Hey hey friends! This post has been in the works for a really, really long time. Thanks to the Dog Days of Winter Are Over Challenges I’ve finally found the motivation I needed to get this post written!
I knew as soon as the group of us decided to make one of the challenges a cleaning challenge that it was high time for me to share my tips for cleaning and caring for dark wood floors.
Writing about cleaning isn’t exactly in my realm of fun things to write about – even if I am the “Queen of Cleaning OCD” (according to my hub and my bff – Holly stop snickering). At any rate, the majority of questions that I get asked via e-mail since I started my blogging career (if you can even call it that) all revolve around our super dark, almost black bamboo floors.
We have dark wood flooring in all the main living areas of our home: entry foyer, office, dining room, family room, kitchen and breakfast room. Just about everyone we know tried to talk us out of going with such dark flooring, but my hub and I pride ourselves on being stubborn. 😉 But seriously, we both knew we wanted dark – really dark – wood floors, and we weren’t willing to sacrifice the look we were after in the name of easy maintenance.
So here’s the deal. Everyone was right. I’m going to tell you the absolute truth. These floors are super high maintenance. Every crumb and bit of dust shows up like a giant pimple on picture day. Dirt on these floors basically punches you in the face. You can’t not notice when they’re dirty. That being said – I stilllovethem!!!!!! Even after caring for them for the past 2 years, I would still put this same flooring down if I had to do it all over again! I love them that much!
For this house in particular, this flooring was a great update. The wide, dark planks pair nicely with all the white moulding……..
and this modern looking flooring is a nice contrast to the more traditional construction of our home.
I’ve learned a few things over the past couple years about how to care for them, keep them clean and not go crazy.
1. Relax!
It’s okay if they aren’t spotless every day. Honestly, this is hard for me – again because I’m a little OCD about cleanliness, but I have learned to relax. I love how they look when they’re clean; but it’s just not possible with 2 kids and a dog to keep them perfectly clean every day and still be sane. A lived-in home is a happy home, and I’d rather have a happy home than a clean home.
2. Make Some Rules
Besides dirt and dust, footprints also show up big time on these dark floors. I’ve made a family rule that we all need to wear shoes, socks or slippers in the house at all times. Basically “no bare feet” allowed. This way I don’t have to deal with footprints which bother me more than dust and dirt. This isn’t a rule that applies to guests – I’m not that person – just the 4 of us that live here. Some of you might think that this rule sounds a little crazy. I feel that since I’m the one cleaning them, my hub and kids can at least do their part to help keep them clean. If one of them would like to volunteer to vacuum, dust and mop than they can make up their own rules. 😉
3. Get Yourself A Really Good Vacuum
I’ve had this Miele Red Star vacuum for almost 6 years now. It. is. the. best. vacuum. ever! Seriously. I know everyone thinks that the Big D (you know what I’m referring to right?) is the best one on the market, but I beg to differ. Irregardless of brand, the most important thing is to have a vacuum with good suction that has a hardwood floor attachment that won’t scratch your floors.
4. Use The Essentials
In my opinion, these are the 4 things you need to keep your floors clean.
1. A vacuum with a hardwood floor attachment
2. A swiffer duster mop. I would like to literally kiss the inventor of this little dust mop. Life changing – for realz! It’s so easy to use – even my kids can swiffer!
3. Bellawood hardwood floor cleaner! Okay, this is where you need to pay attention. If your eyes have been glazing over – I get it – but now is the time to pay attention. Bellawood is the best hardwood floor cleaner ever- no matter what kind of hardwood floors you have. The best thing about it for those with dark wood floors is that is leaves zero residue and no streaks! I’ve literally tried every floor cleaner on the market and this is the absolute best cleaner! (And no one is paying me to say that!)
4. A microfiber mopping pad. No ringing – no water – just spray and mop – then throw the pad in the washing machine – boom – done – easy.
(I know that steam mops have become widely popular, but I would recommend checking with your flooring manufacturer before using steam on your wood floors. For the brand of bamboo floors we have in our home steam is not recommended.)
5. Find A Cleaning Routine That Works For You
I’ve never been big on cleaning schedules, but sticking to a loose routine has helped me to stay on top of cleaning our floors without it feeling like too much of a chore. I vacuum once or twice a week, swiffer 2 to 3 times a week, and mop once a week. Because I love the look of these dark floors so much, I really don’t mind the maintenance. And after 2 years I have it down to a science.
Do any of you have dark wood floors? What are your best tips for cleaning them? Who now thinks I’m over the top crazy after reading this post? It’s cool if you do – I admit it – I’m a clean freak – is there a support group I can join?
The Clean It Link Party starts tomorrow morning! My cleaning-obsessed self can’t wait to check out all of your cleaning tips and tricks!
First, let me say that you have a very beautiful home. Lovely!
