Painting your wood floor is a great way to revamp its beauty and add a pop of color into a room, but once wooden floor is painted they tend to get dirty easily because the paint covers the wood grain which helps to camouflage streaks and dust.
You would need to know how to clean painted wood floors in order to reduce dirt and prolong the life of the paint, this will save you the stress of having to repaint very often.
Cleaning your painted wood floor regularly will help to eliminate dirt and debris which when left on the floors can cause scratches on the floor’s finish.
It is crucial that you clean your painted wood floor frequently to prevent these scratches which attract even more dirt making the floor more difficult to clean.
How to Clean Painted Wood Floors
Table of Contents
You should clean your painted wood floor at least once a week, and even more frequently for areas that experience a lot of traffic, to prevent heavy dirt buildup. Here’s a step by step process to clean painted wood floors
Step 1
Use a dust mop or a soft, damp sponge to clean your painted wood floor at least twice a week, but do this carefully and avoid leaving any moisture behind on the floor’s surface.
Allowing moisture to sit on the painted floor, will leave behind unsightly watermarks after drying, which can be difficult or even impossible, to remove.
Step 2
At least once a month, use a damp cloth to wipe down the baseboards, especially the areas around the doorways and the room corners.
It is recommended that you cover high-traffic areas that tend to attract lots of dirt and dust with area rugs, this will prevent the dirt from damaging your painted floor and you can easily clean the rugs with a vacuum cleaner.
Step 3
For stains, use a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water to eliminate them. Saturate a paper towel with the mixture and place it over the discolored area. Allow the paper towel to sit on the stain for about 10 minutes before gently rub the stain away.
If the stain still persists after using vinegar, apply a thick paste of baking soda and water, it is mildly abrasive so can be used to remove deep and stubborn stain without damaging the paint or the underlying wood.
Step 4
If there are any visible nicks or surface scratches, remove them by sanding down any visible blight using fine-grain sandpaper.
However, when repairing the damaged areas on the floor try not to remove too much paint than is necessary. After smoothing out the surface, use matching paint to give your floor a touchup paint job on repaired areas or, you can choose a new paint color and repaint the entire floor.
Step 5
To give your painted or finished floor a quick clean, you can use moistened baby wipes, you can also use them to wipe up spills.
You can use refillable baby wipes so do not spend money on the expensive, scented brand names. Baby wipes can be used to remove a wide variety of surface grime without damaging your paint.
Maintenance Tips For Painted Wood Floor
Clean the Floor Regularly
Dust, dirt particles, or sand will cause your floor’s finish to wear down very fast. This is why it is recommended to clean the floor regularly using a vacuum cleaner but remember to remove the rug beater and do not make use of a microfiber mop.
Use the vacuum cleaner to clean the floor in one continuous motion, and avoid going back and forth.
Do Not Over Saturate the Floor With Moisture
Moisture is an enemy of wood floors especially when it’s painted. Avoid using a wet or steam mop to clean your floor; the moisture and heat can cause damage to the floorboards.
Use No-Wax Or Water-Based Polishes And Cleaners
Some polishes or cleaners not only damage your floors. They can leave residue, emit harmful toxins, and even strip your floor of its finish. No-wax floor cleaner or a water-based polish is best suited for your painted wood floor. You can use them to clean up small spills as well as muddy tracks.
Retouch Dull Spots
There’s no given time set in stone, to help determine how frequently you should recoat your painted floor. Regularly inspect the floor for any worn-out spots. When you find any dull or discolored spots, go over the area with one or two coats of paint, and finish with two coats of polyurethane.
Avoid Oil-Based Polyurethane
Using oil-based polyurethane on your painted floor will give it a tint of yellow or orange. Instead, use a non-yellowing water-based polyurethane.
Read: Is murphy’s oil soap bad for hardwood floor?
Conclusion
This article guides you on how to clean painted wood floors, so you can keep them looking their best for a long period of time. There are also certain maintenance tips for painted wood floors you need to adhere to keep your floor in its best condition.