How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks [Full Guide]

Published by Ahmad Jamal on June 6, 2022 | Last updated on May 15, 2023

No wonder hardwood floors provide a luxurious & beautiful look to any house, but they need thoughtful maintenance and cleaning to continue providing that.

That means, that hardwood floors can face some hurdles that need attending to, and one of those hurdles is the floor cracks.

Therefore, this Cleaners Advisor‘s guide will explain How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks in a step-by-step method.

I’ll provide you with the list of items you’ll need in the process, after showing you how important it is to know How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks

Table of Contents

Why Does This Problem Happen?

Understanding the problem can be the first step to knowing how to fix it, and in this case, why do the floor cracks happen?

The wood shrinks over time, seasonal changes between extremely cold weather and extremely hot ones can cause that inevitably.

Furthermore, the improper installation of a single hardwood board can be easily turned into a disaster with the aforementioned weather changing inside the household.

Despite the fact that gaps are inevitable, that doesn’t mean we just lay down on them and wait for them to widen up and create some sight-damaging destruction among hardwood boards.

Why You Need to Know How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks

You’ve now come down to the reasoning behind hardwood floor cracks, and that’s the first step towards curing the problem.

However, there are some problems that aren’t connected to the natural causes or the installation errors.

Sometimes you just sweep the hardwood floor, and smaller particles of dirt can sneak their way into the small floor cracks.

Additionally, rooms with high traffic are more susceptible to having more spillage/dirt inside the floor cracks.

That’s why you should know How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks.

This video explains it further.

Tools You’ll Need to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks With

Putty Knife.
Pieces of Dry Cloth.
Strong Shop Vacuum.
Bucket.
Wood Putty.
White Vinegar Solution (Optional).
Screwdriver (Optional).

How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks

Scrap Out Between Cracks

Start your hardwood floor cracks cleaning by scrapping out in between the cracks using the putty knife.

Some would argue that a versatile screwdriver (5-in-1) can be handy in this situation, but I think you can still get better scrapping with the putty knife.

As you remove the stiff substance inside the gap, you’ll have a dirty floor, don’t worry!

Vacuum Now!

The dirty floor calls for you to use a strong shop vacuum, or a wet/dry canister vacuum capable of removing such dirt with ease.

Choosing the vacuum wisely can spare the safety of the hardwood floors, as using the wrong vacuum can inflict direct damage to the woods.

Make sure the wheels of the shop vac are not in direct contact with the floor and put a towel or a small piece of dry cloth underneath it to protect the floor.

Another Alternative

That was a dry & handy option that’s the best for scrapping out the space between hardwood floor boards.

You can use a small soft brush or a soft toothbrush, dip it in some dishwashing solution with warm water, and get rid of the excess.

However, this requires you immediately dry the solution with a dry cloth, and make sure you don’t allow the solution deep inside the gaps too.

This alternative method works on smaller sections; it’ll be tiring if you attempt to carry it out for larger rooms.

Wood Putty Time

Now that you’ve gotten rid of the unwanted particles inside the hardwood floor cracks, it’s time to fill it in correctly.

Apply the wood putty to the gap, and carry out circular motions with your finger over the gap to make sure it’s sticking correctly there.

Remove excess wood putty using the putty knife, but do that carefully.

After the wood putty is set up correctly, remove the putty residue alongside the gap with a slightly dampened cloth and then dry out that section with another dry one.

How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks FAQ

Are gaps in hardwood floors normal?

Yes, they are completely normal. However, you shouldn’t sleep on them as they grow deeper and wider, and attend to them as soon as you can with the aforementioned cleaning process.

How do you clean in between wood cracks?

You should scrap out the particles in between wood cracks with a knife, then clean it thoroughly but without the excess use of water, then fill it with wood putty.

Should I fill gaps between floorboards?

First, you should clean it for any dirt, dust, or small particles, remaining inside the gaps. Then, you can fill it with Wood Putty, by applying the wood putty to the gap, sticking it inside the gap with circular finger motions, then letting it dry.

To Wrap Up

This concludes our Cleaners Advisor guide on How to Clean Between Hardwood Floor Cracks, in case you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us in the comments section below.