bamboo floor

What you need to know about caring for your bamboo floor

Bamboo and care are inseparable. It’s a great natural floor covering. Bamboo flooring is eco-friendly, relatively inexpensive, and fairly easy to maintain, but still requires maintenance. Bamboo is similar to other hardwood flooring, and the hardness ranges from the strength of oak to soft black walnut, depending on its manufacturing process.

Care and regular cleaning

The biggest threat to the face of bamboo flooring is dust, sand, and other small particles. They act like grains of sandpaper. They can easily leave marks and scratches on the surface when walking on the floor.

To avoid scratching the surface, you should sweep and vacuum regularly. Do not use abrasive products to care for bamboo. Over time, they will damage the surface.

Rugs and mats placed at the front of the room are great for reducing fine particles and debris. But don’t forget to clean these rugs regularly.

There are a number of products specifically designed to take care of bamboo and clean floors. Note that most detergents for wood flooring are also suitable for taking care of bamboo, as long as they are not alkaline and do not contain wax.

Water on the floor

Bamboo is more resistant to moisture damage than most hardwoods. However, water is still a danger to bamboo floors and should be prevented.

Try not to get the floor wet. A damp mop can be used to remove surface stains and pick up small debris, but do not allow bamboo to stay wet for more than a few minutes.

When using care products that require mixing with water, follow all manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

If liquid is spilled on the floor, it should be wiped up immediately. Bamboo is porous and liquids can penetrate its surface, resulting in deep stains that cannot be removed. Excess moisture also causes warping in the structure.

Excessive or no humidity can cause damage to the bamboo flooring. In humid conditions, the material tends to swell and in a dry environment it tends to shrink. Using a humidifier or dehumidifier helps solve these problems.

Preventive care

A woman in high heels can do enough damage to a bamboo floor. Try not to walk on the surface in heels. Feel free to ask people to take off their shoes when they enter the room. This will help prevent scuffs and scratches on the bamboo floor and reduce the amount of small debris particles in the room. Bamboo is generally very pleasant to walk on barefoot.

Try to trim your pets’ claws in time to reduce the amount of scratches on the face of the bamboo floor. This is especially true for large dogs, which can make quite deep scratches. Pet grooming is quite relevant in this case.

Heavy furniture should not be dragged over the surface of such a floor. Put a thick cloth or felt under the legs of heavy furniture, thereby avoiding squeezing and ruining the floor. If furniture has casters, remove them or replace them with felted casters.

Sunlight can discolor some types of bamboo. Especially when a concentrated beam of sunlight enters through windows and hits a certain spot on the floor every day. You can reduce the intensity of light by using tulle, curtains or blinds.

In wet conditions, place rugs or mats, such as at the front of the sink or bathtub. Make sure these rugs do not have a rubber backing, as rubber does not breathe on its own and can suffocate bamboo floors, which can change the color of the floor.

With proper care, bamboo can fade slightly over time. Moving furniture around periodically, rearranging can ensure that there is even fading throughout the bamboo flooring surface.

bamboo floor

Waxing bamboo floors: care

Wax flooring requires periodic polishing using large, expensive and complicated machines. It requires too much effort. Because of this, polyurethane flooring is suitable for most. Keep in mind, once wax coating has been applied to bamboo, no other type of coating can be used.