Caring for Hardwood Floors

How to Take Care of Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors add warmth and elegance to any property. If you put in the time, use the appropriate cleaner and tools and take preventative measures, hardwood's organic beauty can last a lifetime.

Get on a Schedule

In order to keep hardwood floors looking their best, the following cleaning and maintenance schedule is recommended.

Daily: Sweep up dirt and wipe up spills.
Weekly: Clean utilizing a solution approved for your particular hardwood floor.
Use the Right Cleaning Agent

Hardwood Flooring Care 

Whenever you can, get cleaner recommendations and care guidelines from your flooring retailer or manufacturer. Some companies even make their own personal brand of floor cleaner. For instance, Shaw Floors makes an R2X Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner that removes dirt, grease and other signs of everyday wear from hardwood floors.

When selecting a cleaning product, avoid the following products to clean your hardwood floors:

Water: Surprisingly, it's not a good idea clean your hardwood floors with water. Water and wood do not mix; moisture can damage wood over the long term.
Silicone, ammonia or undiluted vinegar: These items can damage your floor's finish.
Items that include oil soaps, liquid or paste wax: These cleaners leave a residue on your hardwood.
Items that contain citrus, lemon or tung oil: These items can eat away at the floor's finish.

Use the cleaner at least once a week right after you've swept up loose dirt. Make sure you spray on the cleaner evenly and never ever pour it directly on the floor. Use a mop with a terry cloth or micro-fiber pad. Again, read the label of any new product very carefully before applying it to your floor.

Use the Correct Tools for the Job

Sweep your floors routinely to keep dirt from building up and causing scratches. Use a broom with polypropylene or acrylic bristles. Many companies now offer hardwood safe swifter type mops for routine cleaning. You can also vacuum with a bare-floor attachment with a brush or felt-type head

Some experts say vacuuming picks up the most debris, but the selection of cleaning tool is really a matter of your own preference. Make sure the wheels of a vacuum or other tools are free of debris or sharp edges. Soft cloths are ideal for picking up spills. Clean up sticky substances with a damp cloth and be sure to dry the location straight away.
Under no circumstances, use a steam cleaner on hardwood, it can warp the floorboards. Hard-bristled brooms scratch hardwood, and vacuums with rotating brushes can make dents in the floor.

Avoid Harm

Some manufacturers offer hardwood flooring that are resistant to scratches and other imperfections. However, hardwood floors are still susceptible to harm, and prevention helps to protect them. Place rugs in high-traffic walkways, use entry mats at doorways to lessen wear and stick felt pads on the feet of furnishings to reduce scrapes and gouges. Placing entry mats at doorways is one of the most vital factors you can do to shield your floors. Blinds or curtains avert the sun from bleaching out places of your floor. If you have a dog, keep its nails trimmed, so they never scratch up the floor. If you have indoor-outdoor pets, keep their paws free of dirt, gravel, grease and oil.

If you have to move furnishings across a hardwood floor, don't drag the piece. Instead, lift and carry it - with adequate assistance of course. For heavier items, you may need to use sheets of plywood or other floor protection and a dolly. And if you or anyone in your house wears heels or cleats, take them off, specifically stilettos or broken heels, prior to walking across your wood floors.

If you are willing to put in a little extra effort to care for a hardwood floor, you are going to be rewarded with a beautiful, long lasting design foundation for the rest of your home.

From Shaw Floors
Brought to you by ERA Team Real Estate in Conway, AR
http://www.eraarkansas.com
ERA: 501-327-6731