Cleaning Your Floors

In alignment with our high standards concerning human health and environmental well-being, Valencia offers an alternative to the cleaners usually associated with the finishes we use. There is no need to use a harsh cleaning solution. Instead, the simple, inexpensive, and sustainable combination of white vinegar and distilled water will work magic, leaving your floors spic, span, and sparkling. Additionally, this non-abrasive solution will add to the longevity of your floors without contributing to the toxin and chemical load already found in our living spaces. 

1. 1 part white vinegar + 7 parts distilled* water

2. Mix and use as with any other cleaner. 

3. Mix and use with a flat mop or broom, wrapping a two ounce towel around it. Soak towel in the cleaning solution, wring out the excess until damp but not dripping and apply lightly to the floor.

*Distilled water is essential, as it has been removed of any impurities that may harm or discolor the wood

For more information on the care and maintenance of wood floors, the National Wood Flooring Association website provides helpful detailed and technical guidelines. Click here to visit their page.

Maintenance Guide

Below is a simple list that will help you take care of your engineered hardwood floors to help them last a flooring’s lifetime. Our surface layer is either protected by 5-7 layers of urethane or an oil finish. To keep your floor looking like the first day it was laid, strictly follow the guidelines below. 

• Use floor mats at all external doors to keep the dirt traffic down.

• Use floor mats at heavy traffic areas such as Main entrance, Dining area, etc. Do not use mats with rubber base
  as it may leach and stick onto the surface of the flooring.

• Best way to keep your floor clean is to either sweep or vacuum the floor to remove any loose grit or dirt. Ensure
  that the vacuum suction head has felt strips to avoid scratching the floor. You may then use static mops daily to
  get rid of dust layer on the floor.

• Do not use Thinner or solvent liquid. to clean hardwood flooring.

• Periodically (monthly or bi-weekly) clean the floor using commercial cleaners specially prepared for either urethane or oil finished
  flooring. Carefully read and follow directions on the package. Normally these cleaning solutions are applied by
  using a mist spray bottle and removed with an active fiber mop.

• If you need use a mop to clean the floor, ensure the mop is well wrung to remove all the moisture. The mop must
  be dry enough that the moisture on the floor should be able to evaporate in a minute of mopping.

• Never use steam mops to clean your flooring, as it will severely damage the finish of the floor.

• If there is a spill, immediately soak up the spilled liquid with absorbent paper towels, and dry it. Do not allow the
  liquid to pool and seep into the joints of the flooring.

• Felt pads should be placed under all furniture to avoid scratching the surface of the floor. Refrain from sliding or rolling
  any furniture or appliances across the floor as it may scratch and damage the surface. If a trolley is used, line
  the floor with protective material along the trolley path.

• If shoes are worn indoors, be aware that spiked heels or shoes with damaged soles can cause severe damage
  to the flooring. You may want to place runner mats or rugs along high traffic areas.

• Carpets or floor covering mats should not be placed immediately on to the timber flooring. Wood flooring will change over time and equalizes to its surroundings. Allow for 8 to 12 weeks before any carpets are placed to avoid color differentiation.

• If you have animals indoors, ensure that their nails are properly trimmed and that any urination or defecation is promptly cleaned and area immediately dried.

• On a regular basis, you may also use commercial products such Bona® Cleaner or Woca® Soap as a top coat to renew the sheen of the floor’s finish. Alternatively, you may use a solution of 1 part vinegar to 7 parts distilled water. Follow the manufacturers’ instructions and it would be best to test the products in a hidden corner prior to application on the whole floor.

• If you have installed flooring with prefinished UV Oiled surface, it is best to regularly (every 3 to 6 months or as and when you feel the surface has lost its luster) recoat the surface with refinishing oil available commercially in the market for examples from Woca®. Please follow the manufacturerʼs instructions and again make sure the product is tested on a small area in a hidden corner.

• Ensure that you flooring is not exposed to excessive direct sunlight, as UV light will cause some flooring wood species to change color. Place sheers or thin curtains to diffuse the UV rays.

• Finally, it is best to maintain the area of the flooring within the relative humidity level of 30% to 65%. This way the wood is kept in ideal level to avoid any stress to deform. If you live in a dry climate, increase the relative humidity by adding a humidifier in the area or potted indoor plants. If you live in a wet climate a dehumidifier works best. Wood is a natural material, which will continue to breathe throughout its life by absorbing and releasing moisture from the surrounding environment.

  
  As a result of the above, some movement and change in the surface will occur. This is NORMAL and may include checking or fine cracks on and between boards. This movement can be kept to a minimum by avoiding extremes in temperature and humidity. (Please read and understand laying instructions carefully for further detailed care about temperature, Environment Moisture Content (EMC) and underfloor heating.)

  
  Your factory prefinished flooring was designed and produced to provide you with a beautiful floor with least amount of maintenance. It can be walked on almost immediately after installation. If due care and maintenance is carefully followed, your chosen hardwood flooring option will last a very long time and will continue to be as beautiful as the first day it was installed.