Second, thank you for this post. Mu hubby bought the D vacuum and I do not like it. He wishes he bought something else, as well. For now we will use it, but I am on the look out for a vacuum with great suction as well as a great hardwood floor attachment. I will most definitely try the cleaner you recommend. I have tried others and got annoyed with the residue and streaking.
You floors are beautiful. I love our floors. I wish I had gone with a different kind. The quality is poor. It scratches easily and small pieces of wood have started breaking off. Yep! Splinters have stuck to my socks. Not happy about that.
Anyway, thank you so much for your post. 🙂
Carmel- we have the same floors! I didn't know that! You're right, they are SO high maintenance (and hard), I would definitely choose something different if I got a do-over but they are gorgeous when they are clean! I'm going to get that cleaner!
I've always wondered how other people cleaned these high-maintence floors!
My husband and I also have dark floors thru out our entire house (except for tile in the bathrooms). We too have had many, many people tell us we would be sorry. Sure enough, the ones who advised against it wish they had our floors! It is true, it's a pain to keep clean but very well worth it!
I totally agree…the swiffer is the best thing invented! It's amazing how it traps the dust immediately. I use this first and then take a damp twist mop (microfiber type mop head) and spray Bona floor cleaner and then mop. A little water will not hurt the floor.
Thanks for the post!!
I'll back you up on the Miele vacuum, it is the best ever! I love the hardwood attachment (I use it on the tile in the bathrooms, too), it cleans carpet like crazy, and the upholstry attachment cleans long cat hair off the sofa so that you wouldn't know we have cats. I even vacuum the cat hair off the quilt on our bed instead of washing it 🙂
Cindy
Thanks for this post, my hubby and I built a house last year and put in very dark wood floors. I never realized how difficult they would be to upkeep with three little boys and a dog. Our grass hasn't filled in yet either so a lot of dirt gets tracked in. They look so amazing when clean but like you said show everything! I'm going to try that floor cleaner you recommended!
I'll give you one other tip that revolutionized my hardwood floor cleaning: I bought a Rubbermaid mop that has a plastic canister that you fill with your own favorite cleaner. It has a micro fibre mop head and a trigger on the handle. Now I don't have to hold the floor cleaner in one hand, spray, set the bottle down and mop. You just pull the trigger and mop. No more bending over to set the cleaner down. It is the best! Then you just throw the mop head in the washer. You gotta try it. I promise you will thank me. And no, I don't work for Rubbermaid 🙂 but I think I will check out the Bella floor cleaner. Beth C.
They are super hard aren't they? I swear that cleaner is the best!
Thanks for the tip – I'll check it out!
Your hardwood floors are gorgeous! Thanks for the tips and for hosting the link up!
I also have super dark bamboo floors. Love them!!!! We have central vac so no worries there, but we just use vinegar on ours. They look amazing. I would do the dark floors over and over again.
oh how I would just love to have central vac – I've heard so many wonderful things about it. I tried vinegar in the beginning and felt like it made them look a little dull – what kind of vinegar do you use and do you mix it with anything?
Hi Carmel! I love your dark wood floors. They are beautiful. I have a mop that dispenses whatever cleaning fluid I want to use. I found this "recipe" on Pinterest. It's 1 C. Water, 1 C. White vinegar, 1 C Rubbing alcohol and a few drops of Dawn dish soap. It works great and leaves my floors really shiny!
Hi Carmen, great post! We are currently trying to decide if we want to go with a lighter wood or something really dark in our home. I've never actually heard about the maintenance of dark wood so this is really informative. I've heard a lot of rave reviews about the Bona cleaner. Do you have any input or experience with it?
Sorry. darned autocorrect. I meant CARMEL , not Carmen:)
I too have dark floors through out our home except the bedrooms and baths. I love love the look. So rich. With three kids and two dogs I need to stay on top of cleaning it. But once I accepted the fact that my home is not perfect, life became easier.
Carmel, I am one of your readers who has always wondered about your spotless floors, so I am very satisfied to read this post. Thank you for being honest, and for your hints. I have medium dark laminate flooring that also shows every little dust bunny…I think because of the high shine. My floors also have the little horizontal and vertical groove that is showing on close-ups of your flooring. I find if I just use a Swiffer cloth in between more thorough cleanings, the dust actually accumulates in the little grooves. From that point on, a vacuum is the only way to remove it. I have not heard of your brand of vacuum, but I am now going to check into it. Thanks again for all your tips.
I have the same floors also. Love them. Buuuut we have a white short hair dog that sheds. Ugh. Thanks for the advice.
I dont think I realized until I saw this post how absolutely gorgeous your floors are! They are so dark and beautiful. I love them!
