How To Keep Your Hardwood Floors In Good Condition

If you are one of the lucky ones who have hardwood floors you might just be interested in knowing how to care for them properly. Contrary to popular belief you do not have to treat your floors as though they were fragile flowers. Hardwood floors add a beauty and elegance that carpet and tile just cannot match. They do require a bit more maintenance, but for a true lover of hardwood flooring, this is a labor of love.

The first tip is that you always use throw rugs in the high traffic areas. This will cut down on the scuffing from shoes. Entry ways and underneath coffee tables is a prime example of places that would benefit from the use of rugs. A well chosen rug can compliment the woods coloring and save the floor from unsightly and costly damage.

You can be as careful as you can but inevitable there will be scratches. Furniture is generally the biggest culprit. Using rubber cushions and plastic coaster can save you a lot of repair cost. If you want it is even okay to use squares of carpet under the legs of some furniture pieces.

Never let water stand for long on a hardwood floor. Sometimes, a floor mist fountain or a decorative floor based waterfall causes water spills. These spills should be taken care of immediately. Water or any of he liquid will warp the wood and damage the finish. This is especially true of soft drinks and other acidic beverages. Nothing is quite like the warmth or beauty of a hardwood floor why let it be ruined by a careless spill.

Instead of harsh abrasive cleaners a micro fiber mop slightly dampen with water or a non abrasive wood floor cleaner will do the job of cleaning quite well. Only use a damp mop sparingly, for most of the cleaning a dust mop is all you will need. Never, ever use a vinyl floor cleaner on a hardwood surface.

If you have hardwood floors that are waxed then using any water on it will dull the shine. Water leaves a white film on waxed hardwood floors. To avoid this just dry mop or sweep the floors with soft bristle broom. For best results with a hardwood floor you should plan to strip it and reapply the wax at least twice during the year.

In the days of old that was what spring cleaning and the fall cleaning was all about. The throw rugs were taken out and beaten to get the dust out of them and floors were stripped sanded and waxed for the start of the new season.

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