7 Tips to Keep Your Hardwood Floor Looking Great

Many people choose hardwood flooring because it is easy to maintain and looks great. True, you do not have to worry about hardwood staining if you spill grape juice on it, as you do with carpeting. However, there are a few steps that you need to follow to keep your hardwood floor looking as fantastic as the day it was installed.

1. Practice preventative maintenance.
The most important cleaning tip for hardwood is preventative maintenance. By cleaning your floors regularly and sweeping or vacuuming dirt and debris, you will save yourself a lot of time and expense in the long run.

2. Wipe up any spills as soon as they occur.
Although you will not have an instant stain when you spill on hardwood floor as you do with carpet, you may expose your hardwood to staining if you do not wipe up spills in a timely fashion. Once stains have a chance to set into the hardwood you may have to refinish the floor in order to get the stain out.

3. Sweep your floor everyday or as needed.
It is important to sweep up any dirt or debris off of your floor as necessary so that the dirt doesn’t scratch the wood. This will vary from house to house of course. If you have a high traffic home, you may need to sweep a few times a day. Although, you may only need to sweep every few days.

4. Use a hardwood cleaner once a week.
Hardwood floor cleaners are available at any home improvement center or at a flooring center. They are quite easy to use, and with a little preventative maintenance, you will thank yourself in the future. Simply spray the cleaner on and use a cloth or hardwood broom to buff the floor gently.

5. Never use water and soap to clean your hardwood.
Hardwood is not like linoleum or even laminate flooring and you cannot use a bucket of sudsy, soapy water to clean it. In fact, you can damage your floor if you try to mop it in a traditional style. Because wood is susceptible to water damage, you want to minimize the contact that your floor has with water. Water will seep into the cracks of the boards and can cause swelling, discoloration and deformation of the boards.

6. Protect your floor from furniture scratches and gouges.
It is a very good idea to place felt on the bottom of all of your furniture in order to protect it from scratches. This is particularly important for furniture pieces that move a great deal such as your kitchen chairs. But it is a good idea to protect all pieces equally. You can purchase felt at the local hardware store, and cut it to size to fit the bottom of every piece of furniture that you have.

7. Polish your floor regularly.
If you have a hardwood floor with a wax finish, you may want to wax it on a regular basis to keep it looking shiny and new. The waxing process will also will also help buff any scratches out of your floor as well. Every wax product is different so it is important to read the directions carefully and also consult the manufactures guidelines of your flooring before applying any wax product.

With a little bit of preventative maintenance and some common sense, you will be able to keep your hardwood floor looking fabulous for many years.

Rob Buenaventura invites you to www.hardwoodscene.com. Here we provide tips on hardwood refinishing and installation of wood flooring. Find benefits on what to look for when considering a hardwood flooring vacuum on www.hardwoodscene.com/How-To-Choose-A-Hardwood-Floor-Vacuum.asp.

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