How to clean hardwood flooring?

There’s nothing like hardwood flooring for timeless elegance and durability. Its unique combination of beauty and practicality enhances any home. And if you think it’s hard to maintain – think again. With surprisingly little maintenance, your Pergo wood floor’s looks will last a lifetime. You don’t need to spend hours cleaning – after all, you’ve got much better things to do. Here’s what you need to know about how to clean, maintain and repair your wood floor.

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How often should you clean wood floors?

Cleaning the floor is no one’s priority in life. Fortunately, you really don’t have to clean your wood flooring too often. It depends on how many people and pets there are in your home, and how busy the room gets, but generally it’s simple: lightly dust or sweep each day to prevent dirt building up; vacuum or sweep (with a soft brush) once a week; and damp-mop once a month with a cleaning product that’s safe for wood.

Essential tools for cleaning hardwood flooring

Having the right kit makes whatever you’re doing easier and more enjoyable. And just as you can’t do without having an efficient coffee machine to give you that morning wake-me-up, or a great yoga mat to help you with your workout, in order to clean your wood floor effectively you need the correct tools:

a vacuum cleaner with a hardwood-floor setting
a wet mop
a microfibre dust mop
a soft-bristle broom
Pergo maintenance products.

Woman cleaning wooden floor with a flat mop in a modern home

Our step-by-step guide to cleaning hardwood flooring

At Pergo, we like to make things easy for you. So, without any fuss, here’s our straightforward guide on how to clean wood flooring.

Once a week

Dry clean, using a vacuum cleaner with soft wheels and a special parquet brush.

Once a month (or twice if necessary)

Damp-clean with your Pergo Cleaning Kit. Here’s how to do it:

Step 1: Vacuum the floor thoroughly.
Step 2: Fill the water tank of your Pergo floor mop, addinga teaspoon of Pergo Floor Cleaner (for an intensive clean, use 3 teaspoons). Fill a bucket with water to use for rinsing out the mop.
Step 3: As you mop, make sure to work in the direction of the planks.
Step 4: Rinse the mop in the clean water. Wring it out well andwipe over your floor again.
Tip: the mop must only be slightly damp, as too much water can damage wooden floors.

How to remove stains from hardwood floors safely

In busy homes where you’re working, cooking, playing with pets and raising children, all kinds of little accidents can happen. The last thing you want to worry about is your wood floor – and the good news is you can fix most spills or stains quite easily without harming the finish.

For coffee, wine, juice and chocolate, use a moist cloth (white cotton is best) to remove as much of the spill as possible, then apply Pergo Floor Cleaner thinned in lukewarm water (3 teaspoons per 300ml water).
If the culprit is rubber scuffs, nail polish, permanent marker or paint, the answer is Pergo Spot Cleaner. Just spray directly onto the stain and leave to soak for up to five minutes, then rub firmly with a clean, moist cloth. Check out our maintenance leaflet for more details.

Download maintenance guide

Dirty sneakers leaving muddy footprints on light wooden floor

How to repair hardwood flooring

Your dog’s been digging for an imaginary bone, the kids have smashed their toys around and whoever’s on cooking duty that night just dropped a knife. Wood floors can sometimes get scratched and scraped, but did you know that you can repair your wood floors if necessary? For minor damage, use the Pergo Repair Kit, which includes seven colour-matched wax blocks, a melting knife and sanding pads for you to carry out invisible repairs. For deep gouges, consider using wood filler in a matching colour, or replacing the whole plank. If your beautiful boards have suffered major damage, we recommend consulting your retailer for advice

Download colour chart

Looking after your hardwood floors

We’re not vain, but we do think our hardwood floors are beautiful, and we want to help you keep yours looking its best. Here’s our advice (and don’t worry, we’ve kept it really simple).

Don't:

Leave spills on the floor – always wipe up straight away
Use abrasive cleaners
Drag furniture when moving it

Do:

Use a doormat by external doors
Place felt pads under furniture
Choose Pergo maintenance products, which are designed to keep your wood flooring looking its best

Cleaning products for your hardwood floor

At Pergo, we offer everything you need to keep your parquet floors looking stunning year after year. Our specially designed Floor Cleaner and Spot Cleaner gently cleanse your floors without causing harm. To make cleaning even easier, our floor mop with a refillable water tank and machine-washable microfibre mop ensure a spotless finish. And for those accidental scuffs or scratches, our Repair Kit will restore your parquet floor to its original beauty. With Pergo, caring for your floor is simple, so you can enjoy its timeless elegance for a lifetime.