Tips on Caring for Your Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floors are beautiful and add an elegant touch to a home. To keep them looking their best, you need to know how to care for them. Here are a few tips on caring for your hardwood flooring

Cleaning

One of the reasons that people love hardwood floors is due to the fact that they are low maintenance and easy to clean. However, that doesn't mean that they are no maintenance.

Basic cleaning is easy. Just use a dust mop with a dust cleaner to pick up particles such as dog hair and dirt that can scratch the surface.

Depending on how much traffic you have, use a vacuum brush attachment on the floor once a week or biweekly. Another option is an electric broom.

For deep cleaning that requires more than the usual dust mop, use a cleaning product specifically for wood. Use a sponge or cloth rag to clean the floor. Wring it out until it is only damp and then wipe the floor. Rinse the floor with clear water if the cleaning product instructions say to do so. Use a fan to help the floor dry faster and prevent damage.

Issues and Ongoing Maintenance

Even with the best care, things can happen to your hardwood floors. Before you know it, you see a mark left from shoes, a chair leg, or other item. If your floors are fairly new, the mark will be easy to clean up. Just wipe it with a soft cloth. Do not use any harsh chemicals or rough surfaces like sandpaper to remove it because they can damage the wood.

If you have an older hardwood floor, it may have a soft finish. This allows marks and spills to penetrate past the seal. When this is the case, you will have to perform a specific treatment based on the type of stain. You may have to stain the wood and wax it after you remove the problem.

Preventing Damage

Simple steps and lifestyle changes can help your hardwood floor last longer. You may not always think of some of these:

1. Take off shoes at the doorway. While heels are a big culprit of dents and scratches, almost any shoe can leave a mark behind.
2. Keep drapes closed when the sun is shining in to prevent discoloration.
3. Use area rugs in the dining room or other high traffic areas where spills often occur. However, make sure you move the rugs around so that the color continues to match the rest of the floor.
4. Keep pets' claws trimmed to prevent scratches.
5. Place furniture glides under your couch, chairs, and other pieces to prevent damage when they are moved.
6. Don't let water stand on the floor; wipe spills up immediately.

Hardwood floors are beautiful, but it takes a little work to keep them looking like new. Clean them frequently, clean up spills quickly, and take extra precautions to prevent damage. By following these tips, you can enjoy your floors for a long time.

Canada’s premier hardwood flooring store. Proudly selling Hardwood Flooring in Toronto since 1977. We have hardwood, laminates, engineered, and exotic flooring; we also provide hardwood flooring installation.

Canada's premier hardwood flooring store. Proudly selling Hardwood Flooring in Toronto since 1977. We have hardwood, laminates, engineered, and exotic flooring; we also provide hardwood flooring ins