NEED dark floor help?

Susan Turner
by Susan Turner

First of all I LOVE this website!! So i built a new home about a year ago and my only mistake I made in the house was the flooring it is engendered wood, a dark reddish chocolate brown and I hate it! It shows every footprint, water droplet, every crumb and every scratch! I was wondering if there was a sealer or or something that would make these floors look a bit better??? I have to clean them every morning and am frustrated by that night how they look! Color is above but they are a matte finish with a bit of a texture but I am not at all picky about the sheen a shiner fishing would be fine too!!! HELP!! And TY


  19 answers
  • Kathy Gunter Law Kathy Gunter Law on Apr 03, 2020

    There's nothing you can really do because it's the dark color that is causing most of your issues. You can make it easier to keep clean/lessen show of dirt by getting a good microfiber dusting mop. You might look into Rejuvenate to lessen the scratches. I used to have dark floors and was super excited when I had the money to go light. I went with red oak, no stain just sealed, which turned them a beautiful color. They still show dark spots but the dark is for the birds.

  • I have to agree with Kathy. The color is what shows everything. We don't wear shoes in the house which helps with footprints and i use a microfiber mop dry and then slightly damp to clean my floors.

  • Gk Gk on Apr 03, 2020

    Unfortunately dark wood floors do show every bit of dirt. You will just have to keep wiping up, mopping and dusting. I am not sure how you feel about area rugs but that might be helpful for large areas so you can't see as many footprints or crumbs.

  • Vimarhonor Vimarhonor on Apr 03, 2020

    Hello. I believe that’s a characteristic of having a dark hw floor.

    Just like having a white tile floor in the bathroom one would notice every spot or single hair. My son has a dark floor and uses the Bona floor care system for his floor care needs.

  • Unfortunately what you're doing is all you can do. It's the downfall of dark colored floors.

  • Em Em on Apr 03, 2020

    I have the same issue especially with two dogs. Short of using a microfiber mop on it EVERY day it shows all of what you mentioned. I have runners in the hall ways that cuts down on some the the issues but no cleaner I have used including Bona do a thing. As a matter of fact Bona leaves more of a film than the Bio Cleaner that I currently use.

  • Nan W. Nan W. on Apr 03, 2020

    Susan: I had the same issue with my floors. I resorted to purchasing (gulp) an iRobot floor cleaner... and run it at night, after I go to bed. I wake up with clean floors. Pretty sweet.


    https://www.amazon.com/iRobot-Braava-jet-240-Robot/dp/B019OH9898/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=mint+floor+cleaner&qid=1585924378&sr=8-2



  • Short of replacing or refinishing the floors, because of the color, it's going to always show every little bit. Unfortunately it means constant cleaning. You'll have to weigh that against replacement or refinishing.

  • Beth Beth on Apr 03, 2020

    I tried adding runners along the most trafficked parts of the floor, and that definitely helped, but darker floors do show a lot of dirt and crud.

  • Morgan McBride Morgan McBride on Apr 03, 2020

    No. dark wood floors are the worst, solidarity, we have them in our house too, though NOT my choice with a white shedding dog.

  • William William on Apr 03, 2020

    Nothing much you can do. It's engineered wood. Color and finish are bonded at the factory. Not even much there to sand and refinish.

  • Can you get one of those vacuums that run daily on their own without you needing to do it? That could help... otherwise, perhaps some rugs to break up all the dark space.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Apr 03, 2020

    You have a dark floor, it is now built in and short of replacing it, it is how it is. We have a Roomba and run it during the day, it is noisy and you cannot leave it and forget it, it gets stuck in the stupidest places.

    My friend let her husband talk her into a dark chocolate carpet in the living room, everytime someone walks across it, especially if they had on white socks, you guessed it. A vacuuming nightmare.

    Best to you.

  • Kmdreamer Kmdreamer on Apr 05, 2020

    Why don't you have someone come in and varnish them

  • Linda Linda on Apr 05, 2020

    Painted wood floors is trendy too. You could paint them.

  • Agnes Chrzanowska Agnes Chrzanowska on Jun 30, 2021

    I would paint or varnish

  • Janice Janice on Sep 03, 2021

    Aabout the only long-term solution for your floors is to paint them a more neutral color OR as someone else mentioned perhaps use an automatic vacuum each day.

    I can relate to your frustration as I once had hand-scraped dark stained real wood flooring. It drove me nuts! It was very high maintenance to keep the floors looking nice all the time. I have since sold the home.

  • Bre29447132 Bre29447132 on Sep 13, 2021

    Paint them