Learn how to care for your hardwood floors.
Hardwood floors are a beautiful feature in any home, and add elegance and class to any space. Hardwood floors are not only an investment of your time and money, but they must be maintained throughout their lifetime. It is extremely important to keep up maintenance with your hardwood floors and if they do, they will last for years and years to come. This article will discuss some tips to keeping your hardwood floors looking like new for their entire lifetime.
Weekly Maintenance
Before you think about yearly maintenance of your hardwood floors, there is the day to day maintenance that must be done. Hardwood floors can be vacuumed of swept, although they should only be swept with a soft-bristled broom. Sweeping and vacuuming prevents dirt and particle buildup that will scratch the surface of the wood over time. Make sure you do not use vacuums with a rotary brush head, as these can damage your hardwoods further.
Protect your hardwood floors from heat and UV rays with window coverings. It is also important to rearrange your rugs periodically as wood will age when uncovered. This way, your hardwoods age evenly and not more in some spots and less in others.
Prevent Damage
There are several items to consider when trying to prevent damage to your hardwood floors. If you have pets, be sure to keep their nails trimmed short and their paws cleaned. Long nails can scratch the surface of the wood and dirt and grime can build up overtime to cause damage. You can reduce wood shrinkage by using a humidifier in seasons that you use your heating. Be sure to wipe up spills immediately and use ice to harden things like wax or chewing gum that may be stuck to your floors. After hardened with ice, these materials can simply be scraped with a plastic scraper or with a credit card. After you remove the sticky substance, wipe the area clean with a slightly damp cloth.
Avoid walking on your hardwood floors with spiked shoes or high heels and do not wet-mop your floors. Make sure you never use oil soaps, liquid or paste wax, or household cleaners with lemon, sitrus, tung oil, or silicon when cleaning your floors. Never use steel wool or scouring pads to scrub your floors and stay away from 2-in-1 cleaners that have acrylics or urethane polish.
Go the Extra Mile
For extra protection, invest in thick floor mats and pads on heavy furniture items to add just an extra layer of protection for your floors. Placemats at room entrances and exits to trap dirt and other substances that can scratch your floors.
Questions? Mahogany Inc Has Answers
If you have any questions regarding hardwood floor maintenance, visit us online or give us a call at 410-727-0334. If you want to see examples of our work or are just seeking inspiration for your next project, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest.