COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfecting: What's safe for hardwood Floors?

Rod Lorenz

With the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), killing germs on surfaces around the house is top of mind. Can germs get tracked into the house and on to your floor? The answer is maybe. Before you get carried away with using bleach, disinfectant sprays, or other “sterilizing” non-wood floor cleaning products, please read on.

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting

This is very important - There is a big difference between cleaning and disinfecting your home and floors. Cleaning helps to remove germs but does not kill them. Cleaning does lower the risk of spreading infection though as it reduces the number of germs.

Disinfecting uses chemicals to kill germs on surfaces and doesn't necessarily clean dirt or remove these germs. To this end, disinfecting requires specific products to complete effectively and these supplies might be hard to come by if you don’t already have them. There is good news though, if no one in your home is showing symptoms, it is most likely only necessary to clean (without disinfecting) to reduce the spread and keep everyone safe and healthy.

When it comes to flooring, fully disinfecting is rarely necessary in any case. CDC studies have shown that disinfecting floors has minimal impact beyond regular cleaning.

2. What Is the Right Way to Clean a Hardwood Floor***

Water is the Enemy of Your Floor

As most people with hardwood floors already know, they are highly durable – probably the most durable of all types of floors. However, the most important thing to remember is that water is the primary antagonist in this story. Even for sealed hardwood floors, water can cause damage, which is why when your floors need mopping, it’s very important that the hardwood floor cleaner you use is approved by the manufacturer of your finish or pre-finished flooring.

We recommend (and sell) Glitsa Clean because we have used it and it works.

Prepare the cleaning solution according to the directions or use a pre-prepared solution, and simply spray the cleaner on the floor and wipe it with a microfiber mop.

Key Takeaways

Don't forget that each hardwood floor and finish is unique. Most can be cleaned in the same way, but there are a couple that require special consideration. You should ask your manufacturer how it works, so you'll know exactly what to do. Also, remember that newly finished hardwood floors can’t be cleaned for at least a month.

Make sure you follow the guidelines and don’t go overboard with the cleaning. For more advice, you can always contact us!

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