Cleaning instructions for your specific flooring type and coating will be sent to you along with your invoice. Should we be working through your builder, please ensure they pass them on to you. The flooring manufacturer’s guarantee only covers floors maintained correctly.

Only use the recommended cleaning products for your particular flooring/coating type and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

Always remove all spills and excess moisture immediately.

Do not over wash your floor, as this can do more harm than good – the frequency of maintaining and cleaning your floor is dependent on the level of traffic and the amount of wear and tear the floor receives.

As a rough guide the following apply for the two main floor coating types:

Polyurethane Coated Floors

  1. Vacuum – using soft setting – or sweep the floor to remove surface dust and grit.
  2. Wipe your floor using a mop.

We recommend using a specialised cleaning mop that works with a floor cleaning fluid, particular to your coating type. Should you prefer to use an alternative mop – microfibre mops work best – please ensure that you keep the amount of water/specialised cleaning product used to a minimum and apply this with the use of a spray bottle. The two main products we use are made by Pallmann and Bona.

Pallmann polyurethane cleaning products are available from Gilt Edge, 10 Antigua Street, Addington, 03 379 7067.

Bona polyurethane cleaning products are available from Look Floors, 25 Shakespeare Road, Waltham, 03 366 2551.

Oil Coated Floors

Once your floor is completed you will be supplied with a cleaning kit that is to be used with your particular oil. Follow the instructions that come with it. Should you be unsure about its use, please contact our office, as it is important that oiled floors are cared for correctly.

Generally for floors oiled by us (not engineered flooring that has been prefinished in oil), the following is required:

  1. Remove dirt with a soft broom or a vacuum cleaner – using the soft setting.
  2. Then, using a microfibre mop and the appropriate cleaning product for your type of oil, clean the floor. The amount of liquid used for mopping must be kept to a minimum, (the mop needs to be damp rather than wet) apply the cleaning/care product through a spray bottle. The product we recommend will also nourish your timber.

If your floor is looking greyish or tired, it has probably dried out and will require extra nourishment. First, it will need to be thoroughly cleaned, then allowed to dry before applying more oil. Specific instructions will be sent to you once we have completed your floor. Please call us if you are unsure what to do and we can resend them.

To Protect your Floor from Scratches

  • We recommend you attach protective pads to the base of all furniture. A wide range of protective pads are available from hardware stores. We have found Bunnings to have the best selection.
  • Care must be taken when moving furniture; remember to lift and not drag.
  • We recommend you keep your pets nails/claws trimmed.
  • Be aware that stiletto heels will leave dents in your floor.
  • Be aware that sports shoes and work boots can retain sharp stones and grit.
  • Use entry mats and rugs (not rubber backed) to trap grit and small stones.

What Not to Use

  • Do not use abrasive, silicon, solvent or ammonia based products, soap-based detergents and other cleaners which will leave a dull film on your floor that is extremely difficult to remove.
  • Do not use abrasive pads, steel wool or scouring powder.
  • Do not use steam cleaners on your wooden floor.

Floods

If the timber floor is inadvertently flooded, damage can be minimised by removing the surplus water as fast as possible and gradually adding extra atmospheric heating – definitely do not turn up the underfloor heating. Short term use of dehumidifiers and improved air circulation can also help to remove the moisture that may have got between the boards or underneath the boards. Do whatever is possible to remove the water quickly before the timber has time to absorb and hold too much moisture. A well installed floor can recover from flood damage, to a large degree, if prompt action is taken.

Please see Heating and Sunlight and UV under The Nature of Wood for information on how to control the affect these may have on timber.

Long Term Maintenance

Once your coating has become worn it is best to replenish it. We can buff or lightly sand your coating and apply one to two coats of polyurethane or re-oil your floor. It is cheaper to recoat your floor at an early stage of wear than it is to restore a very worn floor. See Recoating, Renovations and Repairs. A well maintained floor should last at least 30 years.