What's more beautiful than clean hardwood floors? We try to give our floors a cloth wipe swipe every three days, have an air purifier to take out as much of the dust from the air, and once a week, do a more thorough cleaning. But here are thirty hardwood floor cleaning tips from Vincent Platania of Stanley Home Products that further explains proper hardwood floor care:
1. Pick up a broom you like, you will use it often
2. Consider and angled broom or one designed specifically for indoor use
3. You will also need a dustpan. Choose one that is easy to use and doesn’t cause too much stress on your back.
4. Sweep often, daily if needed
5. Canister vacuums with special bare floor attachments are the surest way to get rid of all the dirt and dust
6. Rugs should be used to cover high-traffic areas
7. Enact a no-shoe policy to reduce dirt being tracked in
8. Keep windows and doors closed during windy or dusty days
9. Create a no-beverage rule to cut down on wet spills
10. Mop up wet spills as soon as possible
11. Consider purchasing either a spatter mop or sponge mop
12. Never wet mop any hardwood floor. Standing water can damage the wood
13. Regularly clean wood floor with hardwood flooring cleaners
14. Never use oil based soap on unfinished or unsealed hardwood floors
15. Install floor protectors on furniture legs to prevent scratches
16. Lift furniture to move it
17. Never drag furniture across the floor
18. Avoid cleats, stiletto heals or any footwear in need of repair
19. Maintain proper humidity levels within your home if at all possible
20. Move rugs periodically if area is exposed to regular sunlight
21. Use a specialized cleaner and steel wool to clean water marks, heel marks, cigarette burns, ink stains and dark spots
22. To remove chewing gum and wax, apply a zipper-sealed bag filled with ice for 20 minutes, then break off deposits. Follow-up wood cleaner and steel wool treatment
23. Keep shades or blinds closed as often as possible to avoid discoloration
24. Apply liquid wax, powdered soap, talcum powder or powdered graphite between floor boards that are rubbing together to stop squeaks
25. Difficult squeaks may require that you drive two-inch finishing nails through pilot holes on both edges of the board then hide the hole with matching color putty or wax
26. Alcohol drips can be removed by rubbing the spot with liquid or paste wax
27. Polish your floor as the finish looks dull with a polisher, like the D.C. Polisher
28. Small scratches can be spot sanded, stained and refinished. Larger scratches may need more extensive re-work
29. Never use ammonia to clean hardwood floors
30. If your hardwood floor looks old and you cannot restore the luster with deep cleaning or by polishing, you may want to apply a maintenance coat
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Comments (2)
These are awesome tips, thank you. I forget about the little things - like moving your rugs every so often so the sun won't effect the floor, or the fact that you should never let standing water on your hardwood floors.
If you want a professional cleaner, be sure to check out Hart's Carpet Cleaners - http://www.hartscarpetcleaning.com - they'll get the job done right so you don't have to worry about keeping your floors as nice as possible!
Solid Hardwood Floor Maintenance
With today’s advances in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning your wood floors has never been easier.
Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment if your wood floor includes a beveled edge that could collect debris.
You also should clean your floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product recommended by a wood flooring professional.
Preventive Maintenance
There are other steps you can take to minimize maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood floors as well.
Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent scratching.
Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue.
Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel.
Do not over-wax a wood floor. If the floor dulls, try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other light traffic areas by applying wax in these spots every other waxing session.
Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface.
When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood flooring.
For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of the kitchen sink.
Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.
Renewal & Repairs
Unlike most other floor covering options, wood is very forgiving. Most problems can be prevented with proper maintenance, but when problems do occur, renewal and repair usually is possible. For renewing and repairing stains and scratches on any wood floor, always begin at the outer edge of the stain or scratch and work toward the middle.
To renew or repair a wood floor, you first will need to determine which kind of finish is on your floor.
Wax Floors
If the stain or scratch has penetrated the surface and is in the wood, you are dealing with a wax-finished floor.
How you tackle renewing and repairing stains depends on the type of stain.
Chewing Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax
Apply a plastic bag filled with ice until the deposit is brittle enough to crumble off. Crayon or candle wax can be removed by placing an ink blotter on the area and applying a hot pressing iron to the top of the blotter. Solvent-based wax also can be applied around the area to loosen the deposit.
Cigarette Burns
If the burn is not very deep, rub the area with fine sandpaper or steel wool. Moisten the steel wool with wax for better results. If the burn is deep, scrape the area with a penknife to remove charred fibers. Rub the area with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff.