Cleaning Parquet Wood Floors

Parquet floors lend warmth to your home that other types of flooring just can’t match.

While most new floors are either regular hardwood or laminate, older homes often feature intricate parquet style floors, which are made up of smaller pieces of wood fit together in regular patterns or inlaid around the edges of a room.

If you know how to keep them clean and looking their best, parquet ages well and the wood floor can really be a showpiece in your home.

There is a reason why wood floors continue to be so popular, even with so many other choices available to today’s homeowners. The warmth, comfort and durability they offer is unmatched by vinyl, carpeting or tile and they really stand the test of time with the right care.

Different Cleaners For Different Types Of Wood Finish:

You might not know what kind of finish the floor has it has, and before you can clean it properly, you need to know what kind of protective coating it has.

Older floors often have shellac, varnish or a wax finish while newer installations have polyurethane.

The cleaning process for the two types of finish are different, so your first step is figuring out what’s on there. A cotton ball and some rubbing alcohol will give you the answer you need.

Identifying The Finish Of Parquet Wood:

Soak the cotton ball in rubbing alcohol
Pick an inconspicuous spot on the floor and rub it with the alcohol soaked cotton ball
If the cotton has some color and the spot is sticky, you’ve got shellac or varnish. If the cotton is clean and the floor feels the same, you’ve got polyurethane.

Deep Cleaning your Wood Floor:

Because parquet floors are made up of individual tiles, and those tiles are made up of smaller pieces of wood, it can attract and hold grime and dirt more than other types of flooring.

A good, deep clean is a great start to keeping your floor looking good.

Cleaning Basics:

Choose a cleaner that is compatible with your type of wood finish. Picking the wrong kind of cleaner can leave your floor looking dull and dingy instead of shiny and clean.
If you’ve got a polyurethane finish on your parquet floor, pick a cleaner made for finished wood floors-without a wax component.
If you’ve got an older wood floor with a varnish or other finish, you can use an oil based product that will work with your finish.
Using a soft cloth or a mop, clean the floor. Take special care with especially soiled areas.
Even if you normally choose to mop the floor, you may want to get down on your hands and knees for the deepest clean between the tiles.
After mopping, be sure to dry the floor and not let water sit on the surface. If water gets under the tiles, it can loosen the floor or expand the wood which leads to ugly cracks.
Drying the wood floor will stop water spots from forming as the water evaporates from the parquet.

Keeping Parquet Wood Floors Clean:

Here are some tips for keeping your wood floor looking its best:

The best thing you can do for your parquet wood floors is to keep it as clean as possible.
Sweeping, using a dusting sweeper or vacuuming will keep any surface dust and grime from getting set into the wood and making it lose its shine.
Wipe up spills as soon as they happen and your floor will keep looking good with very minimal maintenance.
For regular cleaning, don’t use more than a damp mop because moisture and water aren’t good for wood floors of any kind, but may be particularly harmful for parquet floors because they are made up of smaller, thinner pieces of wood than traditional hardwood floors.

Take care of your parquet and you will enjoy them for years to come.