Cleaning hardwood floors is easy once you know how. Hardwood floors can be swept or dusted daily, vacuumed once a week, and mopped monthly with a hardwood-friendly cleaner. Every few months to a year, deep clean your hardwood floors. Repair your floors every few years to keep them looking warm and inviting. When your hardwood floors become scratched and scratched, sand them down and refinish them every few decades.
Keep your hardwood floors looking new by following these tips:
1. Clean up spills immediately
Use a dry or slightly damp cloth to wipe up any spills immediately, and avoid wet or steam mops which will cause more damage over time. Because wood swells and shrinks depending on the moisture, both on it and in the air, it’s important to keep the moisture level low to prevent the wood from bumping, splitting, and cracking. The best way to prevent these problems is to clean up spills as soon as they occur.
2. Identify the correct cleaning agent
There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to choosing a cleaner for deep washing. Different finishes require different treatments.
However, it can be said that there are cleaning products that should always be avoided. We do not recommend any harsh chemicals to clean any hardwood floor. Chemicals applied to the finish will create a haze. This can really build up over a period of six months to a year and it doesn’t look very good. If you’ve made this mistake in the past, a damp microfiber cloth soaked in warm water is an easy way to remove this cloudy film.
3. Sweep or dust daily
This recommendation may seem excessive, but it’s a good one. Even if you have a no-shoes rule in your home, dust builds up everywhere and then settles in the grain and between the floorboards. If you have furry friends around the house who never stop shedding, consider this a hygiene issue as well.
4. Polish quarterly
Polishing helps extend the life of your wood floors and adds shine. Before polishing, dust or sweep the floor to remove loose dirt. You may want to continue vacuuming to make sure you pick up all the dirt and dust. Use water-based polishes to restore gloss and shine every two to three months. These polishes do not leave residue or release harmful toxins, but will prevent over-cleaning and peeling of your floor.
5. Use area rugs and mats under the furniture
Smaller carpets or rugs are ideal for use under tables or sideboards to prevent floor damage from such furniture. Furniture mats can also be used under chairs and table legs to prevent them from leaving streaks or unsightly marks on your wooden floor. When moving furniture, be sure to lift and place each item carefully (as wooden surfaces are not very kind to dragging heavy furniture over them).
6. Repaint before it’s too late
When the floor starts to wear, it’s time to step in and repaint. Repainting does not include sanding. It is actually putting an extra layer on top of the floors to bring back the shine and life of that finish so you don’t have to go through the sanding process.
This practice can extend the life of the floor for many years by adding a layer of protection each time it is needed.
Final words
Several flooring experts recommend hiring a professional hardwood floor refinishing in NYC to do this every three to five years, Do this before the finish wears off in places. Wait too long and the floor will have to be completely refinished, requiring much more sanding and expense.