in this post will help you maintain a beautiful and germ-free hardwood floor. 

With a few simple tricks you won’t have to disinfect your hardwood floors that often. If you regularly vacuum, sweep and clean your hardwood floors, dirt doesn’t build up. You also wanna clean up spills and “pet accidents” as soon as they happen. You might wanna use area rugs or mats in high traffic areas. Following these easy tips will help extend the life of your hardwood floors so you can enjoy their beauty for years to come.