Timber Floor Care Guide
How to maintain your timber floors and protect your investment, from daily cleaning to knowing when it is time to resand.
A professionally sanded and finished timber floor should last 7 to 10 years between full resands if properly maintained. The right daily habits and products make all the difference. Russell shares the care advice he gives to every customer after finishing a job.
Daily Cleaning
Grit and sand are the biggest enemies of timber floors. Fine particles act like sandpaper underfoot, wearing through the coating over time. Sweep or vacuum with a soft floor attachment daily in high-traffic areas.
Water is not a friend to timber. Wipe up spills as soon as they happen with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Standing water can penetrate between boards and cause swelling, cupping or staining.
Place quality doormats at all entry points. This catches grit, sand and moisture before it reaches your floor. Choose mats with a good pile that will trap particles rather than let them slide through.
Weekly Maintenance
Use a well-wrung microfibre mop with a pH-neutral timber floor cleaner. Bona Timber Floor Cleaner is specifically formulated for polyurethane-coated floors and will not damage the finish. Never use a soaking wet mop.
Felt pads on chair and table legs wear out over time and can pick up grit. Check and replace them regularly. This one simple habit prevents most scratch damage in dining areas and living rooms.
If you have dogs, keep their nails trimmed. Long nails are a common cause of scratches on timber floors, especially on softer species like Tasmanian oak and cypress pine.
Products: Use & Avoid
Use These
- Bona Timber Floor Cleaner (spray or concentrate)
- pH-neutral timber floor cleaners
- Microfibre mop (well wrung)
- Soft-bristle broom or vacuum with soft floor attachment
- Felt furniture pads on all chair and table legs
- Bona Timber Floor Polish for refreshing sheen between recoats
Avoid These
- Vinegar, lemon juice or any acidic cleaners
- Steam mops (heat and moisture damages coatings)
- Oil-based soaps or Murphy's Oil Soap
- Wax-based polishes on polyurethane-coated floors
- Abrasive scrubbing pads or steel wool
- Excess water or wet mopping
- All-purpose household cleaners (Pine O Cleen, etc.)
- Swiffer WetJet or similar chemical-soaked pads
When to Recoat vs Resand
If the floor is showing light wear but the coating has not worn through to bare timber, a maintenance recoat can add another 3-5 years of life. This involves a light screen (buff) of the existing finish and applying one fresh coat of polyurethane. It is faster, cheaper and less disruptive than a full resand. Russell can assess whether a recoat is sufficient during a free inspection.
When the coating has worn through to bare timber in walkways or the floor has deep scratches, staining or damage, a full resand is needed. This takes the floor back to raw timber and starts fresh with new coatings. A properly maintained floor should not need a full resand for 7-12 years. See our process page for details on what a full resand involves.
Look for: water no longer beading on the surface, visible wear paths in high-traffic zones, grey or discoloured patches where coating has worn away, boards feeling rough underfoot, and the floor looking dull even after cleaning. If you notice any of these, call Russell for a free assessment before it gets worse.
Bona Maintenance Products
Russell uses and recommends Bona maintenance products for all his customers. These are specifically designed to work with Bona coatings and will not damage or cloud the finish.
pH-neutral, ready-to-use spray cleaner. Safe for all polyurethane-coated timber floors. Dries quickly without residue. Available from Bunnings or direct from Bona.
Restores sheen and adds a thin protective layer. Use every few months in high-traffic areas to keep floors looking freshly coated. Does not replace a recoat but extends the time between them.
A deeper treatment that rejuvenates the floor surface. Use when the polish is no longer restoring the sheen. Cleans and adds a protective film in one application.
Designed specifically for timber floors. The microfibre pad picks up dust and fine particles effectively, and the mop is sized for residential use. Pads are machine washable.
First 7 Days After Sanding
If you have just had your floors sanded and finished, the coating needs time to fully cure. During the first 7 days:
- Walk on floors carefully after 24 hours (socks only, no shoes)
- Replace furniture after 48 hours (with felt pads attached)
- No rugs for 14 days (prevents moisture trapping)
- No wet mopping for 7 days (dry sweep only)
- Full cure takes 7-14 days; avoid heavy traffic and dragging furniture
- Keep pets off floors for 48 hours if possible