Your floors are beautiful just like the rest of your home! And I have to totally agree with you, Miele vacuums are the best. I know that they cost more than the Dyson but they clean better and last much longer!
love this post. we have floors the same color as yours, although not bamboo. I spent the first 2 years with them crying, because I couldn't handle how I could never get them clean! Every cleaner left a layer of smear, so frustrating! Plus my babies drag their milk around with them everywhere, so there's always milk smears… and the men in our house seem to have sweaty feet – socks or no socks!! Until I found the Norwex system, have you heard of it? awesome. I still can't keep on top of keeping them clean, but at least it's not so tragic getting them clean!! 🙂 Leanne @ Because (I Think) I Can
Thanks for sharing this wonderful post, the above mentioned tips can be very useful to clean dark wood floors which is not an easy task in my opinion.
We just had our dark wood (walnut) floors installed last week, and I love the look! Very similar to your home. Since we haven't set up our furniture yet, I've not been too concerned yet with keeping the floors clean. We have all the tools except for a vacuem. I looked up this post to see your recommendations. Thanks for all the tips!
Just ordered this off Amazon…let's see if it works as well for me! I have dark wood floors (not quite black) but I have become a nag ever since we moved in. I hate that I am OCD about my floors; so hopefully this will make them look shiny and nice. See, unlike you, I don't like shoes, but I prefer socks! Barefeet leave horrible foot prints, but shoes leave dust marks. I wish I could say I would put in the same floors (if I were to do it all over again). Love how they look when they are clean, but hate how quickly they become dirty and smudgy. Thanks for your suggestions; your house is darling! I will let you know how this goes for me.
Combing the internet looking for blogs just like yours as I'm in the decision process about dark birch engineered floors or a lighter or medium color. The dark pops with the furniture in my old (1978) Florida home, but since I'm not the cleaning queen, I'm concerned about the upkeep. It is just me (67 year young widow) and my 6 lb. yorkie. He doesn't clean either. Would you do it again?
I would because I really really love the look. I wouldn't think with just you and little pup you would have any issues keeping them clean. But if you're not up for high maintenance than maybe go with a something not as dark – mine are almost black but I think dark walnut would give a similar look. It's a tough decision – hope this helps!
Thanks Carmel, It does help. I've decided if I'm going to change my life I need to change my mindset. Meaning maybe have a couple of swiffer's handy and just dance around the house periodically. Good exercise and clean floors at the same time. 😉
Your floors are beautiful but so is everything in your home, I have dark wood floors too but I find what makes them even worse is that it has a very high gloss to it so it looks like the dirt is magnified even more. I love the look of dark wood but I'm anxious to the day I can go a bit lighter with the floor and for sure have a satin finish over it instead of the glossy sheen the house came with when I we bought it. I'm for sure going to try the wood cleaner you recommended, the vinegar didn't work for my floors either, mine came out dull too.
Hi Carmel, I love your wood floors. We are looking at putting in the dark wood as well and have heard a lot of negatives from friends and family but they look beautiful. I have heard some people complain about chipping and scratching. What brand do you have and have you experienced any of those issues? I figure it might have something to do with the quality of the flooring used as well. Thank you.
I've never had chipping or scratching problems. They will scratch and chip but it takes a lot for that to happen. I've dropped cans in my kitchen and not had any scratching or chipping at all. With bamboo brand is especially important as quality varies a lot. Typically with bamboo the higher price tag is worth it as the quality is much better than some of the lesser expensive brands.
My husband and I chose this same flooring for our home and have it throughout the entire home. What a mistake! While I agree it looks beautiful when first cleaned, the majority of time it looks awful. Not only does it show dust and pet hair, every footprint with or without shoes, shows. We need to be able to fly over them! I hate them and we want to replace them. I refuse to be a slave to these floors! Thanks for your info, but it doesn't work for us.
My husband and I chose this same flooring for our home and have it throughout the entire home. What a mistake! While I agree it looks beautiful when first cleaned, the majority of time it looks awful. Not only does it show dust and pet hair, every footprint with or without shoes, shows. We need to be able to fly over them! I hate them and we want to replace them. I refuse to be a slave to these floors! Thanks for your info, but it doesn't work for us.
My husband and I chose this same flooring for our home and have it throughout the entire home. What a mistake! While I agree it looks beautiful when first cleaned, the majority of time it looks awful. Not only does it show dust and pet hair, every footprint with or without shoes, shows. We need to be able to fly over them! I hate them and we want to replace them. I refuse to be a slave to these floors! Thanks for your info, but it doesn't work for us.
We have also dark bamboo floor and also love it when it's first clean. This is what I use : Miele Quartz with hardwood floor attachment, Bruce hardwood cleaner with and black diamond flat mop( unfortunately impossible to buy-bought 3 years ago) is best because it is not too light so it presses good to the floor. I still like dark floor but only with bamboo there is this problem that you will see footprints if you walk barefoot or with socks on, on regular dark hardwood you will not have this problem. I wish I knew that before…
Thanks for this updation it really help a lot of household people ….. very well explained . hard floor protection
The one problem is the preexisting wood. It is a glue in tongue and groove plank, unlike the fab click install that you can reconfigure if you must, ours doesnt have that option.to see more visit. Hardwood Adrian's Carpets – Flooring Carpet, Wood and Tile in all of Orange County California
Wow great post! Love to see this post. Keep up sharing more post like this.
