Some of the most common questions we get asked at the wood floor blog are asking how to maintain the look of a floor, so we decided to put together some tips on keeping your floor in prime condition for you to enjoy for years to come.
- Don’t let spills settle on your flooring. Fluids aren’t generally the thing you would want to keep on your hardwood floor, if you leave fluid on the floor for a prolonged period of time this will cause water spots. If there are any spillages clean up the fluids straight away using an absorbent cloth.
- Always try to follow the floor manufacturer’s recommendations when possible and try to sweep daily, always using a soft fine bristled broom. Sweeping is an important part of maintaining a wooden floor and sweeping daily will help keep things off the floor which may cause scratching.
- Make sure that you know the type of finish on your wooden floor and follow the correct maintenance procedures for them e.g. Never wax a urethane floor instead use only a very dry damp cloth (to avoid water damage)
- Place glides (furniture guards/pads) under any furniture on your wooden flooring to avoid scratching the floor underneath. Also place mats at every entrance to prevent people from walking in dirt and grit onto your floor
- Vacuum regularly, try to vacuum at least 2 times a week to get the loose dirt which may have been missed, please be cautious however as hard plastic and stiff bristles can scratch the finish on your floor.
- Try to avoid wearing heavy shoes, high heels and sports shoes on your flooring as these can cause dents and indentations on your floor. Also children’s toys can cause damage to your floor, a prime example are racing cars which can scratch the flooring.
- Don’t over-wax a wax floor, if your floor dulls and you want to restore its shine you may want to invest in a buffer. However it may be best to get suggestions from the floor manufacturer for the specific procedures for your floor.
- Clean up pet mess quickly, keep food dishes on a mat and keep their nails trimmed to avoid any stains and scratches.
- Mop regularly using a dry damp mop adding cleaner to the water (we personally recommend the Bona range of cleaners as their quality is fantastic)
- Cover the floor when decorating so any dropped screws or paint wont damage your flooring, also, when moving heavy furniture slip a piece of cloth or pile under the legs to avoid any scuffing and scratching.
We hope that these tips help you and answer any questions you may have, if you still have any queries please contact us or leave a comment below and we’ll answer any queries to the best of our abilities.
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#1 by frank on May 25th, 2010
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Hi,
Thanks for sharing this information. As a hardwood finish manufacturer, we love to see that people care about protecting their investment.
Regards,
#2 by tracy wilton on June 2nd, 2010
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would you recommend using one of the new steam mops to clean wood floors? a friend of mine does and swears by it, even though the manufacturer doesn’t recommend it. she says she dries them immediately after, so they are not causing any damage. i would like to try this myself but would like a professional opinion first.
#3 by admin on June 3rd, 2010
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The steam mops are not recommended on wood floors.
The temperature of the steam is too high for the flooring and although there may not be any initial damage, over a longer period the boards will start to dry out and possibly cup / warp. These machines will definitely void any guarantee or waranty on the floor that you may have.
We would recommend that you use the normal mops.
#4 by concrete repair products on June 14th, 2010
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These are really very good tips. Very nice and informative post. I really liked reading this post.
#5 by John on July 14th, 2010
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http://www.restoreyourfloor.com/. Distilled water and two caps vinegar works great
#6 by Restroom Supplies on July 22nd, 2010
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Thanks for the valuable tips and advice.Dirt from dust and moisture could be the worse enemies of the wooden floor.It is best t keep it away from these.
#7 by Andrew on July 27th, 2010
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If the wood is warped from over saturated water that was spilled on it how should I dry the wood? Will the planks go back down when they dry completely?
#8 by admin on July 29th, 2010
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Hi Andrew,
When the wood has warped due to water damage the boards will stay in the place and not go back down.
The wood should be allowed to dry naturally – do not try to heat it to dry it as this will cause more damage. When the boards have dried out it is possible to sand them to get them level again.
Hope this helps
#9 by Hardwood Floor Cleaners on August 31st, 2010
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I agree with this. Thanks for sharing this information. its need for Many people which love wood flooring. they only know about clean for their hardwood floor but not for maintain.
#10 by Wood flooring London on September 8th, 2010
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This is really great, Thank you for sharing! There is nothing quite like the look and feel of wood flooring.
#11 by Wood flooring London on September 8th, 2010
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Well to be honestly This looks great, There is nothing quite like the look and feel of wood flooring.Thank you for sharing!