Your hardwood floors will look amazing after they are installed, with a flawless shine and finish that you can be proud of. Your floors won’t stay that way forever though since they will get worn from years of wear and tear. So, here are some tips that will keep your floors looking fantastic for years to come.
Use Felt Pads to Protect Your Floors from Furniture
Nobody intends to scratch their floors with furniture when dragging it across the surface. People often underestimate how heavy furniture pieces are and how easily they can damage the floor underneath them. If you’re not careful when moving into your home, you could have wood flooring scratches to deal with immediately.
Felt pads are the solution when trying to avoid a scratched floor. They easily attach to the legs of furniture and provide a cushion as the item glides across the floor. Stick-on pads do not damage the bottom of the furniture legs, so feel free to attach them to anything you foresee being moved across your floor. For items that move around frequently, like dining room chairs, consider a tap-on felt pad that will stay in place.
Use Hardwood Vacuum Attachments and Settings
Keeping a floor clean will involve vacuuming the surface to pick up all the dirt and debris. However, you can easily scratch a hardwood surface if you use the wrong type of vacuum or attachments.
Damage can occur when the hard bristles of the vacuum come in contact with the wood floor. If you use the vacuum often enough, there will be a ton of minor scratches on the surface.
You should use a vacuum that allows you to turn off the moving bristles on the bottom. Some vacuums even have height settings that allow you to keep the bristles off the floor when cleaning hardwood.
Don’t Use a Wet Mop on Your Hardwood Floors
Hardwood flooring has different care instructions that you may not be used to, especially if you previously had carpet or tile flooring. You can’t get out a mop and bucket of water since it can cause damage to the wood.
The best option will be to use a mop that has replaceable damp pads on them. These pads will easily pick up the debris found on your hardwood floor while gently cleaning off the surface. Simply throw away the disposable pad when finished.
Know How to Deal with Stains
Knowing the proper techniques to deal with stains will ensure that your floors keep looking great.
Sticky Substances
You don’t want to go straight to scraping away a sticky substance on hardwood flooring. Use ice to freeze the area first by placing a bag of ice on top of the spill. Once the substance is frozen you can gently scrape it away. Try this technique for getting gum off the floor, followed by a commercial cleaning solution.
Ink
Cleaning ink will require a commercial cleaning solution and some steel wool. Alternate between both items until you have removed the ink stain. If either item is not doing the trick, you’ll need to sand, wax, and polish the wood floor section that has the damage on it. Ink that has penetrated deep into the wood may require replacing the entire board.
Pet Urine
Vinegar will help neutralize all the ammonia found in pet urine on your floor, but you must act quickly. Ammonia has the potential to penetrate deep into the wood, which will make the stain difficult to remove. You should let the vinegar sit on the stain for at least 24 hours before you scrub.
For professional help with repairing damage to your hardwood floor, contact us for a free in-home quote.