How to clean hardwood floors without causing water damage

Everyone who owns a hardwood floor has to encounter the big question at some point: how do you clean your floor and avoid causing water damage.

Water damage is nasty and tends to penetrate deep into the surface of wood. Remember, wood drinks from the ground up and that water has to be able to pass through the trunk to limbs and then to leaves.

So what do you do when water damage strikes? The easiest answer is the most expensive one. Hire someone to fix it.

Because of that, focus should be more on prevention and less on how to bounce back. There may not always be something you can do to prevent the damage, especially if you live in a humid climate or in an area where flooding is common.

In a smaller scale, though, there are always preventative measures that can be taken to ensure that your floor is as protected as possible from this defeating blight.

I remember the first time I watched my grandma clean her impeccable hardwood floors. With a mop. And a bucket of water.

I frowned, because I knew for sure that I had heard that you must avoid water on your hardwood at all costs.

Little me didn't factor for things like polyurethane. And timing. Does polyurethane make wood waterproof, though? Be sure to do your research so you know how little is too little.

The truth is that there is little or no harm in washing your hardwood floors with nature's most effective solvent if you do it right. Water can break down the worst of messes and even neutralize those oh-so sticky puddles of spilled soda pop.

What's best, though? And how do you pull it off in a way that keeps those floors smooth, shiny, and durable?

Before you do anything too crazy, stop to consider what you're working with. Test to see if your floor has a finish made of wax, polyurethane, or some other variety of sealant.

If you're sure it isn't wax, you are totally fine to use water in sparing amounts. Because wood can always take damage from saturation, you never want to pour it on by the quart-load. The safest (and most convenient) way to use water on your hardwood floors is to use a spray bottle to mist problem areas without flooding the entire surface.

Use a mop with a soft head to gently scrub and reapply the misted water as necessary.

If you need a more aggressive clean, you can definitely use water if, again, you use it sparingly and mop it up immediately. Bear in mind that water (and vinegar) can wear away the shine and make your hardwood floors appear lusterless and tired.

For a more elegant and enduring approach, spot clean as necessary, use a legitimate hardwood floor cleaner for larger jobs, and policy your floor often to ensure that shine remains strong and those pesky little grooves and scuffs are getting a fresh coat.

All of this aside, remember that the best way to keep your wood looking beautiful is to invest in refinishing. A yearly sanding and refinishing will ensure that your most beautiful floor space remains youthful and elegant.

Matt is a home decor blogger who enjoys helping families transform their home.