Purchasing hardwood flooring was the easy part. The next step, and probably the trickier part, is keeping your hardwood floors clean and protected. The key to success is to do a little….often! That’s right, constant and consistent care to your hardwood floors is the best remedy to keep them beautiful and long lasting. Setting a plan to protect and clean your hardwood floors should be the first step once you have your hardwood floors installed. Here are some good protection and cleaning steps you might want to add to your hardwood floor care plan.
Protecting Your Hardwood Floor
Protecting your hardwood floors is by far the best practice to adhere to in order to keep it around for years to come. Most often, “we” are the reason for the problems we experience with our hardwood floors, simply because we fail to take proper care of the floor. To ensure your hardwood floors remain damage free, follow the simple steps below.
1. Place doormats outside of all entries to your home in order to trap debris.
2. Place carpet rugs inside the entrances to your home to trap dirt, sand, and other particles brought into your home that makes it past the doormats.
3. Place carpet rugs around sink areas, work areas and high traffic areas to trap debris and protect your hardwood floors from spills.
4. Do not wear high heals on hard wood floors (or if you do, make sure the heals are not damaged)
5. Keep all pet nails trimmed to avoid small scratches on hardwood floor..
6. Use wood floor protector covers under the legs of all furniture
7. Never drag furniture across wood flooring. (place a small carpet rug underneath the legs to resist scratching your hardwood floor)
Cleaning Your Hardwood Floor
Cleaning your hardwood floors can be easy and effortless, as long as you are consistent. To ensure the beauty of your hardwood floors follow the below steps:
1. Sweep, dust, or vacuum your hardwood floors daily. Dirt or sand particles can easily scratch the hardwood floor.
2. Vacuum any carpet rugs weekly so that dirt or debris is not trapped below the rugs, scratching your hardwood floors.
3. Clean your hardwood floors weekly with a cleaning agent designed for hardwood floors.
4. Wipe up any water or other liquids spilled on your hardwood floors immediately.
5. Never use water to clean your hardwood floors.
6. Never use products that contain wax on your hardwood floors.
When protecting and cleaning hardwood floors, always keep in mind the old saying “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Spending a little bit of time daily and weekly on your hardwood floors will result in you never having to experience the “big problems” found in neglecting hardwood floors. Set forth a plan, a good plan to protect and clean your hardwood floors and follow that routine. And remember, a little bit of effort goes a long way.
Written By: Isabel Rodrigues
