Comment nettoyer les parquets en bois lamellé-collé : le guide du fabricant

We ship engineered hardwood to contractors and importers across Europe and North America. The most common complaint we hear after installation isn’t about the product. It’s about what happened six months later — after someone used the wrong cleaner.

The floor looked dull. Or the finish started peeling. Or the boards started lifting at the edges.

In almost every case, the damage wasn’t from wear. It was from cleaning.

This guide focuses on cleaning. If you’re looking for the full picture — subfloor prep, installation methods, and long-term care — our engineered hardwood installation and maintenance guide covers everything from before the first plank goes down.

Does Your Floor Finish Change How You Clean It? Yes — Here’s Why

Before anything else, find out what finish is on your floor. It changes everything.

Most engineered hardwood comes in one of two finishes:

Lacquered / Urethane finish — This is the most common. The surface has a sealed, protective coating over the wood. It feels smooth and slightly plastic-like to the touch. Cleaning is straightforward: pH-neutral wood floor cleaner, damp microfiber mop, done.

Oiled finish — The oil penetrates into the wood rather than sitting on top. The surface looks more natural and matte. It feels like you’re touching the wood itself. Oiled floors need a dedicated oil-based cleaner — standard pH-neutral cleaners will strip the oil out of the wood over time.

If you’re not sure which finish you have, check the product documentation or contact your supplier. Using a urethane cleaner on an oiled floor — or vice versa — will damage the finish without you realising it until it’s too late.

For a full breakdown of both finish types, see our guide: Oiled vs Lacquer Engineered Hardwood finishes.

How to Clean Engineered Hardwood Floors: Daily and Weekly Routine

The short answer: use a dry or barely-damp microfiber mop, a pH-neutral wood floor cleaner, and nothing else.

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

Daily (high-traffic areas):

Sweep with a soft-bristle broom or a microfiber dust mop. This removes the grit and sand particles that act like sandpaper underfoot. It takes two minutes and it’s the single most effective thing you can do to protect your floor’s finish long-term.

If you vacuum instead, switch to the hard floor setting and turn off the beater bar. A rotating brush head at full speed will scratch the finish — this is one of the most common causes of premature surface wear we see.

Weekly:

Damp-mop with a microfiber mop that has been wrung out thoroughly. The mop should feel barely damp — not wet. If you can see water trails on the floor after you mop, it’s too wet.

Spray your cleaner onto the mop pad, not directly onto the floor. Work in small sections. Dry any remaining moisture immediately with a clean cloth.

One rule that applies regardless of finish type: damp, not wet. Engineered hardwood is more moisture-resistant than solid hardwood, but it’s still wood. Water that sits in the seams or penetrates the core will cause the boards to swell, lift, or delaminate.

How to Deep Clean Engineered Hardwood Floors (Monthly Routine)

Daily sweeping and weekly mopping handle surface dirt. But over time, even well-maintained floors lose their sheen. That’s when a deeper clean — and a periodic polish — makes a difference.

Every four to six weeks, depending on foot traffic:

Apply a wood floor polish or refresher formulated specifically for engineered hardwood. For urethane-finished floors, use a urethane-compatible polish. For oiled floors, use an oil refresher from the same brand as your floor’s original oil finish.

Apply with a flat microfiber pad. Work in the direction of the grain. Apply a thin, even coat — thick application doesn’t give better results and takes longer to dry. Allow it to dry fully (typically one to two hours) before walking on it.

One thing to never do: apply a wax-based polish to a urethane or lacquered floor. Wax builds up in layers, traps dirt, dulls the finish, and is extremely difficult to remove. The only way to fix it is professional screening.

What Not to Use on Engineered Hardwood Floors — And Why It Damages Them

Every product below appears in the cleaning aisle. Some are actively marketed for wood floors. All of them will cause damage — and most of the damage is irreversible without professional intervention.

Steam mops The heat forces moisture deep into the wood fibres and opens up the seams between boards. The result is warping, lifting edges, and in glue-down installations, delamination. Steam mops should never be used on engineered hardwood, regardless of what the mop packaging claims.

Vinegar, lemon juice, or any acidic DIY cleaner Vinegar is mildly acidic. Applied repeatedly, it breaks down the polyurethane finish at a microscopic level. The floor won’t look damaged immediately — it will just gradually stop reflecting light. By the time you notice, the finish is already compromised. This is the most common mistake we see from people following “natural cleaning” advice online.

