Hardwood floors are beautiful additions to your home.  They can add both warmth and elegance to the appearance of any room. Unlike carpeting, hardwood floors do not trap dust, mold, or dust-mites, and so are the flooring of choice for those with allergies. However, caring for hardwood floors is a lot different than caring for a room with carpeting.  Hardwood floors can be dented or scratched, they can lift due to moisture accumulation, and their finish can be dulled by harsh detergent. You need to be careful and take certain precautions to keep your hardwood floors beautiful for years to come.  Here are some tips on how to care for wood floors.

Things NOT to do

• DO NOT use regular household dusting/cleaning products without making sure they are designed for hardwood floors. The labels on these products should indicate the types of surfaces that can be safely cleaned. If a product is not recommended for a hardwood floor, it can cause permanent damage that is quite costly to repair.
• DO NOT water mop a hardwood floor with anything other than a hardwood floor soap, such as Murphy’s Oil Soap. Follow the directions on the bottle – this “soap” is used in a diluted form. In any event, don’t pour water straight onto the floor and don’t let the water puddle or let the floor stay damp.
• DO NOT use ammonia on your floor! This harsh chemical will ruin the floor’s finish and may destroy the look of the wood itself.
• DO NOT wax the floor unless you know what you are doing. Many hardwood floors are laid with a glossy finish. Your wax must be the same sort of wax originally used. Discuss this issue with the company that laid the floor.
• DO NOT drag furniture across the floor. Lift the edges of the furniture onto a mat or rug and drag that. The legs of the furniture are likely to scratch or scuff the wood.

Things TO DO

• Keep your floor free from dirt and grit
• Use blinds on windows to protect wood from direct sunlight
• Remove shoes before entering the room and wear slippers, or at the very least wear shoes without heels to avoid damaging
• Place rubber mats by the doorway to catch outdoor dirt and moisture, and place area rugs under tables to trap spills
• Trim pet nails to stop them from scratching
• Clean spills immediately with paper towel or cloth

Additional Help

If you have more questions about how to care for wood floors, you should talk to a professional. Use TalkLocal to get in contact with up to three flooring professionals in your area, who will be available to help you when you need them.

This entry was updated on Tuesday, August 30th, 2016 at 1:58 pm. This entry was originally posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2013 at 2:00 pm and is filed under Carpet Cleaners. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.