Maintenance of Your Oiled Hardwood Floor
An oiled wooden floor adds timeless beauty to your home, and with the right care, it can maintain its natural glow for many years. Read below for tips on how to care for an oiled wooden floor, ensuring it stays beautiful and durable for years to come.
Why you should treat your oiled hardwood floor
Applying a maintenance oil to your wooden floor—especially before you begin using it—provides several benefits:
- Adds extra protection against frequent cleaning with water.
- Protects your wood floor from minor scratches, especially on dark woods
- Allows for easy spot maintenance by applying oil to high-traffic areas like corridors.
- Prevents the floor from drying out over time.
When to treat your oiled hardwood floor
To keep your oiled wooden floor looking its best, regular care with maintenance oil is essential. If you clean your floor frequently with oil soap, applying maintenance oil 2-3 times a year is usually sufficient. For floors exposed to less wear and tear, once a year may be enough.
If your floor begins to dry out or the oil wears off, sanding and a new base treatment will be required.
Guide: How to treat your oiled wooden floor
You can apply maintenance oil to the entire floor or just focus on high-traffic areas. Junckers Maintenance Oil dries quickly, allowing light traffic within 30-60 minutes. It protects the surface, leaving your floor looking even and free from small scratches.
Ensure the existing oil treatment is intact and done with the same oil products before reapplying.
What you need before starting:
- Wood cleaner, bucket, and cloth for cleaning
- Maintenance oil
- Flat mop with microfiber cloth or floor brush
- Vacuum cleaner
1 | Clean the Surface
Ensure the surface is clean, dry, and free of dust, grease, wax, polish, and cleaning residue.
Remove any uneven areas, dirt, or stains with wood cleaner.
2 | Sand the floor
Then carefully sand the floor with 150-180 grit sandpaper. Washing and sanding the floor is essential for the adhesion of the coating.
3 | Remove sanding dust and clean the surface
Remove sanding dust by vacuuming and wipe the floor with a cloth/mop wrung out in clean water. The wooden floor can then be treated with a top coat of varnish.
4 | Apply Maintenance Oil
Apply a thin, even layer of maintenance oil.
If working with Junckers' products:
- Work quickly as the oil dries fast.
- Minimize overlap on already oiled areas.
- If streaks appear after drying, polish with a fine nylon pad or a polishing machine.
Daily Cleaning of Oiled Wooden Floors
For everyday cleaning, simply vacuum, sweep, or wipe the floor with a cloth or mop that has been wrung out in clean water.
If the floor is very dirty, it's recommended to use an oil soap designed for oiled floors.
Frequently asked questions and tips for an oiled wood floor
How long is the lifespan of wood flooring? add
The lifespan of a wooden floor depends on how well it’s maintained. If cared for regularly, only the surface treatment will wear down, not the wood itself. This means your floor can last for generations if you refresh it with lacquer or oil at appropriate intervals. Areas with high traffic, such as hallways and kitchens, will need more frequent care.
How do I clean my wooden floors? add
Daily cleaning is simple—just vacuum, sweep, or wipe with a damp cloth, using as little water as possible to avoid damage.
Use the right cleaning products add
Make sure to use cleaning products suitable for oiled wooden floors. Using the wrong ones can harm the surface.
My wooden floor has a grayish tinge add
If your floor has a greyish tone after cleaning, it may be due to dirty water being used. This spreads the dirt all over the wooden floor, giving it a grayish tinge.
To avoid this, use two buckets—one for soapy water and one for wringing out the dirty cloth.
Use door mats and small rugs add
High-traffic areas, like entryways or dining spaces, experience more wear. Place a door mat in the entryway and a rug under the dining table to reduce wear in these spots.
Use felt pads add
It’s worth repeating: always use felt pads under your furniture. Even if you’re careful when sitting down, guests or children might not be, and a chair dragged across a wooden floor can easily leave scratches, exposing the wood beneath.