Murphy Oil Soap and other oil soaps Oil soap leaves a residue film on the surface. It builds up with each cleaning, attracts more dirt, and makes the floor progressively stickier and duller. Some floors require professional treatment to remove the buildup. Using oil soap also voids most manufacturer warranties.

Wax-based polishes Wax is incompatible with urethane finishes. It sits on top of the coating, doesn’t bond, and builds up in layers. Every subsequent cleaning makes it worse. Removing it requires abrasive equipment.

Ammonia-based cleaners Ammonia strips the finish and causes discolouration. Some multi-surface sprays and glass cleaners contain ammonia — always check the label before using anything near engineered hardwood.

Vinyl or tile floor cleaners These are formulated for non-porous surfaces and contain agents that actively damage wood finish. The fact that something is labelled “floor cleaner” does not mean it’s safe for wood.

Wet mopping or bucket mopping Standing water on an engineered floor is a warranty-voiding event with most manufacturers. The seams between boards are not sealed — water finds its way through, saturates the core, and the boards swell. Glue-down installations are particularly vulnerable: the adhesive can fail when exposed to sustained moisture.

How to Clean Stains Off Engineered Hardwood Floors

Speed matters more than the product you use.

For most spills — water, juice, wine, food — blot immediately with a dry cloth. Don’t wipe, which spreads the liquid. Once the bulk is absorbed, clean the area with a barely-damp cloth and your regular wood floor cleaner. Dry the spot immediately.

For tougher stains:

Oil or grease: A small amount of dish soap diluted in water, applied with a cloth. Rinse with a damp cloth, dry immediately. Don’t let soapy water sit.

Pet urine: Use an enzyme-based cleaner. This is important — enzyme cleaners break down the uric acid that causes the smell. Standard cleaners mask the odour temporarily but don’t eliminate it, and some animals will return to the same spot. Never use ammonia-based cleaners for pet stains; the smell is similar to urine and can attract pets back to the area.

Hardened residue (wax, gum, dried food): Place a bag of ice on the area until the residue hardens and becomes brittle. Gently lift it with a plastic scraper — never metal. Clean the remaining residue with your regular wood floor cleaner.

Ink or marker: Dampen a cloth with rubbing alcohol and blot gently. Test in an inconspicuous area first.

If a stain has penetrated the finish and into the wood itself, surface cleaning won’t remove it. That typically requires spot sanding and refinishing — only viable if the wear layer is thick enough. Check with your flooring supplier before attempting it.

How to Protect Engineered Hardwood Floors Between Cleanings

Most floor damage happens between cleanings, not during them.

Entry mats are the single most impactful preventive measure. Sand and grit tracked in on shoes act as an abrasive every time someone walks across the floor. A mat at each entrance — both inside and outside the door — removes the majority of it before it reaches the floor.

Felt pads on furniture legs. Check them regularly and replace when they wear flat. A worn felt pad is just a hard plastic or metal base scraping across your finish.

Remove shoes at the door. Particularly high heels and outdoor shoes with hard rubber or metal components. High heels concentrate significant force on a very small area — enough to dent even harder wood species.

Trim pet nails regularly. Dog nails in particular cause fine scratching across the surface over time. This isn’t visible immediately but accumulates.

Manage sunlight exposure. UV radiation breaks down the finish and causes uneven colour change — lighter where rugs were placed, darker where the sun hit. Use blinds or UV-filtering window film in rooms with significant sun exposure. If you use area rugs, shift them periodically so the floor tones evenly.

Maintain indoor humidity between 35% and 55%. Too dry and the wood contracts, causing gaps. Too humid and the boards swell and can cup. This matters more in climates with extreme seasonal variation — northern European winters and air-conditioned North American summers both push floors toward the dry end.

Engineered Hardwood Floor Cleaning: Common Questions

A Note for Trade Buyers and Contractors

If you’re importing or distributing engineered hardwood, consider including a basic cleaning guide with every order.

The most common after-sales complaints we receive — and the most common warranty disputes — stem from cleaning damage, not product defects. A customer who uses a steam mop or Murphy Oil Soap within the first month will assume the floor is faulty. A simple one-page care guide included in the packaging eliminates most of those conversations.

It also protects the warranty. Most engineered hardwood warranties are voided by moisture damage and use of incompatible cleaning products. If the end customer has been given clear guidance and still causes damage, the warranty position is much cleaner for everyone involved.

If you’d like a simple one-page care guide to include with your shipments, get in touch — we can put one together based on your product specifications.