Bamboo floors are considered an affordable and renewable alternative for hardwood floors. This flooring material is also favored for its cleaning with ease and contemporary look. Yet, you can easily damage your bamboo flooring without proper care and cleaning!
So can you clean bamboo flooring the same way you clean hardwood flooring? How to clean bamboo floor effectively without destroying its surface?
If you are looking for the answer, let’s dive into this article for a detailed explanation and guideline!
Standard For Cleaning Bamboo Floor
Consider The Type of Bamboo Floor You Have
First of all, you must check which type of bamboo floor you are using. There are four types of familiar bamboo floors:
- Solid strand bamboo (the most common type of bamboo)
- Tongue and groove engineered bamboo
- Solid vertical or horizontal bamboo
- Click-fitting engineered bamboo
Understanding precisely the type of your floor will facilitate you in installing and finding the proper cleaning method for it.
Tool & Materials
Next, the tools and materials you need to prepare for cleaning bamboo floor include:
- Furniture protectors
- A broom
- A mop
- A vacuum
How To Clean Bamboo Floor?
The post below is a step-by-step guideline on how to clean bamboo floors thoroughly and effortlessly. Let’s check it out!
Place Floor Protection On Your Furniture
To avoid scratching the floor, make sure to put a protector under the furniture to keep metal pieces from damaging the floor. Keep your cats’ or dogs’ nails trimmed so they don’t make any scratches. Also, make sure that you avoid vacuums with a beater bar!
Clean The Floor Using Your Vacuum Or Dust Mop
In this step, you need a vacuum or a dust mop to remove dirt and dust that takes away the floor’s shimmer. We highly recommend you vacuum, as this method will bring the best result to your bamboo floor.
In case you don’t have a vacuum cleaner, use a fine fiber brush or mop instead!
Remove Dried Spills Or Stains
After vacuuming or mopping your floor, check if there are any dried spills or stains left. To completely remove those stains, spray the mixture of vinegar and water at that area before cleaning up, or just lightly dampen the rag. Especially, do not forget to dry that area immediately after finishing the duty!
Soak The Bamboo Floor With The Damp Mop
If you want to clean stain spots and sticky stains, a slightly damp mop is a perfect choice. Nevertheless, try to avoid using brushes, steel wool, or abrasive cleaning tools on bamboo flooring.
When it’s time to wash your floors, it’s best to avoid harsh chemicals. More specifically, a diluted liquid detergent like the one you use for washing dishes is a better option. Dip the mop in the detergent and start mopping the floor vertically.
Consider Spot Cleaning
Look for appropriate cleaner products for bamboo flooring on the market or homemade remedies. After that, apply the cleaner on the ground and gently rub all the stains with a cloth. Circular motions will give you the best result!
How To Clean Engineered Bamboo Floor?
We have come through the methods for cleaning standard bamboo floors. What about engineered bamboo? Without further ado, here are three simple steps to clean engineered bamboo floors:
Remove Furniture
Engineered bamboo floors bring beauty and elegance to your home; that’s why scratches on them won’t be pleasant to look at!
First of all, remove your furniture out of the room to avoid missing any spots, then use soft pads under them to protect your floor.
Sweep And Vacuum
After you have removed the furniture, use a broom to sweep the floor from top to bottom. Remember to vacuum the corners of your room since the amount of dust and dirt stuck in corners is massive.
Mop The Floor
Now, it’s time to mop the floor. In terms of detergent preparation, a mixture of water and vinegar in a 1: 4 serving is a good cleaning agent for your floor, or you can use a wood floor cleaner instead.
Yet, make sure that the mop sponge is barely wet, as your bamboo floor can be damaged after absorbing too much water.
Dry The Floor
Remember, you ought to keep the floor dry before walking on it. Nevertheless, to maintain the floors in the best condition, avoid scratches from pets’ claws and sand stuck under the shoe base.
Another important reminder for you is to get rid of any oil-based or wax product on your bamboo floor, as this type of cleaner will cause adhesion issues in case of refinishing.
How To Clean Bamboo Floors Without Streaks?
When people use a wet mop, they usually have problems with streaks left on the floor. An easier way to get rid of spots after mopping is to dry the floor with a towel to polish the floor and remove any other marks left by the moisture from the mop.
Other than that, you can do these methods for better results:
Sweep Floor Every Day
By sweeping the floor regularly, 80% of dust and dirt in your house will be eliminated. Moreover, the air in your home is also fresher, which reduces the chance of getting respiratory diseases.
Mop Floor Weekly
Bamboo is softwood; that’s why proper maintenance is essential to avoid scratches. Therefore, using a stiff bristle brush or cleaning the cushion on the bamboo floor several times a week keeps the floor clean and free of abrasive matter.
Note: You shouldn’t use an oil-based cleaner because that will leave the floor cloudy and streaked.
Vacuum Floor Weekly
Vacuum no less than once a week to pick up the particles that brooms possibly miss out. Believe us; if your bamboo floors are regularly swept and vacuumed, you won’t have to spend time washing them every week.
Clean Spill With A Damp Cloth
A damp cloth will help you quickly remove any spill or even stain on your bamboo floors. This method is similar to using a wet mop to clean the bamboo floor we’ve mentioned above.
Conclusion
This is the end of our guideline on how to clean bamboo floors effectively and quickly.
Bamboo is an environmentally friendly and attractive flooring option. With proper maintenance, it can last a lifetime. Thus, please ensure that you choose and apply the appropriate cleaning solution for your floor.
Do not forget to check your bamboo flooring type first before jumping right into cleaning it! Thank you for reading this article, and see you next time!
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