You finally have the floors of your dreams. Your dark stained hardwood floors bring a sophisticated look and cozy feel to your home while adding value. You are pleased and so glad you went ahead with the installation. Now it’s time to enjoy them for the long haul, but how?
Maintaining your hardwood floors with care and caution is the key to a lifetime if beauty in your home.
Adjusting to having hardwood floors is simple once you get the hang of it. In fact, hardwoods are much easier to clean and maintain than messy carpets that harbor stains and smells. Here are some do’s and dont’s of cleaning hardwood floors to get you started.
If you follow these tips, you will have stunning hardwoods for years and avoid costly resurfacing projects before its time to refinish.
Don’t Use Water
When it comes to cleaning hardwoods, the very first concept to remember is to never let water air dry on your hardwoods. Excess water on hardwoods will eventually wear down the seal or polish, soak into the hardwoods themselves and cause warping or splintering. Your floors will shows signs of aging, stains and damage prematurely, if you use water to clean them.
Hot water is especially damaging to hardwoods and should be avoided completely. Never let water air dry on hardwood floors. Wipe up any accidental water spills immediately. Water damage to hardwoods is extremely costly and often wood planks have to be replaced completely.
Do Dust Mop Everyday
Everyday maintenance is easy and highly recommended for hardwood floors, just sweep or vacuum with a machine intended for wood floors then dust mop with a microfiber clothed mop. This keeps dust and debris from building up. The microfiber cloth will maintain your floor’s shine while being nonabrasive to the sealant. Dust mopping is a quick everyday chore that is extremely easy but has a huge payoff.
Don’t Use Vinegar or Ammonia Based Cleansers
Despite being household staples, vinegar and ammonia-based cleaners are a bad idea for hardwood floors. Vinegar and ammonia are both too abrasive for most hardwood sealants and can cause long-term damage. Vinegar especially can cause your hardwoods to tarnish, even wood that is properly sealed and maintained.
Do Use a Hardwood Safe Cleanser
There are hundreds of affordable and effective hardwood cleaners that will safely clean and sanitize your hardwood floors. Deep cleansing doesn’t need to happen daily unless the hardwood area is very high traffic but is an appropriate maintenance step once a week or as needed. Most hardwood cleaners use no water and can be applied directly on the wood and then mopped up with a flat mop or microfiber mop. Make sure the cleanser is specifically for hardwoods with your type of sealant.
With daily dust mopping and or sweeping, and a deep clean once a week or so, your floors will shine for years.
Do Use a Polish
While using a hardwood-safe cleanser every day isn’t recommended, using a spray-on polish while you dry mop can be a great option to maintain your hardwood floors. However, do not use citrus or oil-based polish like you would on furniture as this is actually too caustic for hardwoods. Only use a hardwood floor-safe polish. Luckily, there are hundreds of different floor polishes that are effective and safe for hardwoods.
Polishing is rarely needed, depending on your personal aesthetic.
You’ll Be a Hardwood Pro in No Time
While it might be daunting at first, maintaining and cleaning hardwood floors is simple when you follow these do’s and don’ts. Your hardwoods will gleam and last for years to come without expensive resurfacing or other costly remodeling.
Your hardwood floors are meant to last, but that doesn’t mean they won’t need refinishing or restoration years down the road. When the time comes, make sure to reach out to a hardwood flooring company that is trusted and experienced to get the job done right.
Cameron the Sandman has been providing hardwood flooring services in homes and businesses throughout Michigan since 1936. We specialize in hardwood installation and sales, hardwood refinishing services as well as restoration. If you have questions or concerns about your wood floors, call and speak to a flooring specialist today!