Cork floor care

[supersuds]

I recently had some cork flooring installed in the kitchen. It didn't come with any instructions. I've never had a cork floor before, or even a hardwood floor. Is there any special precaution that needs to be taken in mopping or waxing? Is something like Murphy Oil Soap a good idea?

I assume you shouldn't slop water around like linoleum; it has a sealant of a sort but is still probably somewhat porous.

 

[DADoES]

 
Cork makes for a nice-looking floor.  A search for tips:  Google - cork floor care

 

[ea56]

From 1958 to 1962 my family lived in a large ranch style house with cork floors throughout most of the home. Even though I was only 11 when we moved from this house I can still recall the way the floors were cared for. On a daily basis my Mom either used her Regina Elektric Broom or a dust mop the keep the floors dust and dirt free. Weekly she wet mopped the floors, what she used I'm not sure, but I recall that she did use Spic and Span on the linoleum floors, so she probably used it on the cork too. The cork floors were regularlly waxed with Treewax liquid. It wasn't a self polishing wax like Aerowax (I'm dating myself), but rather it was like Johnson and Johnson Pride wax for furniture. It was a wax that was milky looking and was applied with an applicator that looked like lambs wool. The Treewax was allowed to dry to a haze and then was buffed to a high sheen with a Shetland electric buffer. The wax would last for several weeks between applications and by simply buffing them again with the Shetland the shine came right back. These floors were very beautiful and somewhat soundproofed the cement slab floors that they were installed over. I recall that my parents were very proud of these cork floors and we didn't know anyone else that had them.

I think that you could safely use Murphys Wood Oil Soap to clean the floors. I'm pretty sure that liquid wax like I discribed above is probably no longer available, but Johnson and Johnson still makes a paste wax and so does Tree Wax, they are just a lot more labor intensive to apply, but the results are worth it and last a long time.
Eddie

 

[norgeway]

Re Cork floors

Nothing says 50s high class like cork floors,Quiet and beautiful.

 

[supersuds]

Thanks, Eddie, I always think the members of this board are more knowledgeable in many areas than Google.

I love the cork floor so far. It's noticeably more comfortable to stand on than linoleum or a hardwood floor.

I remember Aerowax, although my mom used something called Klear, which is also no longer made.

On cars, liquid wax did not ever seem more easy to use than paste to me, but I've never tried it on floors.

 

[ea56]

I'm glad that I was able to give you some hopefully helpful info John. I remember the Klear liquid wax too, I can visualize the can that it came in. BTW, the applicator that was used to apply the liquid Treewax was like a sponge mop. It had an aluminum handle with a lever that could allow you to release the wax on the floor from the reservoir that was on top of the applicator head, which was covered in a lambs wool/fleece like material.

You will love your cork floors! We had radiant heat in our house with the cork floors and it was the most comfortably heated home I have ever lived in. The floors were always warm in the winter.
Eddie