Working with hardwood is not as big a challenge as you think. Trust me, because I used to be just like you! As I go through the sanding procedure, there will be dust and wood chips left on the hardwood floors. When I woke up the next morning, I was shocked by the amount of dust on the floor. As a result, I had to clean it all over again.
Since that time, I realize that it’s a must to do the cleaning right after sanding them to avoid dust accumulation during nighttime. In this case, the professionals often use powerful and heavy vacuuming devices.
Sounds complicated? No worries; I discovered the best methods on how to clean hardwood floors after sanding at home for you here!
Table of Contents
How to Clean Hardwood Floors After Sanding
Sweeping Compound
An oil-based cleaner was extremely nifty at soaking up the remaining dust and dirt on the hardwood floors. A sweeping compound will also prevent you from inhaling dust particles that come out during the cleaning process.
Leave the compound for 10 minutes, then sweep the remains on the wooden floors with a soft-bristled broom to remove dust. The chemicals from the compound could be harmful to your skin, so you need to put on your gloves to protect your hands. I know wearing gloves is unpleasant, but it’s necessary for this job!
Dust Mopping
Mopping is a simple way to clean up the remaining dust on your floor. But it would be great if you got a microfiber dust mop since little fibers are likely to drag dust and dirt with them. Additionally, using a dust mop also helps remove dust particles in the air.
Vacuuming
Another fast and effortless way to clean hardwood after sanding is vacuuming. You may not believe me, but it is surprisingly sufficient. Vacuuming the hardwood floors will help remove dust, little wood chips, and scraps thoroughly without even trying.
Mineral Spirits
Although the previous methods are great, my go-to cleaning hardwood floors method is mineral spirits. This way, I was able to wipe off every bit of dust on my floors.
Thanks to its water-free properties, you won’t have to risk your floors getting ruined. With mineral spirits, you’ll only need a soft cloth to get the job done.
Soak the cloth into the mineral spirits and gently sweep the floors to remove the dust. After that, wait for the floors to dry. Then, you can move forward to the next floor!
Tips for Cleaning Hardwood Floors After Sanding
After trial and error, here are some tips to ensure that you will never make any mistake during the cleaning process:
#1: Make preparations beforehand. If you don’t want to spend time cleaning up after a mess, you need to cover up important objects and furniture in the room to prevent them from getting dusted.
#2: Upon cleaning hardwood floors with a sweeping compound, you must take precautions against chemical ingredients in the compound. It’s better to use an all-natural sweeping compound.
However, there are stains that can’t be wiped off with normal cleaner, and you’ll need a chemical cleaner. In this case, you must prepare gloves, a mask, eye, and nose protection gear.
#3: Do NOT put an immense amount of water on your wood floor! Water can help with cleaning; however, too much water can make the texture of your wood floors shrink and cause huge damages.
#4: The quality of your wooden floors CAN be affected by the detergents you use! Thus, make sure you pick out a neutral pH cleaner before applying it to the floors.
#5: Since mineral spirits is a detergent, it consists of chemicals that are harmful to your skin. Thus, wear gloves and a mask to protect yourself from being exposed to deleterious chemicals.
Conclusion
I’ve just given you four methods on how to clean hardwood floors after sanding. From my experience, using mineral spirits is my number one choice since it’s convenient but not too complicated to apply.
However, the decision is still yours. Whatever method you choose, you will finish the job better than expected if you strictly follow my simple tips.
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