How to clean wood floors: oiled vs lacquered
Clean timber floors the same basic way, but an oiled floor and a lacquered floor want different care. Work out which finish you have first, keep the cleaning gentle, and skip the few things that actually damage a floor. Here is the full routine for both.
First, work out your finish
Everything below hangs on one question: is your floor oiled or lacquered? They look similar but wear and clean differently.
A quick way to tell: a lacquered floor has a thin, sealed film sitting on top of the timber, so it feels smooth and even, often with a slight sheen, and water beads on the surface. An oiled floor is finished into the timber rather than on top of it, so it feels more natural and matt, and the grain is a little more open to the touch. If you had the floor installed by us and are not sure, check your original order or ask us.
Not sure and can’t tell? Treat it as lacquered for cleaning (the gentler routine), and don’t re-oil until you have confirmed it is an oiled floor.
Everyday cleaning, for both finishes
Ninety percent of floor care is just regular, gentle cleaning. It is the same for oiled and lacquered floors.
1. Keep the grit off it
Vacuum (soft floor head, no beater bar) or use a soft broom or a dry microfibre mop every few days. Grit and sand are what scratch a floor, so a mat at every outside door does more than any product.
2. Damp-mop, don’t wet-mop
When it needs more, use a well-wrung microfibre mop with a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner. Damp, not wet: standing water is the enemy of any timber floor. Wipe spills up quickly.
3. Use a cleaner made for wood
Our own FirstFloor Wood Floor Concentrate is gentle on the finish and works on both oiled and lacquered timber. One litre makes up to 40 litres, so it lasts. You’ll find it and the rest of the range on our floor care pages.
Caring for an oiled floor
An oiled floor is easy to live with and easy to repair, because the finish is in the timber. Clean it as above with a cleaner suited to oiled floors. The one extra step an oiled floor needs is an occasional top-up of oil to keep the finish even, usually in the busy areas first.
Our FirstFloor Maintenance Oil tops up the finish on an oiled floor and refreshes the surface. Test a small out-of-the-way area first, and keep the coat thin. For the full step-by-step, see our maintenance-oil DIY guide and how to tell when it’s time to re-oil. If you have an Admonter oiled floor, follow the Admonter oiled-floor care guide. Shop the oiled range on the oiled floor care page.
Caring for a lacquered or matt-lacquer floor
A lacquered floor is sealed, so day to day it is the lowest-maintenance finish: just the gentle cleaning routine above. Never oil a lacquered floor, and never use wax on it.
Over time a lacquered floor can start to look a little dull or lightly worn in the busy spots. Our own FirstFloor GrainGuard is a matt surface coat that adds a fresh protective layer over a clean lacquered floor and brings back that even, low-sheen look. It is a surface refresher, not a cleaner, so clean and dry the floor first and test a small area. For an Admonter matt-lacquer floor, see the Admonter matt-lacquer care guide. Shop the range on the lacquered floor care page.
The dos and don’ts
Keep it simple
- Mats at every entrance, and felt pads under furniture legs.
- Vacuum or sweep often; grit is what scratches.
- Damp-mop with a well-wrung mop and a wood floor cleaner.
- Wipe spills straight away.
- Match the product to the finish (oiled or lacquered).
- Test any new product on a small, hidden area first.
What damages a floor
- No steam mops. The heat and moisture can lift a finish.
- No vinegar, ammonia or bleach. They dull and etch the surface.
- No soaking or wet-mopping. Standing water swells timber.
- No wax or oil on a lacquered floor.
- No abrasive pads or harsh, general-purpose cleaners.
Scratches, dents and bringing a floor back
Life happens on a floor, and a good engineered oak floor has real timber to work with, so most marks are easy to live with or fix.
Minor scratches and dents
Light surface scratches on an oiled floor often disappear with a spot re-oil. On a lacquered floor, small marks can be touched in. Deeper dents are part of a timber floor’s character.
Re-oil, re-coat or re-sand
An oiled floor takes a maintenance oil top-up as needed. A lacquered floor can be re-coated when the sheen dulls. And when a floor has really earned it, the real oak wear layer means it can be sanded back and refinished.
Which product for which floor
Our FirstFloor range covers the everyday routine and the occasional top-up, for both finishes.
FirstFloor Wood Floor Concentrate
Everyday cleaner, gentle on the finish. Oiled and lacquered floors. One litre makes up to 40 litres. $49.
FirstFloor Maintenance Oil
The occasional top-up for oiled floors, topping up the oil and refreshing the surface. Oiled floors only. $129.
FirstFloor GrainGuard
A matt surface coat that refreshes a dull or lightly worn lacquered floor. Lacquered and matt floors. $69.
FirstFloor is Vienna Woods’ own floor-care brand. See the complete lineup at the FirstFloor floor-care range, or browse it all on our floor care pages.
Go deeper
More detailed guides for specific jobs and floors:
Timber floor cleaning questions
How do I clean engineered timber floors?
Dust-mop or vacuum regularly, then damp-mop every one to two weeks with a barely-moist microfibre pad and a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner. Never use a steam mop, and avoid supermarket build-up polishes.
Can I use a steam mop on a timber floor?
No. Steam forces moisture and heat into the timber and is the most common cause of cupping and whitened joints. It should never be used on any timber floor.
What is the best cleaner for a timber floor?
A pH-neutral cleaner made for wood, matched to your finish. Our own FirstFloor Wood Floor Concentrate suits engineered European oak floors. Browse the range on our floor care pages.
How often should an oiled floor be re-oiled?
Top up high-traffic areas every one to three years, or when the surface starts to look thirsty. It is a simple job most owners can do themselves.
New timber floor on the way?
Our European oak floors come oil-finished or lacquered, so you can pick the look and the care routine that suits you. Order free samples to see the colours at home, or ask us for a quote. And keep it beautiful with the FirstFloor floor-care range.
