Cleaning ingrained dirt from wood is actually simpler than you might think! You can clean sealed or unsealed wooden flooring without much trouble if you know the right steps.
What to know more? Read on and I’ll share what you need to know.
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How to Clean Ingrained Dirt From Wood
It’s important to make sure that you aren’t using abrasive or damaging products or you’ll end up with floors in worse shape than from just the ingrained dirt.
Here are a few tips for cleaning ingrained dirt from wood whether it’s wood flooring, walls, or wood furniture.
Cleaning Ingrained Dirt From Sealed Wood Flooring
Most hardwood floors are sealed whether it’s a style choice or one to improve the structure’s integrity. But what if you don’t know if they’re sealed or not?
How to test for sealed wood flooring
To test this, all you need is a cup of water. Splash some drops of water on your wooden flooring and see how the water behaves.
If you see it bead up into droplets, the floor is sealed, likely with varnish or an oil-based seal.
The water might also turn white. If this happens, it indicates that the surface is waxed, which is similar to sealing. However, if the wood absorbs the water, it’s unsealed.
Cleaning the sealed wood flooring surface
Assuming your floor is sealed, the first thing you’ll want to do is remove anything from the surface. Sweep or vacuum to get as much dirt or dust away as possible.
You’ll want to do this before mopping next or you run the risk of the dirt scratching your floors up.
Mopping is often where your task will stop if you’re cleaning a floor of this type. If not, you should go back over the areas with a microfiber rag and use a little elbow grease.
Seals can scratch easily with harsh materials, so be careful!
Cleaning Ingrained Dirt From Untreated Wood Floors
Untreated wood floors are a little harder to clean. The good news is that you don’t have to concern yourself as much with scratching, as there’s no seal to ruin.
You’ll start the same way for both types of wood. Remove any dust, dirt, or debris from the top, but you won’t want to mop. Since this flooring is unsealed, it may soak up the water quickly, ruining the floor.
Excess water should never come in contact with unsealed wooden flooring or you risk rotting the wood.
For more ingrained dirt, you might want to try some other materials. White vinegar and warm water are popular cleaning solutions if you don’t have any wood floor cleaner.
Scrubbing with a microfiber rag is another good way to do this, but avoid harsh cleaners like coarse sponges or metal scrubbers.
How Do You Get Black Dirt Spots Off Hardwood Floors?
Dark spots have several different causes, regardless of whether it’s finished wood or unfinished wood. While some cleaners like white vinegar are effective, some dark spots are more challenging to deal with.
Grease stains usually don’t stand a chance, but you might need something a little stronger for sap or chemical stains.
Chlorine and bleach are effective wood cleaners, though they can eat through many wood finishes and sealants if left for too long. Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are also effective, especially if you let them soak for lengthy periods.
Try the least intensive options first, then go for a harsher cleaner like bleach if the others fail.
How Do You Deep Clean Old Wood Floors?
Old wooden floors can sometimes prove difficult to deep clean. It’s especially difficult for aged wood that could show signs of damage. Wood rot, swollen wood, brittle wood, and many other issues can appear.
You’ll often need gentler supplies for these. You can treat the wood like you usually do if it is already sealed. The seal will stop you from getting down into the wood itself. Unsealed wood, especially if it’s brittle, can flake away or chip.
Get as much off of it as you can with a vacuum cleaner if it is on sealed wood. Afterward, using a clean cloth and a gentle cleaning solution is your best bet. You may not get the wood to its original shine, but it will look better.
Removing Dirt From a Wood Table
Dirt on a wood table isn’t all that different from a wooden floor. Any wood surface likely got dirt in it the same way.
The good news is that it can be easier to clean the dirt out of a wooden table. That’s primarily because the wood on a dirt floor can build up quickly due to shoes and proximity to the outdoors.
You can usually get this dirt out using a microfiber cleaning cloth and your preferred wood cleaner. If not, consider using a more robust cleaner and maybe even a soft-bristled brush (to avoid damaging the surface) or letting it sit overnight.
Can You Use Vinegar to Clean Wood?
Yes, white vinegar is one of the most common cleaning ingredients for wood especially for homeowners that don’t want to use harsh chemicals like chlorine.
Vinegar’s only real detriment is that most people don’t like the smell. You can’t do anything about that, but opening the windows and doors to get the smell out quickly is a perfectly viable plan.
Does Baking Soda Damage Wood Floors?
Baking soda can cause damage to your floors and is something that you should use carefully, if at all.
Many people will spread baking soda across their floor before adding vinegar due to the bubbly reaction. For many surfaces, such as unsealed concrete, it’s a good cleaning option as it becomes abrasive.
However, abrasive substances are terrible for wooden flooring and are something you need to avoid. The grains of baking soda can cause deep scratches to your wooden flooring when you scrub.
It can cause damage to unsealed wood and give water more places to sink into, making it more vulnerable. For sealed wood, this can scratch and ruin the seal making it so that you need to redo the seal if you want to keep the wood safe.
Instead of baking soda, consider sticking to only vinegar. If you insist on using baking soda for some reason, don’t scrub.
Letting it sit won’t cause any damage but scrubbing it away can cause scratches.
Does Hydrogen Peroxide Remove Stains on Hardwood Floors?
Hydrogen peroxide is another effective wood cleaner and something that you can easily use to remove stains.
However, if you’re removing a stain from wood that’s beneath a seal layer hydrogen peroxide won’t work. The simple reason is that the chemical cannot penetrate the stain.
If you’re removing a stain from sealed wood, you have to remove the seal. Once you do this, you can apply the hydrogen peroxide directly to the floor or a rag and press it over the stain.
Leave the hydrogen peroxide overnight and remove it later. If the stain is still there, reapply and wait again.
If it still refuses to come out, you may need to switch to something harsher.
