A wood floor is an investment worth to undertake and thus should be protected and maintained with a proper wood floor cleaner. You will be required to carry out routine maintenance practices on your wood floors. Such practices should include but not limited to the protection of surface finish from heavy wear that can create scratches and effects of moisture.
These practices will need more than vacuuming and sweeping. It therefore very important to do periodical cleaning of your wood floors using a well formulated wood floor cleaning product that has been produced by a professional company. This wood floor cleaning product should also coincide with the recommended features of the manufacturer of your specific wood floor. This is also important as it will protect the guarantee or warranty of your wood floor.
It is obvious that your wood floor is not impervious to the every time spills, water, food and grit. Apart from the use of a proper wood floor cleaner, other maintenance practices that need to be exercised include the use of floor protectors and area rugs.
Cleaning of wood floors can turn out to be a bit trick especially if you have not been using such floors. It should be seriously noted that a great enemy of wood flooring is water. Many times people will themselves doing dangerous practices on the wood floor such as damp mopping and broom cleaning instead of employing a good cleaning method like the use of wood floor cleaners.
Most of the wood floor cleaners in the market nowadays are vegetable oil based. This is because of the rising environmental concerns as vegetable oil based products are nontoxic and biodegradable. This is also important for those people who have toddlers in their homes. Since this is not the case with every wood floor cleaner, you will be required to carefully read the specification of the product before purchasing it.
Wood floors will surely turn your house into a home. As much as they look good, they do come with the responsibility of maintaining cleanness. For your wood floor to maintain its original beauty for a longer time, it will require good care. Failure to properly clean your wood floor will make it turn very dull and will look worn. One of the things to proper cleanness is getting a high quality broom that will help you sweep your floor of dust, dirt and other particles on a regular basis.
A vacuum cleaner that has no beater bar will help you clean between boards and other areas that are hard to reach. Depending on the type of installation of your floor, deeper cleaning techniques may vary. It is recommended that for Finish in Place hardwood floors, an 8 inch by 14 inch terrycloth mop with a rotating head will simplify the process of cleaning under cabinets, corners and along base.
For the purpose of removing spills and tough stains without making the finish of your wood floor dull, professional cleaning products that have been recommended by your flooring retailer should be used.
The manufacturers of prefinished floors recommend that you use their own specific products for routine maintenance. The following things can help keep your floor look good:
- Always ensure your wood floor is protected from direct sunlight
- Spills on the floor should be wiped out immediately. Tracked in dirt should also be cleaned immediately. You can apply Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor cleaner or Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor cleaner onto the surface lightly and use a soft cloth or a sponge mop to wipe. In case there is excess cleaner, it should be dried with a clean towel with no rinsing
- Your wood floor should be swept, vacuumed or mop dusted at least once in a week
- Only use the wood floor cleaner that is recommended for your particular floor
- Furniture rollers that are hard and narrow should be replaced with wide rubber rollers
- Always ensure that the relative humidity of your home ranges from 35 to 55%. During the dry season you can use a humidifier so that shrinkage of your wood floor due to low humidity levels is controlled. On the other hand, in times of wet season an air conditioner can be used to control the levels of humidity. Alternatively a dehumidifier or using a heating system periodically can also help.
- You can also use furniture leg protector pads on all the legs of your furniture
- Areas that are likely to experience high traffic should have area rugs and place runners
- Ensure that you have exterior and interior door mats at entrances. This will help to collect moisture and dirt and thus stop them from being tracked onto the wood floor. When it comes to wood floors, floor mats are a great thing. Any form of tiny particles is dangerous to your floor since they can act as sandpaper and scratch the wood. A floor mat will ensure that majority if not all the grime and dirt are grabbed. You should encourage your guests and family members to make use of the floor mats. Only use mats and rugs that have been specifically designed for wood floors as non-ventilated and rubber backed floor mats can cause damage to your floor.
- The area rugs used on the pivot points, front of kitchen sinks and along high traffic areas should be made from a material that is breathable as this will help prevent any moisture entrapment
- If animals will be using the wood floor, their nails should be kept short and trimmed to prevent finish scratches
- Heavy furniture and appliances should not be rolled on the wood floor so that you can avoid surface damage, instead you can use appliances lifts or plywood hardboard to help you move them
- Some products are great enemies of wood floors. The following products should never be used as wood floor cleaners: detergents, ammonia based cleaners, acidic materials such as vinegar, abrasive cleaning soaps, acrylic finishes, polishes and oil soaps, or wax based products
- Vacuums that features hard heads or beater bars should never be used when cleaning your wood floor
- Water should not be allowed to stand on the wood floor. It should be wiped immediately
- Ensure that you avoid walking on your floor in poorly maintained shoes that have spike heels, heel taps or any protruding object that is sharp
Various processes can be done to aid cleaning wood floor. Screening and recoating processes should be done when your hardwood floor starts to look like it belongs beneath the feet of gold miners in an old western saloon. The process of screening is used to grind down or abrade the finish of polyurethane of the wood floor. After the floor has been abraded it is coated with a fresh coat of urethane.
This process will result in a rejuvenated floor that will give looks as cool as a newly installed wood floor. Sanding and refinishing will be required if your hardwood floor has severe damages. In this process, you will have to sand the floor down to the bare wood and the refinish it. This should only be done if there are no results from screening and recoating.
You can as well make use of replacement boards so that you do not have to refinish the whole area. As mentioned earlier when wood floors are exposed to sunlight they fade greatly as it increases the process and might result in permanent damage. It is thus recommended that your windows be treated so that they can shade your floors from the harsh rays of the sun. The area rugs and furniture should be rotated regularly so that the wood floors can be allowed to age more evenly from the UV exposure.
Some of the products that have performed well in the market as cleaners for wood floors are mentioned hereafter. Murphy oil soap
Bona Pro
Sh-Mop Hardsurface Floor Mop
Hoover MaxExtract77 Multi-Surface Pro Carpet & Hard Floor Cleaner FH50240
is a versatile and great carpet cleaner. It uses pressurized cleaning to remove dirt, water and grime. It is an easy to use machine. It also has heated drying to ensure drying occurs in the shortest time possible. The machine also features a double chamber nozzle that will power wash surfaces using even suction across a wide path. Customers who have used these products have given positive and encouraging reviews about them.
