Sweep or vacuum often, wipe spills right away, clean with a pH-balanced wood floor cleaner on a barely damp mop, and put felt pads under furniture. Skip steam mops and vinegar. Keep indoor humidity between 30 and 50 percent. When the floor loses its luster, it’s time for a recoat, which usually costs less than a full refinish.
Everyday cleaning
- Vacuum or sweep. Grit scratches finish. Use the hard-floor setting and no beater bar.
- Wipe spills at once. Water left standing gets into seams.
- Damp, not wet. Use a damp microfiber mop and a pH-balanced wood floor cleaner. One NWFA author says never wet-mop, and a 2025 NWFA piece says damp-mopping is fine, so keep the mop barely damp and dry the floor right after.
- Doormats. A mat at each door stops most grit.
What to avoid
- Steam mops. NWFA says the industry does not recommend steam on wood floors. Steam drives water into the seams, can cloud or peel the finish, and can void a warranty.
- Vinegar. It is acidic and can dull the finish.
- Bleach, ammonia and string mops. Too harsh or too wet.
- Waxes and oils from the grocery store. They can keep a recoat from sticking. Leave oils and waxes to a pro.
- Rubber-backed rugs and hard plastic furniture feet. They can mark or stain the finish. Use felt.
Humidity
NWFA recommends 30 to 50 percent relative humidity and 60 to 80 degrees year round. Wood swells when the air is damp and shrinks when it is dry. Small gaps that open under winter heating and close in spring are normal. Gaps all year, or board edges rising, mean call us. A cheap hardware-store humidity gauge shows your level. Use a humidifier in winter and a dehumidifier in damp stretches.
On this coast the marine layer brings damp mornings, and strong sundowner winds can drop humidity to around 10 percent, as the National Weather Service recorded above Montecito in 2008. See the air on this coast.
Sunlight
Sun changes the color of wood. Cherry and some imported woods darken. Maple, walnut and oak lighten. A rug left in one spot for years leaves a pale or dark outline, so move rugs and furniture now and then. UV-blocking window film can slow the change.
Pets
Keep nails trimmed. Wipe up accidents right away. Urine that sits can go through the finish and darken the wood. Matte or low-sheen finishes and harder woods show scratches less.
When to recoat
NWFA gives no fixed schedule. Recoat when the floor loses its luster or shows wear along the walking paths. A screen and recoat adds a fresh top coat without sanding into the wood. Once it wears through to bare wood, you need a full refinish. See screen and recoat.
If water gets on the floor
- Stop the source and pick up standing water.
- Dry with towels and fans.
- Call a flooring contractor if you see cupping, lifting or dark stains. A cupped floor has to dry fully before anyone sands it, and that can take weeks.