My home also has dark wood floor so the cleaning method that is given in this blog is helpful for me and I like the vacuum cleaner review that is given in this blog related to the wood floor cleaning and I want to take the detail information about this vacuum cleaner and I think with the help of online site I can get the more detail about this…See this
I have dark wood floors as well, engineered hardwood. Lumber liquidators recommend the bellawood floor cleaner, it's all I've ever used but I get grayish streaks on my floor. What am I doing wrong? I haven't tried anything else and since its the only cleaner suggested by the manufacturer I'm afraid to use anything else. Please help:)
Wow! Nice information. There is wonderful on "How To Clean Dark Wood Floors". I am intimidated by the value of in progression on this website. There are a lot of excellent assets here. Definitely I will visit this place again soon. I think, We see our home as the ultimate place of relaxation, a place where we can revive our spirits and feel rejuvenated. Here is some helpful information about maintenance service.
Hi Carmel! We have dark floors too and are looking for a dining set like you have in your breakfast room (looks amazing). Would you be able to let us know where you purchased it?
Sorry, I wrote earlier and asked about your floors. So now I have all the deets. Thanks! One more question, though…How do your floors hold up against the dog's scratching it with their nails. My golden doodle (so cute, I love him) gets groomed regularly, but I notice scratch marks on my maple wood floors from certain angles. Anyway, I am researching for a different wood option.
Thanks~Jen
Hi, great article. We are making our way to your list. Already have Miele vacuum (best ever!), swiffer and purchased Bona cleaner but I also think it leaves some residue. I used Pledge to try it and while it look clean in the high traffic areas we see all kinds of footprints and marks. What do you recommend to remove the residue and start all over with Bella?
You may want to contact the manufacturer of your floors to ask what they recommend before trying anything. I remember using a little mixture of white distilled vinegar and water in a spray bottle to get the residue off from the other cleaners we tried and didn't like. Bamboo doesn't like a lot of water so a spray bottle is perfect.
Thanks
I use bona cleaner on my tiger wood (aka koa wood) floors. It works great. Just wish it would REPEL the dust, footprints, etc.!
I use the Roomba everyday on my dark hardwood floors… it saves what's left of my sanity. We use Bruce floor cleaner but I will try the Bellawood!!!
This is a super post. Thank you for all the info! I have a quick question you may or may not have advice on … I used orange glo on my bamboo floors … and now they are so splotchy. Would you also use the vinegar with spray bottle?
Carmel, thank you so much for this post. I have exactly the same bamboo hardwood floor and it is driving me insane! Yes, it is high maintenance floor, but I also would choose the same one again if I had to. I will try your tips for cleaning it. And thank you for your phrase "I'd rather have a happy home than a clean home." 🙂
Hardwood flooring is an important investment in your home. Sweep or vacuum regularly to rid your floor of dust and eliminate abrasives that can scratch the floor finish. Quickly wipe spills from floor to protect wood from excess liquid. Regularly swept or vacuumed floors will almost eliminate any need to "clean" the floor with a cleaning product. But when a cleaning product is needed, we suggest only using a "hardwood specific, non-oil based cleaner." Cleaning products should be sprayed on to the sponge mop or hand towel, never on to the floor itself. Use mats near sink, dishwasher and workstations to protect floor from cooking utensils, water spills, detergents, oils and other kitchen mishaps. Get more tips at : http://www.homeseekersreno.com/taking-appropriate-care-of-wood-flooring/
Thanks for the tip on Miele. I may recommend that to some of my hardwood customers. I recently heard that the D one can't be used on some of the softer carpets (I learned this from Shaw). I agree that Swiffer is awesome. And, I've found Bona to work very well.
Glad you love your dark hardwood floors. They are so stylish in our area, too (New York)
Debbie Gartner, aka The Flooring Girl.
That's weird. It's not connecting to my regular blog (which is http://TheFlooringGirl.com). Anyway, in our area, the 2 most popular stains are ebony and jacobean (which is just a shade lighter/browner) and often we do a 50/50 blend. Those seem to be a tad easier to maintain but still give the modern/chic look.
Which selection of morning star bamboo did you use? I love the looks of your flooring and would like to give it a try myself.
I like the idea of a 50/50 blend! I'll bet that helps a lot with disguising the dirt 😉
for all those specific details. They are great – but they are very very high maintenance – I always like to let people know that because it's kind of a commitment to put these floors in. But if you like a dark floor you will love how they look…..when they're clean 😉
I noticed that your steps also appeared black. Were these bamboo also or did you paint the existing floor? I've seen a lot of painted wood floors and just wanted to know what yours were as they were beautiful:-)
Thanks so much for your post! We've been having the great flooring debate in our house and the Morningstar Bamboo Kobra is a top contender. The reviews are "mixed" to say the best. People seem to love it or hate it. Have you had problems with scratching or the smell of formaldehyde from your floor?
