Cleaning bamboo floors with vinegar requires caution. A highly concentrated vinegar can damage your bamboo floor, and it contains up to 8 percent of acid, so some procedures must be taken before cleaning bamboo floors with vinegar.
Although bamboo is similar to other hardwoods, the type of bamboo you get will range in relative hardness from the durable Red Oak to the soft Black Walnut.
This depends on the process used in manufacturing it. Bamboo flooring is the most durable type of wood flooring: it is more resistant to damage from water than most woods.
Cleaning And Maintenance Of Bamboo Floors
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It is relatively easy to clean bamboo floors, although regular maintenance tasks need to be done from time to time if you want to keep the bamboo looking its best.
Tiny bits of sand and dirt tracked into the room by shoes can dig into the floor’s finish, causing divots, dents, or even scratches: giving the bamboo a deteriorated look. Wets spots and spills need to be cleaned up right away, so they don’t stain the floor or cause it to warp.
Can I Clean My Bamboo Floor With A Steam Mop?
No, you can’t. Never attempt to use a steam mop on any wooden flooring. You might not see its negative effect immediately, but repeatedly cleaning your bamboo floor with a steam mop can diminish its stability and well as its polish finish.
Steam mops aggressively pump out hot vapor on any surface, and exposing the bamboo floor to such vapor isn’t ideal. Over time, its exposure to vapor can lead to the bamboo plank swelling or warping. Although steam cleaning can be very effective, it is dependent on the floor being cleaned. Don’t bring your steam mop close to your bamboo floor; if you have a carpet, then steam cleaning your carpet is a very good idea.
Regular Cleaning Of Bamboo Floors
Small particles, dust, and sand are the greatest compromise for the surface brilliance of a bamboo floor. The corners of your living room are always accumulated with dust; there’s no need telling that these corners make a good home for dust mites. Being one of the places where dust mite comes from, these corners shouldn’t be ignored when cleaning your bamboo floors.
Tiny grains of sands pattern after the grits of a piece of sandpaper, and as people walk across the floor, they will unknowingly press them down into the surface of the bamboo or drag them across the surface, scratching and scarring it.
You should either vacuum or sweep the bamboo floor regularly to prevent scratching. If you don’t vacuum or sweep the bamboo floor often, over time, the tiny abrasive particles will build upon the surface of the bamboo and abrade it.
This is one of the major cleaning tips for bamboo floors, use mats and rugs at entrances to where the bamboo floor is, to reduce the amount of small particle debris. The mats and rugs should be dusted out often.
You can choose to use a cleaning product as there are many specifically made for cleaning bamboo floors.
While searching for cleaning products, you will notice that most hardwood floor cleaners are also appropriate for bamboo, as long as they are non-alkaline and not wax.
Although bamboo is more resistant to damage from moisture than most hardwoods, moisture poses a threat to bamboo’s shape and form.
You should not wet-mop a bamboo floor, and you can use a damp mop to get rid of surface stains and remove debris. However, make sure the bamboo does not remain moist for more than a few minutes.
If you use a bamboo floor cleaning product that needs to be mixed with water, you must meticulously follow all the manufacturer’s instructions.
If liquid spills on a bamboo floor, it has to be wiped up immediately. Bamboo is permeable to fluids, so liquids can penetrate its surface, causing deep stains that are impossible to get rid of.
Excessive humidity, as well as lack of humidity, can be detrimental to bamboo flooring. Too much moisture can cause warping in the bamboo.
In moist environments, the bamboo tends to plump, while it is likely to contract in dry environments. As the case applies to you, a humidifier or dehumidifier should be used to control the current situation.
Preventive Maintenance Of Bamboo Floors
High-heeled shoes can damage bamboo floors. Having them on and walking over bamboo floors will cause scratches and scuff marks on the floor and increase the amount of small particle debris tracked into the room.
To prevent these, you should always ask people to take off their shoes when coming into your room. Interestingly, taking off their shoes will add to the cultural atmosphere evoked by the bamboo floor.
To decrease scratches on your bamboo floor, you also have to keep your pet’s nails trimmed, especially larger dogs that can cause relatively deep holes in the flooring material.
Never should you drag heavy furniture over a bamboo floor. Furthermore, put thick fabric or felt furniture pads beneath the legs of heavy pieces so that they do not sink into the bamboo floor and cause divots. In the case of furniture having casters, the casters should be removed or substituted with felt-backed casters.
Rays of sunlight can discolor specific bamboo types, which is particularly true when a concentrated beam of sunlight comes in through a window and hits a certain area of the floor every day. You can prevent discoloration by making use of blinds or shades.
In wet environments, placemats or rugs in front of high moisture areas like bathrooms or kitchen sinks.
Ensure that these rugs don’t have a rubber backing, or else the bamboo will be suffocated and prevented from breathing, causing discoloration of the bamboo.
Over time, bamboo’s color can fade slightly. To see that this happens evenly across the entire surface of your bamboo floor, rotate the positioning of your furniture at regular intervals of time.
Bamboo Floor Wax
A wax coating needs periodic buffing, using big, sophisticated, and costly machines. For most people, this is too much work. In light of this, a wax surface coating is only recommended for a bamboo floor in specific commercial applications.
A urethane finish is more suitable for most installations. No other type of coating can be used once a wax treatment has been applied to bamboo.
Cleaning Bamboo Floors With Vinegar
Vinegar is an aqueous solution of acetic acid and trace chemicals which may include flavorings. By volume, vinegar normally contains 5-8% acetic acid.
To clean dried-on soils or stains on bamboo floors, you might not need to purchase a cleaning product, a natural and effective cleaning agent might be in your home already.
When you mix a quarter cup of white vinegar with one gallon of warm water, you will have a solution that can safely aid you in cleaning the surface of your bamboo floor.
When cleaning bamboo floors with vinegar, the cleanser should be used similarly to a commercial hardwood cleaner, using a damp soft texture rag wrung dry before application.
Make sure you dilute the vinegar appropriately because a more concentrated solution can damage the floor. Keep the remaining solution for use the next time you want to remove stains or deep clean the floor.
Conclusion
Cleaning bamboo floors with vinegar must have been something you are skeptical about, but the tips you’ve read above will help you manage your bamboo floor effectively.
Provided that you are dedicated to regular cleaning and maintenance of your bamboo floor, it will remain sleek and brilliant for a very long time.
Remember that you must not use a steam mop on your bamboo floor to avoid damaging the floor. Do you have a special way of cleaning your bamboo floor? Why not share it with us in the comment below.