Prevention -- the same basics as any timber floor
Put a good quality mat both inside and outside every external door. Make them as large as possible to catch grit and moisture before it gets tracked across the floor.
Take your shoes off where possible to cut down on dirt and reduce impact damage from heels. In heavily trafficked areas like entrance halls and kitchens, consider mats to reduce surface wear. Any rugs should be permeable so the floor can breathe.
Bona finishes provide a sealed surface resistant to wear, scuffing and spillage, but no surface-applied finish can prevent physical damage to the timber or make the floor harder. Dents and scratches from furniture, dropped items and dog claws are controlled by the timber species, not the coating.
Felt protective feet on all furniture legs and bases. Keep pet claws trimmed. Both reduce the chance of damage.
Regular cleaning -- use Bona Oiled Wood Floor Cleaner
Clean the floor regularly with dry methods -- the Bona Spray Mop with a Bona Dusting Pad, a soft broom, or a vacuum with a soft brush attachment. Getting the surface grit off before it gets ground in prevents scratching.
Do not wet mop an oiled timber floor. Too much cleaner or water can swell the timber, lift board edges and leave the surface uneven. It can also leave cleaning product residue that shows as a hazy film.
Avoid household cleaners and polishes -- they can damage the oil finish and make future re-oiling harder.
To remove water-soluble dirt, use Bona Oiled Wood Floor Cleaner -- not the standard Wood Floor Cleaner, the one made for oiled floors. Dry clean first, then spray sparingly and clean with the Bona Microfibre Cleaning Pad, working along the boards. Rinse the pads regularly in clean water and replace when dirty. Wringing out well is essential with oiled floors. Rinse or swap the pad after every 10-15 m2.
Bona Cleaning Pads can be washed at 60 degrees in a washing machine. They last about 500 washes. Do not use fabric conditioner -- it stops them working properly.
Deep cleaning -- hydrogen peroxide formula
Over time regular cleaning will not remove everything. Some spills and built-up material need more power. Use Bona Wood Floor Deep Cleaner with the Bona Deep Clean Pad when the floor needs a thorough going-over.
Bona Deep Cleaner is based on a hydrogen peroxide formula. The oxygenated formula creates micro cleaning bubbles that loosen dirt, deep clean the surface, and lift away residues. According to the CDC in the USA, hydrogen peroxide is a stable and effective disinfectant against bacteria and viruses on hard, non-porous surfaces.
Remove dust first, mop in the normal way, then spray an area with Deep Cleaner, let it work for a minute, and wipe with the Deep Clean Pad.
Bona Wood Floor Deep Cleaner is safe for occasional use on oiled floors. But any cleaning with a detergent system will gradually reduce the protection of a penetrating oil finish. After deep cleaning, plan for a maintenance application of oil once the surface starts looking dull or worn.
Re-oiling -- maintain the protection before it wears through
When the floor starts looking dull and worn, a maintenance application of oil should be applied. How often depends on traffic -- a hallway may need it every year or two, a spare bedroom may go much longer.
The goal is to apply a fresh coat of Bona Craft Oil 2K before the floor is damaged to the point where a complete refinishing process is needed. To refurbish the floor, after thorough cleaning, abrade back to an even surface using a Bona Scrad Pad or Diamond Abrasives, then apply a coat of the appropriate finish.
If you keep up with maintenance coats, the floor can go a very long time before it ever needs a full sand back to bare timber. The advantage of oil over poly is that you can spot-repair -- if one area gets damaged, you sand and re-oil just that section without having to do the whole floor.