Hardwood ranks as one of the most popular flooring choices due to its timeless beauty and natural warmth. This type of flooring is also known for being low maintenance and easy to clean. Here are a few tips and tricks for cleaning your wood floor:
Protect Floors as a First Line of Defense
By taking steps to prevent dirt from reaching your hardwood floors, you'll cut down on overall cleaning time. Entryway mats and washable area rugs are the best way to ensure outside dirt and debris won't travel onto your hardwood. Place floor mats or rugs on top of a premium rug pad made to prevent scratching and discoloration of hardwood flooring.
Color fading is another concern with hardwood floors, especially in spots receiving direct sunlight. Area rugs can be used to protect your hardwood from fading. Take note of where sunlight enters through windows and place rugs on these sections of the floor. Felt protectors on chair and table legs also help to avoid scratches on your hardwood flooring.
Vacuum and Sweep Daily
Most dust and dirt can simply be broom swept away from hardwood floors. A vacuum can also be used to remove dust and dirt. To prevent scratching or damaging your floors, you'll want to use a canister vacuum or one designed for hardwood flooring.
Apply Water Sparingly
Depending on the type of finish used on your hardwood floors, they may be able to tolerate a damp mop to wipe up dirt and spills. Water left standing on hardwood can cause spotting and long-term damage. Check your flooring manufacturer's recommendations before cleaning your wood floor with any amount of water.
Use Cleaning Products Specially Formulated for Hardwood
You may also wish to use specially formulated hardwood cleaning products like those sold in home improvement stores. Hardwood cleaners are generally sold in a sprayer bottle and can be used to spot clean spills or dirt marking the floor. Again, it's a good idea to research the cleaning specifications for your brand of hardwood before applying any chemical cleaning materials. Some cleaning materials may leave a cloudy residue or damage the finish on your floors, so be cautious before applying anything. Zerorez products are always safe to clean your hardwood floors, and will never leave behind any residue.
Protect Against Seasonal Fluctuations
Hardwood is prone to shrinking and contracting along with large temperature fluctuations, so it's important to maintain the temperature in your home. Placing hardwood flooring in damp areas, like basements, is generally not recommended. According to Armstrong, a hardwood flooring manufacturer, relative humidity in your home should be between 35 - 55 percent. Humidity can be controlled using a humidifier in the winter time when air is dryer. Alternatively, during the hot summer months in Johns Creek or Marietta, a dehumidifier or an air conditioner can be used to control the temperature and humidity in your home.
Consider Resurfacing
No matter how well you take care of your hardwood flooring, life happens. Scratches and small dents occur, and color may fade over time. If you'd like to improve the overall look of your hardwood flooring in one fast treatment, consider hardwood resurfacing. Rather than completely refinishing your floor, which keeps you out of your house for days at a time, a resurfacing can be completed in a few short hours. By resurfacing only the top layer of your flooring, no airborne dust or unhealthy fumes are released. After resurfacing, technicians preserve the character of your flooring by adding a new layer of polyurethane to further extend the lifetime of your flooring investment.
Hardwood flooring adds natural beauty to a home with little ongoing maintenance required. If your hardwood floors are in need of a refresh, and you'd like to ask about resurfacing, call the experts at ZEROREZ® today.
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