How To Clean Reclaimed Parquet Flooring?

The thing about Parquet flooring is that it literally never goes out of style. It is a wonderfully attractive type of flooring, that is also very long lasting. It is made from wood, so it is hard wearing and durable, and it can be polished and maintained so that it shines and gleams and shows off all the beautiful colours of the natural wood.

Buying a brand new parquet flooring can be an expensive option for your home, so why not have a look into how you can salvage reclaimed Parquet flooring? Usually this material only needs a bit of a clean up before it is sparkling and gracing your corridors as though it had always been there – however sometimes you may be in receipt of a parquet floor that is well past its best.

Don’t worry! We are here with tips on how to clean reclaimed parquet flooring, so that you can make the most of your recycled bargain.

What Is Reclaimed Parquet Flooring

Parquet flooring is a beautiful thing, which dates all the way back to the 1600s. Originating in France, it is made by laying small pieces of wood to make a geometric, regular pattern. It is sometimes known as mosiac flooring, because of the way that the tiles of wood are laid out in pretty patterns.

Most reclaimed parquet flooring comes from old buildings, such as schools or churches, or old residential houses, and as such it often has a colourful history that goes with it.

Reclaimed parquet flooring is basically the little wooden blocks that make up the original parquet flooring effect. If you are a novice DIY-er, installing a reclaimed parquet floor can be a really tricky business, and it is best to leave the laying of it to a professional.

Just for fun, here is a little video explaining how to clean your parquet flooring before it is laid:

How To Clean Reclaimed Parquet Flooring

To clean your reclaimed flooring before it is laid, you need to pay the most attention to the sides and the ends of the blocks. These are the places into which dirt and grime could have been caught and ground in for years. It used to be the case that you would have to clean the underside of each block, as parquet tended to be laid onto hot tar, but nowadays you can just leave it on and use a bitumen compatible adhesive – once you have sanded off any large lumps, of course.

If your reclaimed parquet is already laid, then your job is much easier.

1. Start by sweeping up any loose dirt, dust or debris from your floor. Use a soft bristled brush or a vacuum cleaner with the soft attachment.
2. Using a diluted cleaning solution, mop the floor. The mop needs to be damp, not wet, as saturating your floor could damage it.
3. Allow the floor to dry fully. You can ventilate the area by opening windows, or just allow it to air dry naturally.
4. Don’t use a steam cleaner, or abrasive cleaning fluids, as this can cause the wood to have issues further down the line.
5. Vinegar and baking soda, although they are suitable for most home cleaning, can dull your parquet flooring and may even degrade the wood.
6. Some wax based cleaners can leave a sticky residue and might make the floor slippery, so avoid using these.
7. Natural beeswax products, linseed, or other natural oils, can be used on your reclaimed parquet floor to give it a bit of moisture and shine.

Tools To Clean Parquet Flooring

You don’t need a lot to keep your reclaimed parquet flooring looking its best. A good soft bristled broom is an important one, for sweeping up dust, pet hair and food crumbs. A microfibre mop, or even a standard string mop, is great for when you want to give your floor a good clean. You may wish to dry off your floor thoroughly after its mopping, in which case you will need clean, dry, lint free cloths. And that’s pretty much it!

Read also: How To Clean Amtico Flooring?

How Often Should I Clean My Reclaimed Parquet Flooring?

You don’t need to go crazy with this flooring, and it won’t take hours of elbow grease and sweating to keep it clean.

• You should at least sweep it every day, to remove dust and particles that might scratch the floor.
• If you’d rather not sweep you can use a vacuum cleaner – just make sure it has a hard floor setting, so you don’t damage the wood.
• You can clean it more thoroughly, with a damp mop, around once a month – or more often, if you have a lot of foot traffic or muddy pets.
• Always wipe up spills whenever they first happen, to avoid moisture seeping into the wood and damaging it, and to remove sticky residues.

If you would like to see visual evidence of how to clean reclaimed parquet flooring, take a look at this handy video:

Reclaimed parquet flooring, once it is laid, is a beautiful addition to any home. Natural wood is very forgiving and relatively easy to clean – just make sure you don’t use any hard tools or harsh, chemical cleaners, and you can enjoy the beauty and charm of your reclaimed parquet flooring for many years to come.