How to Clean Sticky Wood Floors

I hate feeling the soles of my indoor shoes sticking to my floor. Spending countless hours on your knees and hands trying to scrub to eliminate the stickiness is even more frustrating!

At Zerorez®, we've encountered stains on all floors, including hardwood.

A neglected floor, low-quality cleaning tools, too much detergent, dirty water, or the wrong cleaning products may result in a sticky wood floor.

Today's cleaning guide shows you how to clean sticky wood floors, from minor to stubborn stickiness.

Keep reading to learn what causes stickiness on wood floors and how to clean them to make them look their best again!

What Causes Sticky Wood Floors?

There are varying causes of sticky wood floors, and you deal with each based on its cause and severity.

Neglected Floor

Lack of a cleaning schedule could cause dirt and stain buildup. Dust and dirt also make feet black. Regular, general, and deep wood cleaning schedules help to prevent dirt, dust, and stain buildup, prolonging the life of your floor.

Have a cleaning schedule and remain royal to prevent buildup. Hire a commercial cleaning company near you to deep clean your wooden floor to eliminate squeaky problems and extend the floor's lifespan.

Low-Quality Cleaning Tools

Old or poor-quality cleaning tools could make thoroughly cleaning or rinsing your floor difficult. They could also slow you down, making the soap solution dry before you rinse.

For example, an old mop may have lost some of its fibers, making it inadequate for cleaning or rinsing a large area. Such a mop may not dry the floor properly, causing moisture issues that result in wood floor damage or stickiness.

Mops made of cheap material may not absorb the cleaning solution, leaving your floor sticky.

If you don't have the right cleaning tools, hire a wood floor commercial cleaning company to clean your floor.

Too Much Detergent

Sometimes, we think too much detergent leaves the floor sparkling clean. Not so.

Using excess soap leaves sticky wood floors after mopping. Always follow the detergent's mixing instructions. Don't use too much or too little detergent; use the measuring cap, if there is one, to measure the recommended amount.

Dirty Water

Using the same bucket of water or dirty mop to clean the entire room transfers dirt and grime. It also redeposits the cleaning detergent on the floor, making it sticky and dirty but seemingly clean!

You must change cleaning water often, especially when cleaning a dirty room. When your water becomes dirty, change it.

Spot cleaning greasy areas and those with other stains before cleaning could help to make your water less dirty. Vacuuming and sweeping also eliminate excess dust, dirt, and debris that could make your water dirty quickly.

Wrong Cleaning Products

The wrong choice of a cleaning solution makes your floor sticky; worst, it may damage it completely. Regardless of your budget or the cleaner's effectiveness, you must ensure you're buying/using the recommended cleaner for your wood floor.

This is especially true when dealing with stains on wood floors. Double-check and carefully select your cleaning products to maximize the results.

How to Clean Sticky Wood Floor

Dealing with a sticky wood floor, especially after mopping, can feel frustrating and tiring! Don't throw in the towel yet; with the right tools, cleaning products, and knowledge of how to tackle the problem, you can have your wood floor clean and sticky-free!

To clean sticky wood floors correctly, understand what causes the stickiness and its severity. Below, we shall look at various ways of tackling this problem based on these two factors.

Method One: Hot Water Rinse

If your wood floor feels sticky because of soap residue, rinse using hot water. Rinse your mop thoroughly, and then rinse the floor using hot water to remove soap residue.

Depending on the amount of soap residue, you may have to repeat this 2 to 3 times. Too much water damages wooden floors, so rinse your floor on different days to allow it to dry completely each time before rinsing again.

Thoroughly rinsing the floor dissolves and removes soap residue that causes the stickiness.

Method Two: Steam Cleaning

Steam cleaning is the best way to clean sticky wood floors. The hot water effortlessly loosens and removes the stickiness in no time.

Fill your steam cleaner with water, wait a few minutes for it to produce steam, and start cleaning. Always sweep or vacuum before steam cleaning.

Don't use a steam cleaner if you're new to wood floors or don't know what water pressure or temperature is safe for them. Wooden floors are heat-sensitive, so you must be careful or hire a wood floor cleaning company.

With their vast skill, they'll clean the wood floor, eliminating the stickiness without damaging the floor or the finish.

Method Three: Mild Dish Soap

Use mild dish soap if the stickiness is not due to soap residue or excessive use. A mild dish soap with a neutral pH can remove the stickiness from a wood floor.

Put 59 ml dish soap in a bucket of warm water and use it to clean your floor. Rinse thoroughly and then dry.

Method Four: Mayonnaise

If you love mayonnaise, you probably have a wood-cleaning product you never thought about. This common household food is good for cleaning a few sticky spots on your wood floor.

Mayonnaise could also clean tape residue. Try mayonnaise if you just removed the rug tape for the hardwood floor but can't remove its sticky residue.

How to do it? Apply mayonnaise to the sticky area and allow it to sit for about 20 minutes. Wipe-clean the area with a clean towel; the adhesiveness should be gone with only a little light scrubbing.

How to Make Wood Floors Not Sticky

Having to clean sticky hardwood floors is not fun. The good news is that there are easy ways to make wood floors sticky-free:

Keep your wood floor clean: Vacuum and mop the wood floor often. Contact a wood floor cleaning professional at least once or twice a year to deep clean it. Cleaning your wood floors eliminates stickiness. Don't go overboard; mopping your wood floor daily with a soap solution could result in soap buildup, and you could start noticing stickiness over time.

Clean messes immediately: Never ignore messes on wood floors. They could build up and become sticky or cause moisture problems. It's also more difficult and time-consuming to clean old messes.

Follow the dilution guidelines strictly: Never go overboard when diluting cleaning solutions. Don't use too little or too much; just use the recommended amount. Always follow the manufacturer's dilution guidelines. If there are no instructions on the products or they aren't clear, check the manufacturer's website or call them for details.

Rinse the floor properly: Not just wood floors, excess cleaning solutions, or insufficient rinsing also make carpets sticky after cleaning. Thoroughly rinse the wooden (and all) floors to remove soap residue.

Use the recommended cleaning solution: There are many cleaning products to avoid with hardwood; be careful with the information you see online. Vinegar is a common cleaning product but is acidic and very strong on wood floors. It can wear your wood floor or make it dull. Water and vinegar solutions may also cause excess moisture on the wood floors, causing discoloration and swelling. Only use the recommended cleaning product to clean (a sticky) wood floor.

Wood Cleaning Experts

Zerorez cleans wooden (and other) floors across the country. Our highly trained cleaning team uses the best cleaning tools and products. Don't worry about the water bill; we use Zr Water® to clean. Our water and cleaning products are non-toxic.

If your wooden floor is sticky, stained, or has grime buildup, or your current cleaning company isn't doing a great job, we're a call away. Check other customers' testimonials to see our credibility.

We look forward to answering your call any time. Call us at 866-937-6739 for the best sticky wood floor cleaning services. You can also schedule your service online today!