Hardwood floors can enhance the ambiance of a space be it your bedroom or living room as these floorings have a timeless and classic appeal to them. However, hardwood floors are prone to scratches and graze if you tread on the surface with spiked shoes or stilettos. At the same time, floors with hardwood tiles can lose their luster and appear dingy if you mop using water, concentrated solutions containing lemon, paste wax or acrylic cleaners.
Also avoid using metallic scouring pads, scouring powders or steel wool mops whilst cleaning hardwood floors. Abide by the following hardwood floor cleaning tips and tricks in order to keep the floors in pristine condition for as long as you can.
Hardwood Floors: Regular Care
Hardwood floor cleaning becomes less of a laborious chore taking very little time to cleanse if you follow some smart maintenance tips. For instance, place doormats at the main entrance and also in areas with high footfalls like bathroom entrance, kitchen sink, and so on. Use window curtains and Venetian blinds that can block damaging UVA and UVB rays which speed up the normal wear and tear of hardwood floors.
Install protective coverings or pads on legs of furniture and fixtures before setting them on the floor. Cover hardwood floors in children’s room with a rug so as to prevent toys and other objects from scraping the surface. Regularly trim the nails of your pets as well as keep their paws clean.
Use a portable dehumidifier to check hardwood shrinkage during the summer season when temperatures soar and humidity level rises. Remove stains and spills the moment you spot these with a clean, dry cotton rag after a few drops of hardwood floor cleaning solution. Dry wipe the floor using a broom for removing dust particles, pet hairs, and dirt and thereafter thoroughly clean the area using a handheld vacuum cleaner attaching the floor brush accessory to it.
Deep Cleansing
Cleaning hardwood floors on a weekly basis using a broom and/or vacuum cleaner may not suffice and you may have to carry out deep cleansing in order to remove firmly embedded oil marks or Grimes. Once in a month, add a capful of certified hardwood cleaning solution to a bucket containing water and soak a soft mop in the pail. Wring the mop completely to drain out the water completely and thereafter swab the floor using mild strokes.
Next, wipe the floor using a clean sponge moistened in water and make sure there is no standing water anywhere. Accelerate the drying process by switching on the ceiling or air-conditioner in case the weather conditions are humid.
Getting Rid of Smudges and Stains
If the hardwood floors in your home are surface sealed with urethane, the stains will sit on the façade. If the smudges infiltrate to the wood section, then the floor has been rendered a soft oil finishing. Keep a ready stock of soft and clean cotton cloth rags for wiping off surface stains from resealed hardwood floors and never apply corrosive chemicals, steel wool, or sandpaper.
For clearing pet stains, dark spots, oily smudges, and heel marks from soft-oiled hardwood floors use super fine steel wool for rubbing floor wax or a soft rag of cloth on which droplets of dishwasher detergent has been sprinkled.
For additional tips on hardwood floor cleaning or for getting the floors in your home cleaned by a professional service provider, contact Maids International Inc at 1-800-843-6243.
Picture Credit: mitarart
Thanks for the tips to keep wood floors in tip top shape. We are remodeling and want to have hardwood floors on the main level of our home. That is good to know that we need to make sure we are deep cleaning our floors beyond cleaning them weekly. We’ll keep that in mind as we find a flooring company to help us.
Covering hardwood floors in children’s room with a rug to prevent toys and other objects from scraping the surface is a great tip! My sister just moved and is looking to get some floor cleaning done but also wants to keep it nice on a daily basis. I’ll be sure to talk to her about covering it with a rug to avoid scratches.