How do you clean a parquet floor without damaging it?

How to clean a parquet floor

Clean parquet with as little water as possible, and never leave it wet. Remove the grit, mop with a damp mop that has been wrung out well, then dry the floor and air the room. Steps 4 and 5 below are maintenance tips from HDB's floor finishes guide; steps 1 to 3 are practical advice.

1. Sweep or vacuum first. Remove sand, dust and grit with a soft broom or a vacuum fitted with a soft brush head. Grit caught under a mop can scratch the varnish.
2. Use a well-wrung mop. Dip the mop in clean water and wring it until it feels only damp. Never mop parquet with a wet, dripping mop.
3. Work along the grain. Mop in the direction the wood grain runs, one small area at a time, so you can spot and lift any water left behind.
4. Dry the surface. HDB advises drying the surface after mopping. Follow each area with a dry, soft cloth or a dry mop.
5. Ventilate the room. HDB also advises ventilating rooms so humidity does not build up. Open the windows while the floor dries.

Between mops, sweep or vacuum more often than you mop. It keeps grit down without adding moisture. For a single mark, use a damp cloth instead of mopping the whole floor, then dry the spot.

Keep damp and scratches away

Day-to-day care matters as much as how you mop. HDB's floor finishes guide gives four maintenance tips for parquet:

• Avoid excessive dampness. For example, place a floor mat on the parquet next to the toilets.
• Dry the surface after mopping. Do not let water sit on the strips.
• Ventilate rooms. This helps avoid humidity building up indoors.
• Protect against scratches. Put soft pads or rubber soles on furniture legs.

Pads help most on dining chairs and other furniture that moves often. Replace worn or missing pads, since a bare leg can scratch the varnish when it is dragged. When you rearrange a room, lift heavy pieces rather than pushing them across the floor. A doormat at each entrance also traps sand before it is walked onto the parquet.

Common parquet problems and fixes

HDB's floor finishes guide lists four common problems with parquet, their causes and the fixes it suggests. Two of the four trace back to water, so the first step for those is to find the source.

If stained or bulging strips sit along a wall, the water may be coming through the wall rather than from spills on the floor. Read our guide to water seepage through a wall before you repair the floor, so the same patch does not keep getting wet.

Re-varnishing, filling gaps and replacing strips go beyond routine cleaning. Ask a flooring contractor to inspect the floor, explain which fix it needs and quote for the work. The cost depends on the area and the job, so ask what the quote includes, such as moving furniture and clearing up afterwards.

Cleaning products and bleach safety

For routine cleaning, plain water on a well-wrung mop is often enough. If you want a cleaner, use one that your floor's maker or the varnish supplier recommends. Test it first on a hidden corner, such as under a sofa, and check the spot once it is dry. Use one product at a time and follow its label. If a cleaner leaves the floor sticky or dull, stop using it and go back to plain water.

Replacing parquet

If strips are beyond repair or you want a different floor, check the rules before work starts. HDB's renovation guidelines for building works say laying new floor finishes over existing finishes needs no permit, but replacing existing floor finishes, such as re-laying parquet, needs a permit. If you are weighing tiles instead, read our guide to HDB floor tile rules.

Floor work usually leaves dust behind. Once it is finished, you can book post-renovation cleaning, or deep cleaning if the parquet is staying and the home needs more than a routine clean. Before you book, ask the company whether it has cleaned varnished parquet, which products it uses on it and whether it dries the floor after mopping. The price depends on the size of the home and the job, so compare the published prices on each service page.

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