Recommendations To Clean And Maintain Your New Hardwood Flooring
Posted on: 8 November 2017
Hardwood flooring gives your home a gleaming beauty and enhances the decor of each room. Proper care and cleaning of your hardwood floors is important to keep them looking great and protected from damage. Here are some tips to help you maintain and clean them regularly.
Protect Your Flooring
Preventing damage to your hardwood floor installation is essential for keeping your flooring looking as good as the day it was installed. If you are not careful, over time, your flooring can accumulate scratches that will dull and scratch its protective finishing.
Be sure to take off any shoes with pointed or other hard heels before you walk upon your flooring, as it may damage its surface. If you have pets in your home, keep their claws trimmed so they don't scratch the flooring. To help prevent your pets from scratching the flooring, especially around corners where they may slip over its shiny surface, place throw rugs to protect the floor and provide traction. Make sure the rugs have a rubber backing to keep the rugs from sliding.
Place protective felt pads onto the bottoms of your furniture's feet, especially on the legs of your kitchen table and chairs. This will prevent the legs from scratching the flooring anytime they are slid over the flooring. You can find protective pads in a variety of sizes at most home improvement stores.
Regular Cleaning
One of the most important tips for keeping your floors shiny and clean is to sweep them regularly. Dirt and debris that are left on your hardwood floors will cause small scratches to occur in your flooring's protective top coat, slowly dulling its shiny finish and making it look dull and dirty.
It is recommended to sweep or vacuum your hardwood floors frequently to prevent this, depending on the amount of traffic in your home. If using a vacuum, make sure you don't use a vacuum with a roller brush, as it will further scratch the finish. Use a stationary vacuum head to pull up particles on your floor.
Also make sure to use a microfiber mop and an appropriate hardwood floor cleaner to clean your floors. Your installation professional can recommend a cleaner to use. Most cleaners should be sprayed onto the floor and then you can use the microfiber mop to remove residues. Wipe up any spills immediately with a clean cloth to prevent damage to the flooring.
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