Thanks! They were painted with an oil-based paint. Took a few days to dry but the paint has held up pretty well.
Never noticed a formaldehyde smell and not really any issues with scratching. We keep our dogs nails clipped. It's a high maintenance floor – there's no doubt about that – so I think you have to decided if you're ready to commit to that. I love the look of the dark wood so much that I've learned to just deal with the maintenance.
I have almost black maple and I love them! Yeah they're a pain to keep clean but I agree with you, totally worth it! My new favorite thing in the world is the swiffer vac! I swear I use it 5 times a day. It combines the swiffer and a vaccum. 2 birds, one stone! I am going to have to try the bellawood cleaner. I usually make my own solution and put it in a spray bottle. (1pt vinegar, 1pt rubbing alcohol, 1pt water and a dash of dish soap).
Unbelieveable. 1 year to the day I have just read your post. I have exactly the same bamboo, matte, dark floors at my home. It's a Californian Bungalow in Melbourne, Vic, Australia. I am so desparate to find a solution to cleaning these floors that I started googling re-surfacing, re-sanding. Footprints! Yes! It's the oil on our skin. I am going to definitely try some of your tactics and the other post with the mop and trigger. thanks. BTW – love your home.
What's your opinion on wax or refresher? I used Bona high gloss and loved it, but used it again and it left streaks. I am going to remove the wax this Spring… do you think no wax/refresher?
Hi Josh – I've never used a wax as the manufacturer of our floors didn't recommend one. I'm not sure on a refresher. I'm still really pleased with the BellaWood cleaner I've been using that came recommended from the manufacture of our floors. When I'm running low on the cleaner, I'll mix it with a little water and that seems to work out just fine too!
The wax really did eliminate the footprints, fogginess, etc. from dusty shoes or bare feet. I found another brand of wax that the people at Young House Love recommended, so I'm going to try it. Our floors show footprints almost daily without it!
Hi Matt, so sorry- for some odd reason I'm just now seeing this comment – my apologies! That table and bench is from Pottery Barn and the chairs were purchased at Crate & Barrel.
Are your floors bamboo or traditional hardwood? That may account for the difference.
They're exotic… not bamboo, but an exotic hardwood. I have forgotten the specific name. Very pretty, though!
We have a cherry wood floor with a gloss finish. We've had the floors in for about 8 years now. I feel like a slave to them. You can see every foot print. I have tried every cleaner out there. I'm struggling with what to do next. Any suggestions?
Hi Carla, I definitely feel your pain! Foot prints show on our floor too. I'm not sure anything will help with that – but I'd check with a professional to see if you can have them refinished. Maybe a satin finish instead of a gloss would help. We wear socks only in our house – and that seems to help a lot.
What would you recommend to get the film off first? I am not sure what I have done with my floors but they have a haze and you can see the streaks… My manufacturer recommended Bona and it doesn't work
This is a cute blog with helpful tips, until you get to the "irregardless" and "for realz" part. It is tough to take anyone seriously who makes up words. As a side note, bamboo flooring is engineered and cannot be treated the same as solid wood plank floors. Our flooring company recommends vinegar and water, or some other non-ammonia based cleaner.
I write the blog the way that I speak because it's a blog not a website and that just feels more personal to me. But I totally get it if it's not your thing. You're absolutely right that bamboo can not be treated the same as traditional hardwood – it can't handle water saturation which is why I made sure to note that steam mops aren't ideal or typically recommended by the manufacturer. However, the floor cleaner I use and love – mentioned in the post – Bellawood – is recommended for all flooring – bamboo and traditional hardwood. You can even use it on tile and laminate flooring. But I would absolutely recommend checking with the manufacturer before using any product.
you have no idea how excited I am about this flooring tip! Question: where can you find Bellawood cleaner?? Home Depot only seems to carry Bona! Same?? Better? Worse??
I buy it from Lumber Liquidators. You can order it online or pick it up in the store. A little goes a long way. I prefer Bellawood as it does not leave any residue on the floors at all.
Hello! First time reading your blog. It's funny, because my husband and I just got married (March 21st, 2014!) and while we were on our honey moon, we had this flooring installed. My family tried really hard to talk me out of the color, but I just couldn't resist the color! As soon as we got back from our honeymoon, we stepped on the floor and the first thing we noticed was the foot prints that every step left. Then we lightly slid a chair across the floor and noticed it scratches SO easily! I couldn't believe it, because the only reason we bought this was because the sales man at Lumber Liquidators said it was a very hard, virtually un-scratchable wood! I wasn't happy at all about that, but my love for the color made up for it. Anyway, one of the items we got as a gift, that we put on our registry, was the steam mop. We haven't had a chance to use it just yet, but I was going to use it for the first time tomorrow! I'm so glad I saw this post though!
