How To Clean Hardwood Floors In Your Home

The hardwood floor can be a beautiful asset to any home. If you are in the process of laying this type of flooring in the home, or already have this type of flooring, it is important to know and understand the overall care and maintenance. By cleaning your hardwood floor, you will avoid the dull and grimy color that is often associated with dirty hardwood floors. Here, you will learn the steps that are necessary to clean this type of flooring.

The first thing that you will need to do in order to determine the most appropriate method to cleaning your floor is to establish the type of finish that has been used on the floor. Many individuals make the mistake of feeling as if they must care for the floor based on the type of wood that is used. However, this is not the case. The actual type of finish must be determined in order to select the most appropriate cleaning method.

If you find that the floor has a "surface" finish, it will be quite easy to clean the floor. Sealants such as those that are based from urethane, polyacrylic, and similar substances can be cared for with basic cleaning like sweeping and mopping. It is not common to have to apply any type of wax or anything else when cleaning these types of surfaces. However, many may elect to use these to buff out areas that are exceptionally dirty.

If the sealant used is considered to be a type that penetrates the wood and hardens, it is best to clean it by using various types of waxes. These waxes are often sold in liquid form and will allow you to penetrate deep into the wood in order to remove dirt, grime, and other substances that have settled into the flooring. It is important to ensure that you buff out any type of product that you use on this type of flooring as it can make the appearance of the floor dull.

If you have untreated floors, or floors that have been lacquered, it is important to take the time to apply a finish to the flooring when attempting to clean it. If you use water, or any type of other moisture apart from the finishes that are available, you are likely to damage the floor. Special care and consideration should be taken when caring for this flooring type.

As you can see, there are many different ways to care and maintain hardwood flooring. In order to determine the best method, you must be sure to determine the finish that is being used first.

Visit us for more information on installing hardwood floors, how to clean and refinish hardwood floors and how to clean laminate floors.