Cleaning and Maintenance for UV Oiled Floors

Why should UV oiled floors be treated differently?

Havwoods timber floors treated with a UV Oiled factory finish celebrate the texture and character of a natural wood floor by covering the surface of the timber with natural oils and waxes to nourish and protect the flooring. 

Every piece of timber is subtly different in its density and structure, and will adapt to whatever environment it has been installed within.

Due to the changes in density and structure, some areas of the flooring can become microporous, which means it’s necessary to give UV Oiled floors a light maintenance treatment every so often to keep them looking as fresh as possible.

What products should I use to clean my floors?

By using our recommended cleaning products, combined with the correct maintenance application, you can ensure your flooring stays in excellent condition.

For product specific installation and maintenance guides, please click here.

How often should I clean my UV oiled floors?

The frequency of any maintenance should reflect the use of the floor and should be altered accordingly. High-traffic areas should be treated more frequently than low-traffic areas. Keep this in mind when creating a maintenance programme for your floors. You should always vacuum daily to pick up debris, hair, pet hair and dust.

How do I create a maintenance programme for my floors?

Remember, all floors are unique because factors affecting them will vary. Changes in traffic levels, or seasonal changes, will also need to be taken into consideration.

Building an effective maintenance programme for your floor will keep it clean and looking as good as possible. We’ve designed this article to provide a starting point for such a programme, and can be applied to both commercial and domestic floors. 

What is the best way to clean my floors?

For day-to-day cleaning of your floors:

The correct dilution of Marldon Clean Care Concentrate MXC710 can be used with the Marldon Spray Mop to remove everyday dirt quickly and efficiently and maintain the condition of the surface finish.

1. Remove Marldon Spray Mop reservoir and fill with water
2. Measure out half a cap of Marldon Clean Care Concentrate
3. Pour into reservoir
4. Screw on lid and shake
5. Refit reservoir 
6. Apply diluted cleaner
7. Mop area of floor where sprayed
8. Repeat, working methodically across your floors

This treatment also allows for any minor scratches and the finish to be rejuvenated as part of a regular maintenance regime.

For regular maintenance to replenish floor appearance:

Marldon Liquid Wax Care MXC700 can be used periodically to clean the floor of grease and other stubborn stains and to replenish oils and waxes in the floor surface. This should be applied with a fresh microfibre mop head at a coverage of 10-15mls per m2 .

1. Shake the Marldon Liquid Wax Care
2. Pour out a small amount onto your floor
3. Using a dry, flat mop, work the liquid wax into the floor, moving your mop in gentle circles
4. As you move to a new section, apply more wax directly onto the floor
5. Now repeat, working methodically across your floor

For floors with a white finish, white pigmented variants of the Liquid Wax Care White Transparent MC705 can be used.

For more intensive maintenance, and to add extra protection to your floor:  

In high use areas, WOCA Maintenance Gel can be used as a more intensive maintenance regime to add protection to UV oiled floors. Consumption is generally 20-30m2 per 200ml tube. 

This can be applied manually with a 3M Doodlebug-type applicator, or mechanically with a single-disc rotary cleaning machine fitted with a white pad and oiling cloth. We recommend the Floormac Oscillating Polisher. 

1. Apply a small amount of maintenance gel to the buff disk
2. Begin working the gel into your floor
3. As you move to a new section, apply more gel directly onto the floor
4. For smaller floors and difficult to reach places, simply use a clot

For floors with a white finish, use the pigmented WOCA Maintenance Gel Extra White variant for your floors.

Adhering to your floor’s life cycle

Periodically it will be necessary to refinish previously UV Oiled floors. Depending on the surface condition, the degree of sanding required will vary and, in some circumstances, the floor will have to be sanded back to bare wood prior to application of oils or hard-wax oils to regenerate a comparable finish to that applied to the product during manufacture. 

Until then, follow the programme below to maintain your Havwoods floors:

          Daily: Vacuum as necessary, dependent on usage. 

          Weekly: Damp mop with diluted Marldon Cleancare Concentrate MXC710 using Spray Mop. Wash mop head after use. 

          Monthly (or as required): Use Marldon Liquid Wax Care to remove stubborn stains and replenish the flooring finish. Optionally, for Additional Protection or for Intensive Maintenance – Apply Woca Maintenance Paste as per above instructions

Have more questions about cleaning or maintenance, contact us today, and one of our friendly staff will be happy to help.