How to Clean Parquet and Herringbone Flooring

We all love wood parquet flooring. This attractive style of flooring adds a stylish and rustic vibe to any environment, can last for decades, and is pleasing to the eye. It is also very easy to maintain - with a couple of important considerations. Here at Vacuum Cleaner Market, we’re floor maintenance enthusiasts, so if after reading this article you still have any questions about how to maintain your parquet or herringbone floor, we encourage you to give us a call!

What to Use to Clean Parquet Flooring

Your first step to clean the floors is to regularly dust and remove all the dirt and pet hair using a dust mop such as the e-Cloth Deep Clean Microfiber Mop or a vacuum. This should be done at least once a week or you risk having your floor become damaged by scuffing. You'll also want to make sure you do a full sweep of your floors before you move on to any liquid deep cleaning.

Do NOT use a broom. Even a broom with the softest bristles can scratch up your floor, marring the beautiful look you've worked so hard to cultivate. The beater bar on a vacuum will also badly scratch your parquet floors, so you'll want to either use a floor brush attachment, a dedicated wood floor vacuum such as the Miele Compact C3 Calima canister vacuum, or a specifically-designed vacuum with a dedicated wood floor mode such as the SEBO Automatic X7 Premium Upright. 

Of course, it's likely that along with dust your parquet will accumulate all manner of grime, stains, and spills, which is when it's time to use a damp mop. You can use water alone, or water mixed with dish soap or a specialized parquet floor cleaning solution such as Nellie's WOW Mop Floor Cleaner.

This regular cleaning regimen will keep your floors looking clean, but over time you may find that it is beginning to lose its luster or that scuffs are appearing on the finish. That's when it's time to go a little deeper.

How to Deep Clean Parquet Floors

Not all parquet flooring is made equal, and many models of parquet are more sensitive to scuffs and water damage than hardwood flooring. You'll also want to make sure that you don't damage the sealant since parquet has a lot more gaps between slats that can absorb water, causing irreparable damage to your floor. 

If your floor is finished with wax, oil, or Monocoat, you will need to use special cleaning solutions recommended by your floor's manufacturer. Otherwise, you'll want to use a liquid wood floor cleaner that is pH-neutral and specifically labeled as safe for parquet and herringbone flooring. Once you've got your cleaner, test it on a small section of your floor and let it dry to make sure it has the desired effect.

Here are the steps to deep clean:

1. Move your furniture: if you're not careful, this step can cause damage to your floor! Hopefully, your furniture already has felt pads on the leggings to avoid scuffs. Otherwise, you can have a friend help you lift furniture onto a blanket to help shift it off to the side.

2. Remove dust as explained previously.

3. Gather a mop and prepare your cleaning solution. You will be spraying a small amount of cleaner on one small section of the floor at a time, and then take the mop and use long figure-eight motions to effectively work all the grains. You want a wet mop but not TOO wet, as excess water can cause lasting damage to any wood floor - sop up any puddles with a dry mop or cleaning cloth. 

Of course, if you want your deep cleaning to be as painless as possible, take your mop game to the next level with an oscillating mop like Nellie's Wow Mop that buffs and removes dirt and grime from wooden floors with little effort - even your kids or grandma can do it!

How Can I Remove Scuffs From my Parquet?

It may be that in your quest to keep your parquet floors clean that you've noticed scuffs from furniture, shoes, pet claws, and all manner of pesky causes. Generally, the finish on your floor will allow you to buff out light scuffs with a little elbow grease. Take a clean, soft fuzzy object such as a sock or a tennis ball and work it vigorously over the scuff to buff it out. 

Looking For More Home Cleaning Tips?

Be sure to follow the Vacuum Cleaner Market blog for more home cleaning advice and deep dives into the latest products on our online vacuum store.