Hardwood floors are beautiful, aesthetically pleasing and add value to your home. However, while they make your home look so attractive, they are not that easy to clean without damaging the surface. That’s why, in order to clean a hardwood floor without damaging it, you need the best hardwood floor cleaner machine.
The best hardwood floor vacuum have the same design and power as a traditional vacuum, but they are much lighter, and are perfectly safe to be used on wooden floors. The best cleaner for hardwood floors have suction control settings which you can adjust depending on the surface as you are cleaning. The best cleaner for hardwood floors also have an automatic or manual height adjusters, which makes it so much easier for you to operate them.
Hardwood floor cleaner vacuum allow you to turn off the brush rolls when you use them on the hardwood, which offers extra protection. The best vacuum for hardwood floors use bristles of fine material, so that they don’t scratch the hardwood.
In our hardwood floor cleaner machine reviews, we feature several hardwood floor cleaner vacuum that are designed specifically for hardwood floors. They are made with cyclonic technology, which allows them to remove the dirt from the hardwood, without scratching the wooden surfaces.
Below is a list of the Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors:
In our hardwood floor cleaner reviews, we feature only the most cost-effective products that fall exactly in the price range you are looking for.
So, let’s get started with our hardwood floor vacuum reviews.
5 Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
Best Vacuum for Hardwood Floors
What Are The Best Ways To Clean Hardwood Floors?
Sweep with a high quality broom or microfiber cloth
There is no better way to keep the hardwood floor clean than to sweep it regularly, using a high quality broom or a microfiber cloth. You should sweep daily and use a hardwood floor cleaner machine, if you have one. This protects your hardwood floor finish for the long term.
Use the Best Cleaning Products
You should, as far as possible, use cleaning products that have been recommended by the flooring manufacturer. Not following the recommendations of the flooring manufacturing could, in certain cases, result in your warranties getting revoked. Ask your floor installer for recommendations as well.
If you don’t get a recommendation from the manufacturer or the installer, you should buy a generic hardwood floor cleaner. First, test the cleaner in an obscure part of the flooring and find out if it is what you are looking for.
When selecting cleaners, you shouldn’t buy those that have wax or petroleum, until and unless you are certain that your hardwood flooring has a wax finish. This is because wax or oil holds on to the dirt, and this leads to scratches on the flooring when you step on it.
Many hardwood flooring manufacturers such as Armstrong, BellaWood, Shaw and Bruce offer their own branded hardwood floor cleaners. Some of the most popular hardwood floor cleaners are Bona, Libman, Method, Blanchon, Dr. Bronner, EcoMist, Sals Suds or Wood Wash.
Use Damp Mopping
Damp mopping means wetting the mop only slightly, just dipping it in the bucket and then wringing it out almost dry. Now, use the damp mop to go over the hardwood floors at least a couple of times. The first time, just dissolve the dirt. Then rinse the mop, wring it and go over the floors one more time. After the damp mopping, use a towel or a buffer to buff the hardwood floors perfectly dry.
Use Wet Mopping
Wet mopping uses the same technique as damp mopping, except that you wring the mop only slightly here. You have to do wet mopping no more than once a month or so. Wet the hardwood floors first, scrub off the dirt with a non-abrasive white pad. Now, wring the mop perfectly dry and use it to mop the dirty liquid on the floor. Rinse the mop in clean water, and rinse the floor again. Now, mop one more time. You can use clean terry cloth crags to buff the floor dry later. Wet mopping really helps when the floor is really quite dirty. It is the best method to clean hardwood floors in the kitchen and other high traffic areas.
Caring for Hardwood Floors
Installing hardwood flooring is a decision that will bring beauty and warmth to your house for at least a couple of generations. But for the attractiveness of the hardwood flooring to be maintained, it is important to care for them deeply. You have to understand that hardwood floors are made using wood taken from mature trees. So the floors are basically wood, even though they have been treated and finished at the factory, and hence have all the properties of wood. That’s why you should be very careful not to spill liquid onto the floor, because the wood reacts negatively to it – the wood swells and when you drag furniture across it, the scratches begin to appear.
Preventing Surface Blemishes
Quite simply, you shouldn’t allow dirt, sand or dust to remain on the floor for long. When dirt or dust builds up on the hardwood floors, they cause scratches and a certain dullness to appear. Another thing to guard against is pet hair. If there are any water spills, keep a clean, dry cloth nearby so that the floor can be immediately cleaned up. Moving furniture is another problem. The best way to do it is to have pads underneath the furniture, especially where the pressure appears to be the most. Pick up the furniture rather than push or pull it across the room. Direct sunlight can actually bleach the hardwood floors over a certain period, so be sure to use curtains to cover the room during the day.
Maintain the Hardwood Floor Regularly
It’s not really that difficult to maintain your hardwood floors. Rather than sanding or refinishing, which are expensive treatments, you may want to consider a simple sealing treatment. You can use special cleaning solutions mean for hardwood floors as well for weekly cleaning. This ensures that the surface of the wood remains unaffected and the coat of the sealant does not get damaged. You can use the simple technique of dry mopping as well, especially in areas that do not suffer from heavy use. For this, use a soft terry cloth. To maintain the shine, use a hardwood spray, this gives the floor an extra protection.
Protecting the Hardwood Floors against Moisture
You should ensure that water never gets pooled on the hardwood floors. If any water gets spilled onto the floors, the moisture seeps into the crevices in-between the wooden boards. This causes swelling of the planks, resulting in loss of shape and appearance. So never allow water to spill or settle onto the floors, remember to wipe the floor every time there is a spill. You may want to use damp mopping as well. Always keep a damp cloth fixed to the mop so that you will be in a position to use damp mopping immediately following a spill. The mop should only be slightly damp and not fully wet. This is important as you don’t want any excess water from the mops to seep onto the floors, which would damage the wood.
Refinishing Every Five Years
You will do well to get the hardwood floors refinished by professionals every 5 years. This ensures that the hardwood stays shiny and fresh for the long term. While refinishing does cost you a little, it is good for the long term protection of the hardwood floors.
Protection from Scratches and Dents
The best way to protect the hardwood floors from scratches and dents is not to wear any footwear in the house, especially when walking on the floors. In particular, never wear stiletto high heels on them – this causes dents to appear on the hardwood. Furniture legs should be protected with pads, otherwise they can cause indentations on the floors as well. Another solution is to use rugs and carpets in the busiest areas, especially at doorsteps.
Conclusion
Perhaps you have the most beautiful hardwood floors at home, which you hope to pass on to your next generation, or maybe you are a conservationist who wishes to pay proper respect to the trees that were felled down to make way for your hardwood floors, or you just want the shiniest and flashiest floors to show off to your friends and neighbors – well, whatever is your reason, you will want to take good care of your hardwood floors and clean them regularly.