Can you provide me with the source where you got your information about the steam mops not being recommended? Also, it LOOKS like we have the same wood. Kobra Click Strand Bamboo from Lumber Liquidators?
Thanks for the post!
Hi… another LL Bamboo person stumbling on your blog post… 1+ on the rubbermaid "add your own solution" mob with the washable head… love the bella scratch hider… which is our biggest problem… EVERYTHING scratches our floor… you have a dog? wow… you must be as organized with nail clippings as you are mopping 🙂
Hi, I am wondering how you use the Bellawood cleaner? Do you physically spray it on your floors from the bottle it comes in? And then what do you use to mop it up? Thanks for your tips!
I also have the LL morning star dark bamboo hardwood flooring. My routine is almost identical to yours Carmel except I use the Shark Rocket Ultralight Upright vacuum to combine the vacuuming & swiffering steps. The vacuum has a standard head for vacuuming carpets & a hard surface head with a section for a washable microfiber pad to collect the fine dust. I bought this vacuum on Amazon. It comes with one pad and I bought a 3 pack of pads at Bed, Bath & Beyond since I use them regularly. So I go through with the vacuum/duster then I use the Bellawood Cleaner in a spray bottle and spritzer a small section and mop it up with a similar mop as yours (Bellawood has a kit with the mop, mop pad and spray through LL). Then I marvel for 48 seconds at the beauty they possess before my OCD captures the existence of my long red hair or my daughter's blonde hair or some particle of dust that is glowing like a beacon on light. Gorgeous they are but in all honesty since these are a click together tongue and groove solid hardwood that "float" we are going to pull them up this winter and put down a lighter color of solid hardwood and put these beauties is less traffic areas like bedrooms…which desperately need the floor to be replaced (30 year old carpet…yuck). I do recommend the Shark to combine the two steps; without that I might go berserk:) Carmel your home is absolutely lovely and I really loved the post!!! I'm right there with you; I've got this routine down!
Thanks so much for your post! I love the looks of your flooring and would like to give it a try myself.
Well this was of no help at all. You are incorrect. Wood floors still show prints if you have on socks, slippers or shoes. I don't have any problem cleaning my floor, it's all the smudges that appear the moment someone steps on it!
I was about to say something on this topic. But now i can see that everything on this post is very amazing and mind blowing, so i have nothing to say here. I am just going through all the post and being appreciated. i have found anther site for hardwood floors cleaning tips and vacuum cleaners at http://thebestvacuumforhardwoodfloors.com. Thanks for sharing such a concise post with all.
I loved the explanations here and thanks so much for your articles. Now I introduce one site to choose one of the best hardwood floor vacuum (http://apennyvacuum.com/). still the hardest job. I'll see what you likes.
Thanks for this post! I have the same flooring and I love/hate it. It stays clean for like four seconds. So do you just use the Bellawood cleaner spray with the microfiber instead of mopping?
Yes – I use a microfiber pad instead of a mop
Have you used Bona compared to Bellawood? What mop do you use with bellawood? can i use a bona mop and just put bellawood in tehre?
I have dark floors too… mine tend to be on the cheaper side of engineered hardwood, and seem to develop a film after a few cleanings although I've also questioned the quality of flooring i bought…. I think main cause of the filmy build up is because I live in a small condo that doesn't circulate air as well as it should. So the cooking and greasy clouds from the kitchen end up settling on the floor and inevitably get smudged by feet and pushed around later with a swiffer/bona. My only solution is to clean periodically on hands and knees with a bristle brush. The brush I use is actually a kitchen dish brush that has a squeeze top dispenser for the dish soap. I use it only for this purpose, and it seems to work wonderful. I use vinegar and a few drops of dish soap (to cut the grease) in a bucket of water and I squeegey up the excess liquid from the scrubbing process as I go. I do a kneel on a towel to keep the knees happy. And move in a reachable pattern until I hit everything.
Hello! Have you noticed that Bellawood cleaner has a different formula? It is the environment friendly or green solution now that is available for purchase. I have found that it doesn't work as well. Went to Bona but I still loved the original Bellawood cleaner. Have you found the same? If so, have you found a great substitute?
Have white spots that don't seem to come out? When you first clean floor they disappear. Then after a day they re appear?
Amazing post! It was very informative. I have dark matte bamboo floors as well and it definitely sure is a lot of maintenance. I actually recently purchased a Roomba 880 and it has been doing wonders! One thing I do that really helps the 'mopping' is by attaching the microfiber cloth/towel into the slots of the swiffer duster directly which makes it a lot more ergonomic and expedites the cleaning! On a side note, how do you fix your scratches? I've been using the miniwax dark walnut stainer but it doesn't seem to work as well as I would have hoped. It leaves an oily polished look which does not blend well with our matte floors. I have even wiped off the excess as instructed but it just ends up wiping off the stain from the scratch as well. Maybe I need to do it multiple times…. Any suggestions?
