Keeping Your Wood Floors In Tip Top Shape

You know your wood floor needs care, but did you know you may be going about it wrong. The result is a dull looking floor and that’s not what anyone wants. Here are a few things about the care and feeding of your hardwood floors to keep them looking new.

Today’s wood floor products make it easier to maintain that new floor look.

1.      Skip the harsh cleaners: a light damp mopping with cloth and spray cleaner made for wood floors is all you need for regular cleaning.

2.      Have rugs at all entrances: It sounds obvious but you can leave 80% of the outdoors right at your entryway whether its summer yard clippings, garden soil or winter salt and snow leave it at the door.

3.      Use the floor attachment on your vacuum cleaner: when you are on hardwood surfaces the bristles that you need for carpet cleaning can have debris tangled in them that will scratch your floors, some bristles are very stiff and can dull the finish on your floors over time. Use the soft brush or wood floor cloth attachment.

4.      Steam clean only occasionally: move the mop over the floor quickly making sure not to linger too long in one spot. Steam cleaning is not recommended any more often that every couple of months

5.      Furniture pads: putting the little disks sold at hardware stores under your furniture is an investment in your floors that pays back many dividends. Moving heavier furniture to clean behind and everyday movement of dining chairs can take a toll on your floors so protect them with either the felt pads or plastic but don’t forget to inspect them at least once a year and replace as they become worn out.

6.      Your floors can get a sun tan too: the sun will subtly deepen the color of your floors over time, be sure to move rugs and furniture around your room to different spots to make sure your whole floor ages at the same pace, if this is not possible consider pulling the shades when midday sun is on your floors.

7.      Hold the wax: you may be tempted to bring the shine back to a dull floor by applying spray or liquid wax cleaners but they can create a dangerously slippery surface, if you really want to bring the shine back or you have a deeply scratched area of the floor, check with your local hardwood flooring store or dealer for a restoring product made for your specific floor.

Hardwood floors can last for many years and are easier to take care of than first time owners realize.  Light cleaning and a few preventative moves to make will help you enjoy your investment for years to come.