Can Wood Flooring Be Mopped?

There are usually various types of floorings that can be laid in most homes e.g. ceramic tiles, wood, laminate or stone flooring. Wood and stone are natural materials; hence they do not accumulate dust mites or emit chemicals and are therefore healthy for the family. Whilst stone like marble is cold to touch and less appropriate for bed rooms, wood is warm and gives a sense of coziness when used in bed rooms. Wood flooring is manufactured from timber e.g. teak, oak and ash. They come in the form of strips e.g. for parquet flooring. Parquet flooring has intricate and unique designs; their grains, tones and colours definitely enhance an otherwise lackluster bedroom.

Generally, parquet flooring is not too difficult to maintain. All you need is to perform regular light sweeping. This would remove particles which if stepped on across the parquet flooring, may inevitably scratch it. To keep the parquet flooring clean, you could clean your feet first before entering your bed rooms, this is to avoid dirtying and scratching the wooden floor. To further maintain cleanliness, you may use a damp mop or cloth / towel (more dry than wet) to clean the parquet flooring regularly, say twice a week. You should use minimal detergent or if possible no detergent during wiping to avoid dulling the finishing.

Can wood flooring be wet mopped? It should be noted that excessively wet mopping is not recommended. This is because, excessive water will damage the wood. Wood will expand when wet and cause it to eventually crack or splinter. The parquet flooring will also discolour and the finishing will become dull with regular excessive wet mopping. Similarly if there are any spills leading to any pools of water accumulated on the parquet flooring, especially for those bed rooms with attached bath rooms, these spills cannot be left unattended. You have to wipe the puddle of water immediately and make sure that the wood flooring is properly dried as soon as possible.
What if wet mopping is inevitable? If using more water to clean the wood flooring is inevitable due to stubborn stains, then use a slightly wet mop or cloth/towel or sponge but not an excessively wet one to clean only the targeted area. Once the area has been cleaned, dry the parquet flooring immediately. In fact, wet mopping should be done only when an area of the floor is really dirty and only on a need-to basis.

So, to ensure that your parquet flooring can be kept as good as new for as long as possible, avoid bringing dirt and stain to your bed rooms i.e. have a good habit of keeping your feet clean and dry e.g. wipe your feet on a towel or rug before entering bed rooms. Also do not perform any work that can cause stubborn stains or water spills on the wood flooring.
Remember, just regularly sweep and use only a slightly damp mop with little or no detergent for your parquet flooring; wet mopping should be avoided as far as possible.