How do I maintain my oak flooring?

Oak Flooring Maintenance – Intro

When engineered oak flooring is installed, there is usually an information sheet within the packaging, so if you can, keep a copy.

It is imperative that you are aware of the product that has been used to seal your flooring.

Oak by Design supplies engineered oak flooring by Esco. This oak flooring has been treated with Osmo Polyx Oil, a protective micro-porous finish that allows the wood to breathe and repels moisture and dirt.

Unlike other types of floors, an oiled floor repels dirt as it doesn’t create an electrostatic charge and doesn’t offer a breeding ground for microbes and allergens.

Unlike carpets or tiles, if a wooden floor does become dirty or damaged over time, it is relatively easy to clean and repair.

Everyday Care

DO – Vacuum regularly.

The most important factor to keeping your engineered oak floor looking good is regular vacuuming and sweeping. Trying to keep dirt and grit off the floor is paramount. Children, pets and visitors don’t always adhere to the rules, so where possible, vacuum or clean up obvious grit, dirt, dust, lint, animal hair, etc. as soon as possible!

DO – Wipe up liquid spills immediately.

DO NOT – use aggressive all-purpose cleaners. These will damage the protective layer of the natural Polyx Oils and the flooring will then be more susceptible to dirt deposits.

DO NOT – drench with water.

For regular cleaning, we recommend using a damp mop with Osmo Wash and Care

This prevents the floor from drying out and helps moisturise the floor.

One cover cap per litre of water will be sufficient to clean the floor.

The Osmo Spray Mop eliminates the need for a mop and bucket. The mop has a refillable cartridge that sprays the cleaning solution directly onto the floor. The Active Fibre Mop is removable and machine washable.

In normal domestic households, mopping once a week should be sufficient if the floor is regularly swept or vacuumed.

Ongoing Care

Refreshing and Intensive Cleaning

From time to time, oak flooring will need refreshing.

In areas of high traffic, such as door entrances and hallways, and also for tough stains and general reshening up, the use of Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner is ideal.

We recommend this for domestic floors.

You can apply this with a cloth to the areas that need refreshing or stain removal.

Re-Oiling

If the floor starts to show signs of wear, re-oil with Polyx Oil.

The floor shouldn’t really need any sanding if it needs re-oiling over time.

Spot repairs are possible on engineered oak flooring that has had this treatment, so it isn’t necessary to refinish the whole area. This also applies to floors coated with wood wax finish or oil stains.

For floors with white oil, the liquid wax cleaner can be used or maintenance oil in White Transparent. The floor needs to be clean, and then an extremely thin layer of Osmo Polyx Oil needs to be applied with a floor brush or Osmo Microfibre roller.