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Expert Advice For Professional Janitorial Floor Cleaning Or Residential Floor Cleaning
The Dobmeier Professional Floor Cleaning Guide Provides Answers To Your Most Important Questions About Cleaning Floors

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SECTION 2. - CLEANING HARDWOOD FLOORS

Hardwood Floors can be made from a variety of naturally occurring hardwood species in forms including: Hardwood Plank Flooring, Parquet Block Flooring, and man-made composite wood/resin materials known as Engineered Hardwood Flooring.

When cleaning any of these Hardwood Floor types, the primary factor involved in determining the optimum cleaning technique is the Floor Surface Finish. Hardwood floors finished with Polyurethane are simplest to clean, whereas those finished with Varnish, Lacquer or Shellac require more detailed care:

2.1. Cleaning Hardwood Floors With A Polyurethane Finish
2.2. Cleaning Hardwood Flooring With A Varnish, Lacquer, Or Shellac Finish

2.1. Cleaning Hardwood Flooring With A Polyurethane Finish

Always Vacuum Clean your hardwood floor to remove dust and debris before attempting to use any cleaners or polishes.

Water should never be intentionally applied to hardwood floors, except those treated with a polyurethane surface treatment. Polyurethane finished hardwood floors can simply be damp-mopped using a sponge mop with a solution of water-based hardwood floor cleaner. Leave the floor to dry to a streak-free finish.

Damp Mopping Tip:

Thoroughly Wet The Sponge Mop And Then Squeeze It Until It Ceases To Drip.
Slowly And Evenly, Move The Mop Across Your Floor
Making Sure To Overlap It's Path As You Move Along.
Caution: You Must Avoid Ponding Of Water On Your Polyurethane Finished Hardwood Floors!

2.2. Cleaning Hardwood Flooring With A Varnish, Lacquer, Or Shellac Finish

Always vacuum clean your hardwood floor to remove dust and debris before attempting to use any cleaners or polishes.

Hardwood Floors Surfaced With Varnish, Shellac, Or Lacquer Finishes Must Only Be Maintained With Solvent-Based Cleaners And Polishes, And Should Never Be Subjected To Cleaning With Water Or Water-Based Products
Caution: Solvent-Based Cleaning Chemicals Are Combustible Mixtures That Should Only Be Used In Well-Ventilated Areas.

The Fast Method For Cleaning Hardwood Floors
One fast and efficient method for cleaning your lacquered, varnished, or shellacked hardwood floor is to carefully vacuum clean the floor and then apply a solvent-based one-step cleaner/polish. Pour the liquid onto a small section of your flooring and use a wax applicator pad to spread it by rubbing it in along the direction of the natural wood grain. Use a clean cloth to remove any excess cleaning liquid, and then move along to the next section.

The Preferred Method For Cleaning Hardwood Floors
This more thorough way to clean and polish your lacquered, varnished, or shellacked hardwood floor will take longer to complete, but will result in a deeper and more durable shine, so that cleaning may be required less often:

Carefully vacuum clean the floor and then use a dry wax applicator to apply a solvent-based liquid hardwood floor cleaner onto a small section of the floor, by wiping in the direction of the grain. Let the cleaning chemical dwell on the floor surface for a few minutes, whilst working on the next section of flooring. Return to the previous floor section and wipe up any excess cleaning liquid with a clean cloth. Proceed across the entire floor surface in this manner, then, when the floor is completely dry, buff the surface with a floor polisher to achieve a deep and lustrous finish.

2.3. Janitorial Cleaning Supplies For Hardwood Floors

Diversey (formerly JohnsonDiversey) produces an excellent range of supplies for Sealing, Finishing, Cleaning & Maintaining Hardwood Floors:

Unsealed Hardwood Floors should first be sealed by applying water-based sealer using a T-Bar applicator and pad. Two coats of water based finish or one coat of oil based finish can then be applied in the same way. Alternatively, two coats of Polyurethane 500 Finish & Sealer may be applied.

For Daily Cleaning - Prominence Heavy Duty Floor Cleaner should be diluted 1:256 parts water (or 1:1024 parts water with AccuMix portion control system) and will dry to a film-free finish without rinsing. Clean & Burnish Restorer may be used routinely to to add gloss, improve traction, and extend the finish recoat cycle.