Thank you for all the great tips of cleaning that you have posted here. These are all wonderful tips of cleaning a dark floor. All of these tips are very efficient in used, and it can give us good cleaning methods to apply in our floor. Repair a carpet transition | Repair carpet to tile transition
Hi Carmel, I always thought that cleaning dark wood floor is a really tough job that a novice like me shouldn't even try to do. But after reading your pretty cool tips, seems like even I can clean dark wood floors now. Truly great! Buy vacuum cleaner
I knew as soon as the group of us decided to make one of the challenges a cleaning challenge that it was high time for me to share my tips for cleaning and caring for dark wood floors. New Perfect Coupons
I love this. I am expecting my first baby and have become insane about cleaning. I wanted a new vacuum because the pet hair mine seemed to be leaving on the carpet. I looked at reviews all over. This was way more affordable so I decided to give it a shot.
I've also noticed they must have changed the formula of Bellawood cleaner. I've loved their product since we installed our floors in 2012. There is a haze on my floors now about a day after I clean. Now I'm disappointed and am looking for an alternative. Have you found a solution yet?
Don't use Bona. I got my dark hardwood floors from Home Depot and they recommended Bona which says that it doesn't streak. I does streak badly. I have even contacted Bona about it. I have 3,750 sq. feet of this stuff and the streaking after afters of cleaning is about to send me over the edge.
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Your house is just GORGEOUS! I’m obsessed with dark wood floors, it’s a love/hate thing but even medium-dark wood shows every dust particle too. We have had Brazilian Cherry in our house for 11 years and it shows everything. I think more because it’s a high gloss. We are building now and chose a very dark (almost black) wire-brushed oak with a satin finish. Hopefully the finish will be more forgiving, but it still wouldn’t keep me from getting them. And, we have the big-D vacuum and I absolutely despise it. The hose on the hand-tools is the biggest pain in the arse. The vacuum is constantly tipping over when you barely pull on the hose. Anyhoooo, thanks for the tip about the Bellwood cleaner. Definitely going to pick some up!
So funny I just googled best way to clean dark hardwood floors and your sight popped up. I know its a few years old but WOW! My husband and I installed dark hardwood last June and I’ve been so sad ever since. While yes they do look beautiful, I wish someone would of warned me about the footprints!!! Its like a white chalk the second someone walks in! I vacuum, then swiffer then Bona almost everyday! If I had all the money in the world I would rip them out 🙁 Why do you prefer the Bellwood over Bona?
Hi Natasha, I liked it better because it seems to not show as many footprints. There’s really no residue left behind after cleaning with the Bellawood cleaner.
Hi
OMG I HATE MY FLOORS!!! I was also told by many friends not to get these floors!! I am now a slave to the floors. I use the Bellawood- by the way I should have stock, as I need to buy all the time! If I could I would rip them up. I live on the beach and am bit of a clean freak. If you have a dog or people in the house for a few days man does the floor look so dirty. I am know starting to get a film build up from the floor. I wanted to know what else anyone uses to get the finish to soften down so you do not see all the footprints and dirt. I use the swifter but that just leaves streaks! I swear I am going to get a divorce over this floor!!! Help!!!!!!!
Hi
I have had my floors for a few years know and I cry everyday!! I have told my husband the min I have some money I am ripping them out!!!!!! I am a slave to these floors!!!!! we watched a dog for a few weeks and I just gave up. The other thing that is happening is the Bellawood is now forming a build up and i need to find a way to get that off. I can mop with the cleaner and the next step is a foot print – they should take these floors off the market- I live the hell!!
Can you put socks on your dogs too?!! LOL
I have a satin finish on mine and the biggest problem is the foot prints. And all the dust. My floor are a honey red oak engineered hardwood. They are not holding up well at all. I got them at Lumber Liquidators and I have only had them a year and I live alone. It looks like I have had them 40 years with 10 kids! I don’t like the darker finish. I didn’t get to go down there to pick them up because I am housebound from by back. I told them I wanted a Honey or golden oak. But they sent me the red oak and it looks way to dark.
Omg, love the dark floors. Trying to keep them looking beautiful is another story. I also bought a big D! Lol. Not all its worked up to be. My cleaning lady used Quick Shine and ruined my floors! So depressing. I can be a little bit of a OCD too. Just wanted to say I total can relate!
The struggle is real isn’t it? 😉
Help please! We have dark Bellawood flooring and loved it….. for about 6 months. This winter it started to show more dust and footprints than ever before. The only change I can pinpoint is we ran out of Bellawood cleaner and tried other brands. We are back to Bellawood cleaner because nothing else measured up, but the floor continues to look really terrible – even a day after cleaning. It was not this bad the first 6 months and we loved it. Any ideas on how we can get back to the less maintenance floors we started with?
