Cleaning Wood or Stone Floor: Should I Call in the Experts?

Polished wood floor

When it comes to cleaning, hard floors may often be easier than carpets to tackle yourself but there may well still be times when expert action is called for.

Beautiful wooden and stone floors can be the crowning glory of your home and you certainly do not want to damage them by attempting cleaning processes that may be harmful.

As always, however, there are certain techniques you can try at home, providing you attempt them carefully and sensibly.

Your Wooden Floors

Keeping your wooden floors clean, for example, is more about protecting them adequately. Assuming you have used the right finish and your floor does not sustain any severe Spillages or Staining, you should be able to clean them yourself and should never need to call in a professional cleaner.

Dust and light dirt can be removed with a vacuum cleaner, dustpan and brush and with a damp cloth dipped in soapy water. If you spill something on your wooden floor, then wipe it up quickly before it has time to stain.

Remember not to rub hard at the floor and never use a scrubbing brush or any kind of abrasive item. Avoid using any floor cleaning product on a wooden floor that does not specifically state that it is safe to use on wood. Never use any product that contains bleach.

Try Sanding Your Wooden Floor

If you do have a serious spillage that leaves a mark, you may have to gently Sand the Floor until you get below the level of the stain. Then reapply the finish. Check with the floor manufacturer how often they advise it can be sanded.

Some thinner floors can only be sanded up to three times. If you cannot sand your floor or are anxious about attempting it yourself then contact a wooden floor specialist. They may be able to come and do it for you or to attempt to remove your stain using their own products.

Your Stone Floors

Much the same can be said for Stone or Tiled Floors. These need to be finished and sealed properly too. As long as they are, one of the great benefits of opting for a floor like this is that it can be cleaned very easily.

Soapy warm water should work but stronger products do exist for removing stains and marks from stone and tile floors. Read the labels on these carefully and only use them if suitable for your specific stone or tile. Do not use anything that contains strong acids, bleaches or abrasives as these could scratch or reduce the sheen.

Stone Floor Cleaning Experts

If your stone or tile floor looks badly damaged then call the professionals. Many professionals have special stone cleaning and sealing machines. While you can hire this equipment yourself and buy the products to use with them, you may well find it is cheaper to employ a professional to do it for you.

Taking the project on yourself could put your beautiful – probably expensive – floor at risk.

Professionals can also often repair chips and cracks in your stone floor. They can also re-grout it if necessary and re-seal. They can also often impregnate it with chemicals that will prevent further staining in the future.

Once they have finished they can also usually bring the sheen back to your floor by buffing it up with diamond polishing equipment. Contact two or three stone floor cleaning experts, tell them about the nature of your stain, then listen to their advice and compare their quotes.

See Also
Floor mop and cloth
Floor Cleaning & Maintenance
Natural wood flooring
Eco-Friendly Flooring Options