“The real cost question with timber isn't what you pay upfront — it's what you pay over 20 years. That's where hardwood wins.”
— Mark Hutchison, Founder, Lifewood
Good timber flooring maintenance is about managing three things well: abrasive dust, moisture and finish-specific cleaning. Get these right, and your timber floor remains easy to maintain. Consistent light care is far better than occasional deep cleaning.
What tends to hold Perth homeowners back is that most maintenance advice is written for east-coast climates, not addressing the factors that cause wear on floors here in the west. Fine limestone and coastal sand act as sandpaper, and big seasonal humidity swings stress the finish.
This practical guide is Perth-specific, covering daily-to-annual routines, finish-by-finish cleaning notes, as well as a clear list of things to never put on your timber floor.
Timber floor care in Perth is influenced by local conditions that just aren't an issue in Sydney or Melbourne:
Limestone dust and sand
Most Perth homes contain fine abrasive particles inside. When tracked underfoot, they act like sandpaper, and with time, this action dulls and scratches the finish.
Humidity swings
Hot, dry summers that are followed by wet winters expand and contract the floorboards and stress the finish. Using the wrong cleaning methods during these times can open up the grain.
Coastal salt and UV
Homes located within approximately 5 km of the coast are subject to more finish wear and stronger UV exposure, both of which accelerate the weathering of your flooring.
The single most effective habit to preserve your timber flooring is maintaining a strong discipline of keeping and using doormats at every external door. A strict no-shoes policy in the house will do more for prolonging the lifespan of your floor than any off-the-shelf cleaner.
How do you clean timber floors properly? This starts with matching the task to the frequency:
Daily
A quick sweep with a soft-bristle broom or a microfibre dust mop to lift the abrasive grit before it gets walked in. Don’t ever use a broom with stiff bristles as this will scratch your floors.
Weekly
Vacuum using a hard-floor head and setting with the beater bar turned off. Afterwards, go over the floor with a damp microfibre mop using a pH-neutral timber cleaner. Be sure to wring the mop out until it's only lightly damp.
Never wet mop, steam mop, or use vinegar, sugar soap or ammonia-based products. All these will strip, cloud and damage the finish.
The best mop for timber floors is a flat microfibre mop, rather than a string mop and bucket. The microfibre carries far less water and allows you to minimise the moisture. Use it with a dedicated timber cleaner for your floor type, rather than a general-purpose floor product.
Different floors require different cleaning methods. The surface finish guides which cleaning products are safe to use, so make sure to identify yours before choosing a cleaner.
This is the most commonly used finish, and is also the most forgiving. It seals the timber beneath a water-resistant film, so it can tolerate slightly damper mopping than oiled boards. Stick with pH-neutral timber cleaners (nothing acidic or alkaline) and keep moisture to a minimum. A well-wrung microfibre mop once a week is enough for most polyurethane floors.
Oil is a breathable, penetrating finish rather than a surface film, so it needs different products. Use a soap-based cleaner formulated for oiled timber. Here, you don’t want to use pH-neutral polyurethane cleaners, because these can strip the oil and leave dry patches. Oiled floors in high-traffic areas should be re-oiled once a year to keep them nourished and protected.
Knowing how to clean engineered timber floors is mostly about respecting the factory finish. UV-cured coatings are highly durable, so you can follow the same weekly routine as polyurethane, with a daily dry dusting and weekly damp microfibre mopping. Most engineered boards are pre-finished, so make sure you use a product from the manufacturer's approved cleaning product list to prevent voiding the warranty.
Beyond the weekly routine, a little forward planning protects the floor for decades:
Inspect annually
Check for finish wear along high-traffic paths, in front of the kitchen sink, and in entry zones where grit collects.
Manage humidity
Aim to keep indoor humidity between 40–60% if you can, and run ceiling fans in summertime to even out humidity levels.
Knowing how often to re-coat timber floors depends entirely on the finish:
|
FINISH TYPE |
RECOAT FREQUENCY |
|
Polyurethane |
Every 5–7 years |
|
Oil |
Every 1–2 years in traffic zones |
|
UV-cured / pre-finished |
Every 7–10 years |
A full sand-and-refinish is a bigger job, reserved for solid timber or engineered boards with a 4 mm or thicker wear layer. This is normally needed only once or twice in a 25-year lifespan. Lifewood's Stabilised Solid® floorboards have a resandable surface suitable for up to four resands, so they can be fully refreshed rather than having to be replaced.
Always keep these away from your timber floors:
Steam mops
Heat and forced moisture will damage the finish and open up the sealed floorboard edges.
Vinegar and ammonia
Both of these strip protective coatings.
Wax-based cleaners on polyurethane
These give a cloudy hazing effect that's difficult to remove.
Stiff-bristle brooms
They scratch oiled and softer polyurethane finishes.
Abrasive pads
Leave dull, worn patches.
Pet urine that’s been left uncleaned
This can penetrate the finish within hours, so be sure to wipe it up right away.
Timber floors aren’t difficult. They reward consistent, light maintenance far more than occasional heavy cleaning. Lift the grit daily, mop lightly once a week with the right cleaner for your finish, and keep humidity steady. This way, your floor will look its best for generations to come. For tailored advice, book a Lifewood maintenance consultation or request a Lifewood-approved list of cleaning products to match your specific floor and finish.
Once a week is sufficient for most homes. Use a lightly dampened (not soaking wet) microfibre mop with a pH-neutral timber cleaner. Make sure it’s wrung out until it's almost dry. Spot-clean any spills immediately.
No. The combined heat and moisture from a steam mop will, with time, damage the finish and can warp boards or open up their edges. A soft, well-wrung-out mop is your safe alternative.
It’s highly recommended that you place doormats at every external door and have a strict no-shoes policy to prevent grit from getting in. Then lift whatever does make it inside with a daily soft-broom or microfibre dust-mop pass before it scratches the finish.
This depends on the finish you have. Polyurethane every 5–7 years, oil yearly in higher-traffic zones, and UV-cure every 7–10 years. Inspect your high-traffic areas once a year to see when it’s time for re-coating.
Yes, provided the wear layer is 4 mm or thicker. Lifewood Stabilised Solid can be sanded up to four times over its lifetime, allowing you to refresh the surface without needing to replace your floor.
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