Nothing can match the warmth and beauty of a wood floor. Likewise, nothing can look quite as bad as a dirty, scratched, and damaged wood floor. One of the most important ways to keep a wood floor in top shape is with proper care and cleaning.
Caring for Wood Floors
Caring for wood floors means minimizing those things that will most likely damage it. This can include rough shoes, such as stiletto heels, athletic shoes with cleats, and dog claws. Removing shoes before entering the house is the best way to ensure floors are kept in good condition and by limiting pets to areas of the house without wood floors or by putting “dog booties” on your pets before letting them in the house. In areas where there is water, such as by a kitchen sink, be sure to place a rug or carpet here to catch spills and splashes.
Another important tip for care is taking care to put felt cushions on the feet of furniture and chairs. Dragging chairs across wood floors will scratch and scuff the surface. Consider placing a carpet wherever furniture is moved across the floors, such as under a dining table. This will ensure your wood floors are protected.
How to Clean a Wood Floor
The first place to start is with the manufacturer’s recommendations. If your home is relatively new or your know the manufacturer of the floor, be sure to follow what they recommend for your particular floor. It’s important to know how your floor is finished in order to know how to properly clean it. For instance, polyurethaned floors should be treated differently than waxed floors. So, knowing the type of floor you have is the most important element in determining how to clean it properly.
Sealed Wood Floors
When you want to clean your sealed wood floor, begin by sweeping first. Either use a broom or vacuum. If you use a vacuum, make sure the beater bar is turned off otherwise it could scratch your floor. A broom or soft-bristled vacuum head is recommended. Once the floor is swept of any dirt and debris, it’s time to clean it with a mop.
Mopping usually requires water, but water is the arch enemy of all wood floors. Water can seep into the floor and when it does it can damage the floor and even cause warping. So how do you clean wood floors if you can’t use water?
The best way is with a microfiber mop. These mops have a fine texture and electrostatic attraction to pull up dust, hair, and particles easily. They’re also a better choice than a regular sponge or string mop. These kinds of mops hold too much water and it’s too difficult to get them to exactly the right amount of dampness that will both clean and not harm the floor.
A microfiber mop can be sprayed lightly with water so that it is evenly and ever so lightly damp. The microfiber mop, with a small amount of dampness, provides the right amount of cleaning ability to make your wood floors sparkle. Even so, to protect your floor it’s better to sweep and dry mop regularly and then “damp” mop only occasionally. Never apply wax to a polyurethane floor or use a vinyl floor cleaner on any wood floors.
Waxed Wood Floors
Waxed wood floors should not be mopped, but rather, they should be swept, dust mopped or mopped with a dry microfiber mop, and occasionally as needed, buffed. Water should never be used, even with a lightly damp mop. Water will create a white haze on floors, so do avoid using any water on waxed floors. Waxed wood floors may need to be re-waxed once or twice a year. Again, refer to your manufacturer's recommendations.
With the proper care and cleaning, you will have beautiful wood floors for years to come!
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Kathryn Weber is the publisher of the Everydayclean.com Calender -- the calendar that helps you end the power struggle with your house. Keeping a clean home is about knowing what to clean when. Virtually everything that needs to be cleaned is on this calendar in a year-round cleaning schedule that helps you keep your house clean easier and faster. Click here for more information.
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