How To Hardwood Floors
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Hardwood Floor Mop
A hardwood floor mop is simply a tool for cleaning a hard surface floor - whether it be solid hardwood floors, linoleum, or tile. Your mop selection, for the most part, should be based on personal preference and intended usage. However, there are important factors to consider. Below are our top recommended hardwood floor mops along with features, the method in which to mop, and the hardwood floor cleaners to use with your mop that won't damage your hardwood flooring.
You'll notice that these recommendations are not traditional mops with a wringer handle, intended for use with a bucket or sink full of water. Indeed, a big concern when cleaning hardwood floors is water. It is not appropriate to use a soaking wet mop head, or any other wet material, on hardwood floors. Wood and water don't mix. Even though the individual boards of your floor are coated with a protective finish, the boards expand and contract dependent upon the amount of moisture in the air, leaving gaps - no matter how small - where water can seep in. Also, over time, the finish on the floor wears, leaving bits of bare wood exposed.
Dunking your hardwood floor mop in a bucket or sink full of a liquid cleaning agent OR plain water is not recommended. And water damage to hardwood floors is not repairable. Only replacing damaged boards (patching) or a full sand and recoat will restore the floors. Whatever method you choose for mopping your hardwood floors, always be conscientious of how much liquid (water and/or cleaning product) you put on the floor, and that liquid is never left sitting or puddling on the floor.
The Bona
You also have the option of a stand alone Bona hardwood floor mop
The
Bruce hardwood floor mop
The Sh-Mop
A hardwood floor mop is just a name manufacturer's can easily market to consumers. Look for a mop with features in ease of cleaning, that will protect rather than harm the surface of your floor, and that you can utilize specific hardwood floor cleaners in a way that doesn't require soaking the floor or leaving standing water.