I saw this post several years ago and loved the advice about the Bellawood. I’ve been using it ever since, but I just purchased new bottles of the Bellawood and they have the exact same label, but now the floors are horrible streaked and have a major dull residue. I am using the Bellawood the exact same way. Do you know if they changed the ingredients? Are you still using Bellawood and/or are you experiencing the same problem?
I don’t live in that house any longer so I don’t have super dark wood or bamboo any longer. It’s possible they have changed the formula. You can always call to inquire. On my current wood floors I use a mixture of Thieves cleaner and water. It’s not chemically laden yet still cleans well, but I don’t have super dark floors any longer.
It’s possible that when you switched cleaners that created a residue on the floor which is causing all the dust and footprints to show. You may need to use just a little soap and water to really wipe away any residual residue before using the Bellawood cleaner again.
I didn’t realize that it was okay to use soap and water on the wood. We will try a small area to see if it helps. What do you think about vinegar and water? I have family members who use it but their floors are lighter (Brazilian Cherry)
I’ve heard vinegar and water is good. You may want to test a spot just to make sure first. Vinegar or soap should cut through any build up.
Where is your kitchen table from?
From Pottery Barn
We used vinegar and water and could tell a huge difference after one cleaning! We have now cleaned it twice with the V&W combo and I can’t believe the difference already. You were right… it must have had residue buildup from all the cleaners we tried. Thank so much!!!
Glad to hear it!
Hi Carmel! I found this post about 2 years ago and it saved my life! But I just ordered more Bella wood. It was the exact same label but now it is streaming terribly. I read the reviews on lumber liquidators and someone also mentioned they had the same issue. They mentioned they thought they changed the formula. Have you had the same problem? Help! I’m desperate!
We had the same problem with the Bellawood Cleaner. The first batch was amazing and the next was not. The place we purchased it from said we were using too much, but we didn’t agree and ended up switching to vinegar and water. This combo turned out to be amazing and is certainly cheaper!! 1/2 cup vinegar per gallon of water
Thanks for sharing your experience! Always a bummer when a company changes the formula. Good to know natural cleaning is working for you.
Hi: I too have Matte dark wood floors…beautiful no doubt. However, one day I decided to try a light wax on it and let me tell you the results were AMAZING! Loved the shine. That did not last long! After cleaning with vinegar and water the floors are now dull not even Matte just dull. What can I do now to get back the original Matte finish?I have moped it with plain water hundreds of times and its still dull. Thank you.
I’d recommend calling the manufacturer of your floors. It sounds like the wax finish is what has caused them to dull and the manufacturer will know what to use to remove the wax buildup without ruining your floors.
Hi Carmel I have wood floors as well not quite as dark as yours mine or hand scraped, hickory . is there another solution maybe vinegar and water.I’m not sure if I can find the product you recommend but your house is absolutely beautifu!! I see we have the same taste, dark cabinets red/ orange walls, beautiful thank you for your post. Where can I find this cleaner ?
Lumber Liquidators used to sell it and I believe they still do. I’ve actually switched to using Thieves cleaner by Young Living in my new home. My floors are not as dark here.
The best thing about it for those with dark wood floors is that is leaves zero residue and no streaks! I’ve literally tried every floor cleaner on the market and this is the absolute best cleaner!
We just put down laminate flooring that’s semi dark and yes, i can see every spec of everything. I have 2 dogs that lick the floor ALL THE TIME. I use Bona to clean (for now) and I notice that when I squirt it on, I can see what seems like “dog lick stains” on the wood, then I mop over it and it doesn’t come up. You can’t see them once the floor dries. Only when wet. WHAT IS THAT??? I don’t get it. I may switch and try the Bellawood recommended, just wondered if you had any advice on that. I was thinking of using a vinegar/water solution but then read that’s a huge NO NO.
Laminate does require different cleaning than real wood. I’ve been using Thieves for a while now in our new house – it’s a natural essential oil based cleaner. You may want to check with your manufacturer to see what they recommend.
I have Theives here, both the essential oil AND the cleaner concentrate. Which do you use and what’s the ratio? Thanks!! I hadn’t thought of that.
I use the cleaner and mix it as it recommends.
carmel we have dark hardwood floors and we use the products you recommend; however, we also have a white german sheppard dog and my husband lets it roam in the house; HAIR everywhere, scratches and slobber marks….what do I do?
Perfect timing!
First, let me say that you have a very beautiful home. Lovely!
Second, thank you for this post. Mu hubby bought the D vacuum and I do not like it. He wishes he bought something else, as well. For now we will use it, but I am on the look out for a vacuum with great suction as well as a great hardwood floor attachment. I will most definitely try the cleaner you recommend. I have tried others and got annoyed with the residue and streaking.
You floors are beautiful. I love our floors. I wish I had gone with a different kind. The quality is poor. It scratches easily and small pieces of wood have started breaking off. Yep! Splinters have stuck to my socks. Not happy about that.
Anyway, thank you so much for your post. 🙂