User Guide - Maintenance

Attach felt pads that slide easily to the ends of furniture legs. You can buy handy self-adhesive felt pads from most hardware stores.

Only damp, not wet
Water is only used to dampen cloths and mops. A spray from an air-spray bottle is sufficient for cloths made of micro fibres. Water splashed onto the floor must be dried off immediately.

A mop is damp when it does not leave water drops on the hardwood flooring, and the floor appears dry after wiping. A mop is wet when it leaves water drops on the flooring. In this case, the floor must be dried.

MAINTENANCE OF VARNISHED HARDWOOD FLOORS

A hardwood flooring does not need miracles; regular care only involves vacuuming and wiping with a damp cloth. When necessary, the floor can be washed with a mild detergent (pH 6 - 8). Remove stains while they are still fresh. Usually, just water or a mild detergent will suffice. Avoid scrubbing with abrasive equipment or using strong solvents. If the floor is badly scratched, you can wax it using floor wax intended for varnished hardwood floors.

MAINTENANCE OF OILED HARDWOOD FLOORINGS
- HOUSEHOLDS

Care after installation
Remove dust and loose dirt by vacuuming. Use a mop to wipe the floor with Osmo Color Wash and Care washing and treatment solution. If the flooring has been stained during installation, remove the stains with Osmo Color Liquid Wax Cleaner using a clean, soft cloth.

Regular cleaning
Remove dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner or a damp mop.

Cleaning a stained floor
Remove dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner or a damp mop. Use a damp mop with a mild detergent solution (pH 6–8) to clean the surface of the floor. The recommended detergent is Osmo Color Wash and Care concentrate (two caps per litre of water, water-soluble, contains coconut oils and vegetable soaps). Clean small areas of the floor one at a time. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.

Removal, cleaning and treatment of scratches, traces of wear and stains
Remove dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner or a damp mop. No sanding is needed. Using a clean cloth, apply a thin layer of Osmo Color Liquid Wax Cleaner to the area to be cleaned (two teaspoons per square meter, not water-soluble, includes vegetable waxes and paraffin). Rub the area lightly, until the stain has been removed. Let the wax dry (30 minutes). As needed, you can polish the waxed surface with a clean, soft cloth or a polisher (white pad). Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.

Repairing/renovating the floor or an area
Remove dust and dirt with a vacuum cleaner. No sanding is needed. Using a clean cloth, apply a thin layer of Osmo Color Liquid Wax Cleaner to the area to be repaired (two teaspoons per square meter). Let the wax dry (30 minutes). As needed, you can polish the waxed surface with a clean, soft cloth. If scratches and worn areas are not sufficiently repaired, or if you wish to renew the entire floor surface, use Osmo Color Hardwax Oil for wooden floors (not water-soluble, contains vegetable oils, waxes and aromatite-free solvent petrol <0.5 %). Apply a thin layer of oil wax (0.1–0.2 dl/m²), one small area at a time, to a clean and dry surface, using e.g. lint-free cotton cloth or a soft, dense sponge. Let the wax dry, and polish as needed. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.

How often should the floor be renovated with Osmo Color Hardwax oil?
In households, renovating the floor with oil wax may be necessary every five years in kitchen and hall areas, and every 10–15 years in other rooms. The specified periods are estimates, and assume that the care of the floor has been normal and regular. The need to renovate a floor with oil wax, either partly or entirely, depends on the normal and regular care and the circumstances. Traces of wear and a grey tone in certain areas are signs that the floor needs to be rewaxed.

The Osmo Color treatment products needed for the care of EcoTop oiled Real Wood Floor are available from selected home decoration and paint shops.

MAINTENANCE OF OILED HARDWOOD FLOORINGS
- PUBLIC AREAS

Regular cleaning
Use a damp mop to remove dust and dirt with Osmo Color Wash and Care washing and treatment solution. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.

Cleaning a stained floor
Remove dust and dirt with a damp mop. The floors of furnished rooms (offices, hotel rooms, restaurants, shops, schools, etc.) are cleaned with a floor treatment machine or a high-speed SHS machine (red pad). The recommended detergent is Osmo Color Wash and Care wash and treatment solution using the dosage shown in the manufacturer’s instructions. The detergent solution is machine sprayed onto the floor in small areas as the cleaning proceeds. Larger, open areas (halls, corridors) can be cleaned with a combination machine (red pad) using Osmo Color Wash and Care solution at the dilution recommended by the manufacturer.

Repairing/renovating the floor or an area
Remove dust and dirt with a floor mop. No sanding is needed. Use a floor polisher or SHS machine (red pads) to repair the floor. As the cleaning proceeds, spray Osmo Color Wash and Care solution on the floor to be repaired, and dry the surface with the machine. The entire floor can be repaired, or just the areas of heavier wear. If the floor is continuously subject to heavy wear, the surface can be renovated with Osmo Color Hardwax Oil. Clean the floor with Osmo Color Liquid Wax Cleaner as described above. Apply a thin layer of Osmo Color Hardwax Oil to the floor. Let the surface dry. As needed, the dried wax can be lightly polished with a floor polisher or SHS machine (white or red pad). Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the package.

How often should the floor be renovated with Osmo Color Hardwax oil?
In public spaces, the need to renovate a floor with oil wax, either partly or entirely, depends on the normal and regular care and the circumstances. It is recommended that floors in public areas subject to heavy wear (such as dance floors) be treated with oil wax once a year or as needed.

The Osmo Color treatment products needed for the care of EcoTop oiled Real Wood Floor are available from selected home decoration and paint shops.