How to Care for Hardwood Floors

The beauty that a good quality hardwood floor proffers is unparalleled. Hardwood floors of oak and maple are most widely used as wood flooring. Cherry, birch, walnut are some other varieties that can add to the richness of the flooring. However, some efforts need to be taken for maintaining the floor. If proper care is not taken, the hardwood floors will start looking old in no time.

Cleaning Hardwood Floors

The main challenge of hardwood floor care is the cleaning process. Maximum damage caused to the hardwood flooring is due to the choice of wrong techniques for cleaning. Regular cleaning of the floor is a must, as dirt, sand and such other particles may cause scratches and dents on the surface and make the floor lose its luster. Use a fine quality broom that has exploded tips to pick up the dusty materials from the floor so that the floor does not get scratches due to the broom. Brooming cannot ensure thorough cleaning of the areas between the planks and those areas that are difficult to reach out. For cleaning these, use canister vacuums that have attachments for bare floors. Make sure your vacuum cleaner is without the beater bar.

A simple method of maintaining the clean, new look of the hardwood floor is to mop it once a week with a damp cloth. Take a clean cotton mop and dip it into water and then squeeze out the excess water and make it almost half dry. Then use it to mop the floor and get rid of the dust. Some cleaning products are also available in the market. Do not use any oil-based soaps or harsh chemical-based cleaners on hardwood floor, rather, opt for neutral pH cleaners instead. If your floor is waxed, do not use any kind of mop to clean it.

Tips for Hardwood Floor Maintenance

The UV light of the sun can cause extensive damage to the color of hardwood floor. A water-based urethane finish on the floor should be preferred to an oil-based one, as it can will not get damaged due to the sunlight exposure. Use curtains, vertical blinds or sheer drapes to protect your floor from the sun, as much as possible.

Water is another factor that can ruin the floor. On exposure to water, a hardwood floor, irrespective of the kind of finish it has, will lose its shine and the surface will get distorted badly. In case of any accidental spills, wipe them off with a dry soft piece of cloth, without any delay so that they do not settle on the floor to make permanent stains.

While moving the furniture over hardwood floor, do not drag them from one place to another, as this can cause scratches. If the furniture has fabric-made or rubber-made glides under all the legs then you can pull them on the floor or else lift them while moving them.

Placing floor mats at the entrance door will help avoid the dirt from coming inside the house. Remember, rubber-backed or non-ventilated mats are not good for hardwood floors. Pointed metal heels and stilettos can create dents on the floor and should be kept away from the floor.

Improper maintenance can cause an irreparable damage to the hardwood floor. Therefore, you have to be really careful while taking proper care of your precious hardwood floor, regularly.