Wood flooring is common; unfortunately proper hardwood floor care isn’t. Are you inadvertently ruining your floors? The good news is we have 4 tips to keep your flooring beautiful for years to come.
1. Consider hardwood floor care when selecting décor. Maintaining your flooring is more than just cleaning hardwood floors regularly; it’s also preemptively protecting them from damage.
- Place furniture pads (but not hard casters) under chair and table legs, or choose chairs with wheels. When you move your furniture around, actually pick it up so it doesn’t drag across the floor and scratch it.
- Also be careful about “sticky” texture mats or double stick tape when keeping rugs in place. Instead, look for rug pads and mats made from natural materials – without a “sticky” surface.
2. Think about your feet. You may not think about it, but even the dirt you track in from outside can be very abrasive to your hardwood flooring. Wipe your shoes off carefully before coming inside, and then ask your family and guests to remove them when walking around the house. This is especially important for high heel shoes as their distribution of pressure can be very hard on wood flooring, too.
3. Make time for maintenance. If you want your flooring to last for decades to come, you need to take care of them! Cleaning hardwood floors regularly and correctly is easy:
- Check with your contractor for specific cleaning materials to use in your home
- NEVER use Murphy’s Oil Soap, 409, ammonia, waxes or Pledge
- “Sweep” them with a quality dust mop – avoid sharp bristles
- Only use a lightly damp mop when mopping
Also, don’t go too long between refinish projects. This process can help your hardwood floors stand up to future damage even better – plus it will make them that much more beautiful!
4. Keep hardwood floor care in mind if you have pets. Regardless of what type of pet you have, if your furry friend makes a mess, cleaning hardwood floors right away is extremely important; don’t allow pet stains to remain untreated. Also, protect the floor from excessive moisture by placing a mat under your pet’s water bowl.
If you have a dog, keep their nails trimmed. There are various products you can use to keep them from slipping and sliding on your hardwood flooring as well, which protect the floor from scratches.
Make sure you aren’t ruining your flooring by keeping hardwood floor care in mind in all circumstances: when you select decor, if you have pets, when you come into the house with your shoes and when cleaning. If you have any questions about maintaining and cleaning hardwood floors, be sure to stop by our showroom and talk to our experts. Contact us for a free in-home estimate, too!