For Exterior Applications
Learn more about the longevity of exterior wood finishes.
For Interior Worktops
Learn more about the longevity of interior wood worktops.
For Interior Floors
An Osmo Polyx-Oil finish will wear over time. To keep the surface looking optimal, it’s always important to factor in a maintenance schedule for your surface.
Without regular maintenance, the protective hard waxes in Osmo finishes could deplete and require extra work to renovate them.
Osmo Maintenance Benefits
The main benefit of Osmo products is that they can be topped up (re-applied) from time to time without needing to sand back and re-treat.
This method cannot be replicated with a wood lacquer or varnished surface, and therefore requires more time, effort, and money to maintain, in comparison.
With Osmo, your wood surface can stay optimal for longer with ease.
Regular Maintenance and Cleaning
Maintenance will begin with regular cleaning. In busy and high traffic areas a daily or weekly regime will be required.
Initial cleaning requires loose dirt and dust to be removed from the wooden surface.
For cleaning floors, the most efficient way to do this will be to use tools such as the Osmo Dust-Mop (part of the Osmo Cleaning Kit) and Telescopic Handle. Alternatively, the use of a suitable vacuum cleaner and/or a soft brush will suffice.
Stubborn and Intense Cleaning
For more stubborn dirt, we recommend to damp clean your wooden surface.
Please Note: Before any damp cleaning, please ensure that your Osmo finish has had time to cure properly! Curing will normally take 2-3 weeks in a well-ventilated area.
For damp cleaning, Osmo has specially formulated products that are perfect for wooden surfaces, especially those treated with an Osmo Oil product.
We recommend two products from our cleaning and maintenance range: Osmo Wash and Care or a pre-diluted Osmo Spray Cleaner.
These products help to clean and nourish the surface without breaking down the natural oils and waxes in our Osmo finishes. Damp cleaning can be easy and efficient with the right equipment.
For simple floor cleaning, the Osmo Micro-Mop Plush (part of the Osmo Cleaning Kit) and Telescopic Handle is very effective.
For even more efficiency, Osmo also has a convenient Spray Mop which utilises a special cartridge filled with pre-diluted Osmo Spray Fix Liquid. Alternatively, the < class=”osmo”a href=”https://osmouk.com/product/flexi-spray-mop/”>Osmo Flexi Spray Mop which boasts a refillable container, machine washable mop head and a flexible neck to clean hard to reach areas.
Reapplication of Osmo Oil
Topping up with hard waxes should be carried out occasionally when the water repellence of the floor has reduced. We recommend avoiding allowing the wood surface to become bare as this will require more renovation works.
For example, in busy domestic entrance areas, this may be every 4-5 months, or even up to a year, depending on wear or extreme traffic volumes.
When required, we recommend using Osmo Maintenance Oil, which is available in various finishes to suit your original Osmo finish.
Why?
Maintenance Oil is similar to having a very thin version of the Polyx-Oil top-coat, and therefore helps to replenish the hard waxes and oil without the risk of over application.
Over application can often lead to the product not drying properly and can create a sticky or tacky surface finish. In addition, having excess oil and wax on your surface will scratch easily and become rather slippery in poor conditions.
How To Apply Maintenance Oil
Maintenance Oil is best applied to a thoroughly cleaned floor.
For application by machine, the product can be applied using a slow buffing machine, typically with a large white scotch pad.
For application by hand, the product can be applied with a smaller white scotch pad or lint-free cloth. Osmo Easy Pad cloths would be ideal for this reapplication process. Do not rub in Maintenance Oil 3098 Semi-Matt/Anti-Slip with a single disc machine.
Maintenance of Glossy or Satin Finishes
If your wood surface has a satin or gloss finish, then we recommend Osmo Liquid Wax Cleaner. This will refresh hard wax protection and sheen. Liquid Wax Cleaner also dries quickly and is therefore very practical in busy areas.
By refreshing the hard waxes, the surface once again becomes more repellent. With any option chosen, please always trial apply first.
Wood Surface Appears Tired or Dry
For floors that have not absorbed dirt, but still contain Osmo hard wax oils, yet look tired and/or dry – these floors can be topped up with the previously used Polyx-Oil product.
We first recommend to thoroughly clan your floor with diluted Osmo Intensive Cleaner, then damp rinse the surface and dry for 2-3 days.
Please Note: Clear Polyx-Oil is more straightforward to clean using the Intensive Cleaner then top up. However, please be careful if a coloured/tinted Osmo oil sits below a Clear Polyx-Oil top-coat. As always, please trial apply first to avoid removing the colour/tint.
When wet cleaning we recommend keeping the amount of water to a minimum to avoid the wood becoming saturated and warped. It may take 1-2 days for the wood to be dry enough for reapplication.
Once dry, apply a thin brush coat to top up the surface. Once applied, please provide plenty of ventilation for drying the product.
Handy Tip: Use a pedestal fan, or similar, to change the air across the surface to aid with drying.
Please contact the expert Osmo UK team for further advice.
