How to Clean Whitewashed Hardwood Floors |
Posted: June 30, 2019 |
If you have whitewashed hardwood floors, lucky you! This style is old-made-new and an easy classic that will always be fashionable, even if it comes in and out of trend. Just like that favorite white blouse of yours, or those whitewashed jeans, the one downside to whitewashed ANYTHING is the burden of keeping it clean. You'll inevitably dribble cofee all over the blouse and lean your butt against the one car in the driveway that is wearing ninja dirt. Invisible to the naked eye, this greasy black smear will print you with a stain that will be the talk of all your friends if you don't catch it soon enough. Your whitewashed hardwood floor is no different, as I'm sure you've noticed. Wood gives a little wiggle room, given that the grain can sometimes hide staining or dried spills. Regardless, you'll want that whitewash to appear new and old at once, and the key to this ageless balance is knowing how to clean whitewashed hardwood floors. Remember to always check directions or warnings on any chemical you bring near your beautiful hardwood. There are some cleaners that will strip your finish right off, or leave your hardwood puffy and bruised. Always keep the long term in mind, even if you get a suggestion on how to clean quickly and without a residual scent. There is only one surefire way to clean that whitewashed beauty in a way that is time-tested and approved by experts around the globe. First, you always want to take special care to ensure that the floor is well swept and all potential scratch risks are removed. Sweep two or three times, starting with a brisk and heavy stroke to loosen stuck debris, and then follow that round up with gentle and meticulous brushing to ensure even the finest of detritus is solved for. The last thing you want is for a tiny shard of glass or porcelain to catch in your cleaning tools and drag a trough into the surface of your whitewashed hardwood. Once you can be postive that no further offal remains to scar your wood, mix 1 part vinegar to 4 parts luke warm water. If you have particularly stubborn stains, you can get more aggressive by increasing the amount of vinegar in the solution. Start small, and work your way up. Do not exceed 50/50, as there comes a point where this is not only wasteful and stinky, but potentially damaging to your finish. Ventilate the area well. Even if you LOVE vinegar, you will be rubbing around enough of the stuff to fill the air from soffit to running board. I prefer to use white vinegar, though there are some disagreements on whether it is a must. Some people prefer the smell of apple vinegar, but you run the risk of that soft amber tone rubbing INTO the floor instead of unlocking the stains and carrying them AWAY. When your solution is mixed, use a soft cloth to gently wipe the surface of your whitewashed hardwood. Your aim is not to saturate and soak, simply to brush at the surface with enough vinegar solution to penetrate the upper crust of the stain. If you're leaving puddles behind, you're using too much solution. The aim is to simulate a clorox wipe. The surface should be left lightly shimmering but easily evaporate within a minute at most. Once you feel the surface is sufficiently cleaned, run one more pass over the hardwood with water only. This will help to dilute any remaining vinegar and increase the speed with which the solution will evaporate.
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