How do you maintain hardwood floors?
Updated August 2026
Hardwood floors ask for very little day to day: dust-mop weekly, damp-mop with a wood-specific cleaner, and hold indoor humidity between 35 and 55% so the boards neither gap in winter nor cup in summer. The one paid job is a screen-and-recoat every 5 to 10 years, which refreshes the protective finish long before you ever have to sand down to bare wood.
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Dust-mop or vacuum (hard-floor setting) to lift grit | Weekly | 10 min · DIY |
| Wipe spills as they happen; standing water is the enemy | Right away | 2 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Damp-mop with a pH-neutral wood cleaner, never a sopping mop | Monthly | 15 min · DIY |
| Check and replace worn felt pads under furniture legs | Monthly | 10 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Run a humidifier or dehumidifier to hold 35–55% humidity | Seasonal | Ongoing |
| Refresh entry mats to catch grit and road salt | Fall and spring | 10 min · DIY |
| Task | Interval | Effort |
|---|---|---|
| Screen-and-recoat: light abrasion, one fresh finish coat | 5–10 years | $1–2/sq ft pro |
| Sand and fully refinish once wood shows through | 20–40 years | $3–8/sq ft pro |
What neglect costs
Let the finish wear through in a traffic lane and grit starts abrading bare wood, which greys and stains and can only be fixed by sanding, not a quick recoat. A recoat is just $1 to $2 a square foot; a full sand-and-refinish is $3 to $8, and a floor survives only 4 to 6 refinishings before the boards are too thin to touch again. Humidity does the other damage: too dry and the boards shrink and gap, too damp and they swell and cup, and a plumbing leak left to soak can buckle an entire room of flooring.
Leave these to a pro
Screening and recoating is within reach of a careful DIYer with a rented buffer, but most people hire it at $1–2 per square foot because prep and dust control make or break the result. A full refinish, sanding to raw wood and building three coats, is firmly a pro job at $3–8 per square foot and cheap next to a DIY drum-sander gouge. Cupping or water damage needs a flooring specialist to confirm the subfloor is dry before anyone refinishes over it.
This whole checklist ships as reminders in OnOtto: every task above, on the right schedule for your home, snooze-proof.
Load this checklist as remindersFrequently asked questions
What indoor humidity is best for hardwood floors?
Aim for 35 to 55% relative humidity year-round, which is also the comfortable range for people. Wood is hygroscopic: it gives up moisture and shrinks when the air is dry, opening thin gaps between boards in winter, and it absorbs moisture and swells when the air is humid, cupping or crowning in summer. A whole-house humidifier on the furnace and a dehumidifier or AC in the wet season keep it in the band. Sudden swings, not a steady level slightly off, cause the worst gapping.
How often do hardwood floors need refinishing?
Two different jobs. A screen-and-recoat, which just abrades and re-coats the finish, is due every 5 to 10 years depending on traffic and keeps you from ever reaching bare wood. A full sand-and-refinish, down to raw wood, is only needed every couple of decades or when the finish is gone and the wood is damaged. A solid floor can take 4 to 6 full refinishings across its 50 to 100 year life; the full arithmetic is on the hardwood lifespan page.
Can I use a steam mop on hardwood?
No. Steam forces heat and moisture through the finish and into the wood and seams, which is exactly what wood floors are built to keep out. Over time it clouds the finish, swells the boards, and can void the flooring warranty. Clean with a barely damp microfiber mop and a cleaner made for wood floors instead, and wring it out until it feels almost dry. The same goes for vinegar and ammonia cleaners, which dull polyurethane over repeated use.