Hardwood Flooring Maintenance
Regular maintenance of hardwood flooring requires
little more than sweeping with a soft bristle brush or vacuuming with a
soft floor attachment. You
should also clean your floors periodically with a hardwood floor
cleaning product such as Bona’s
Swedish Formula hardwood floor cleaner.
Preventive Maintenance
Good preventive maintenance will extend the years
between refinishing of your hardwood floor. Here are a few basic rules
to maintain the beauty of your wood floors.
- Do not wet mop your hardwood
floor with water. Water is wood floorings worst enemy. Regular use of water can dull the finish and damage the wood.
- Do not use products which
contain wax or oil. If used, your floor could become slippery.
The use of oil or wax may also preventive a good bond if a
future maintenance coat is applied.
- Keep grit off the floor.
Use walk-off mats at all exterior doors.
Use area rugs in front of kitchen sink, stove and
refrigerator. Area rugs
should be occasionally removed and any trapped grit removed.
- Put fabric glides on legs
of all chairs and any other furniture which may need to be moved.
This will prevent scuffing and scratching.
Avoid chairs with roller casters which may damage the finish
of your wood floor over time.
- When moving heavy furniture or appliances, use a dolly or pick up.
Do not slide heavy
furniture or appliances across floor.
- High heels can dent your
hardwood floor. A
125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000lbs per square inch.
An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000lbs per square
inch. His kind of impact can
dent any wood floor surface.
Direct sunlight can fade/bleach the finish of your hardwood floor.
Window coverings should be used in appropriate areas to help
prevent fading.
