Soap wooden floors

Sara Idenfors

Wood and soap are a perfect match

 

Wooden floors that are soap-scrubbed develop a warm and pleasant surface that feels almost like waxed wood. The advantage is that it can always be redone. In other words, if stains appear, they can be scrubbed away and the floor will be just as beautiful again. The disadvantage is that it is not as durable as, for example, a click floor, which withstands gravel and muddy shoes in a different way.
Below you will find part of a blog post we published on Städbloggen.se after soap-scrubbing / treating an old spruce floor.

Important when soap-scrubbing floors

 

  • New floors should ALWAYS be treated according to the manufacturer's recommendations.
  • Use soap scrubbing for surface treatment with cold water.
  • Always use a superfat soap, not cheap soap from the grocery store—it dries the wood out instead of treating it.
    Linseed soap and Västerbottenssåpa are examples of superfat soaps. Be careful with pine-based soap!
  • If you scrub an old floor to make it 1. clean, 2. treated, you must use lukewarm water to dissolve stains and remove dirt.
    – Once you have scrubbed the floor clean, scrub it with soap / wipe it with superfat soap and cold water to create a protective surface and a nourishing effect.
  • Use a natural-material scrubbing brush with the right stiffness. It will not damage the floor, and natural material (wooden floor) plus natural material (brush) is an equation that adds up.
  • Dry with a good cloth.
  • Scrub one section at a time.
  • Wet one section of the floor at a time, then scrub it, working your way through the room.
 

The scrubbed floor in Skansholm

 

The house dates from the 1930s and is being renovated in stages. Important and, as Maria says, boring things first. They have started at the right end and dealt with things that are necessary but perhaps not very noticeable at first. They have renovated the chimney, installed drainage and fixed the pipes … smart, but not as much fun as decorating and arranging curtains. Anyway, the house has a new, modern kitchen with an old-fashioned country feel, while naturally retaining its charm with a wood-burning stove and wooden plank floors. One of these floors is what we are going to take a closer look at now!

The floor is made of a soft, porous wood, spruce or pine. Both we and the homeowner are a little unsure, but one thing is clear: it is not oak. 
The floor is original, dating back to when the house was built in the 1930s, and has a fantastic quality and patina that cannot be created by anything other than time and wear from people—beautiful, quite simply!
But with wear and the passing years come stains and a greying that you would gladly get rid of. That is what we will try to remedy with superfat soap – Västerbottenssåpa, a scrubbing brush, water and a cloth.

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