When you install hardwood flooring in your home, hardwood floor maintenance becomes a very interesting topic of research. That’s because this is a material that requires a lot of tender loving care in order to preserve its appearance and keep it looking great.
Hardwood floors, regardless of the species of wood or how common or rare it might be, need to be cared for on the regular. Otherwise you run the risk of your beautiful new floor looking dull, scratched, and tired. Neglect your floor and you could be left with an ugly home.
That’s why you must work to routinely clean and care for it to avoid having to repair or possibly even replace it sooner than you might expect. So, what are the best ways for keeping your floors looking their best? We have some easy and effective tips for safeguarding the condition of the floors in your home.
Cleaning the Floor
How you clean your floors is just as important as how often you do it. You’ll need to attend to spills and messes fast but you should also give the entire length of the flooring a dedicated cleaning every once in a while, to preserve the look and feel of your wood.
How often you clean the floors is really dependent upon the type of wood you have installed and the amount of foot traffic walking across it. Hopefully you chose the species of wood you installed with the maintenance requirements in mind. Some are more finicky than others.
As for cleaning the wood, you want to reduce the amount of moisture that comes in contact with it as much as possible. This is particularly important with spills but it’s also something to keep in mind when you are cleaning the floor. Water damage is a very serious problem to avoid at all costs or the cost to fix could be significant.
A Word About Cleansers
When you clean your floor, you’re going to use a special cleanser to get the job done. Don’t expect to mix some dish soap and warm water and have at it. You’re just asking for a lousy looking floor, not to mention the possible damage it could do to the finish.
So be very careful about the kind of cleanser you decide to use, always avoid harsh and abrasive cleansers with strong ingredients and chemicals. If you wear away the finish, your floor is more susceptible to long-term damage because the wood is exposed. You’ll find yourself hiring an expert at hardwood floor refinishing chesterfield much sooner than is normally necessary.
The best cleaners for hardwood floors are those that are specially formulated for the material in your home. These won’t prematurely erode the finish of your wood but they will leave behind a brilliant sheen that will only make your flooring look great.
Avoid anything with ammonia and don’t choose an oil-based cleaner either. Both of these can be damaging to the finish and the aesthetic of the wood will suffer for it.
