How to Maintain Hardwood Floors

As recently as 2019, the wood flooring market was estimated at around $4.6 billion. With so many places using hardwood floors, it's easy to see why proper maintenance is important. Yet, cleaning hardwood floors isn't as easy as just sweeping up and calling it quits!

If you've been looking for a guide on how to maintain hardwood floors, we're here to help. Read on for some of the most important parts of hardwood floor maintenance.

1. Floor Surface Cleaning

The most important step to keeping your hardware floors properly maintained is to keep them clean. That said, you need to be careful about what you're cleaning them with!

When sweeping, make sure you're using a soft-bristled broom. Wiping the floors should only be done with soft rags and cloths, such as microfiber cloths. Using these materials ensures you won't scratch the wood.

Unfinished wood is scratched by harsh or rough materials. These scratches are unsightly and allow water to seep in, damaging the wood considerably. With finished wood, the finish over the flooring will suffer the same scratches and issues.

2. Mop Monthly

You're right to think that you should keep water and liquids away from your floor, but not always! Mopping wood floors is an important step to keeping them clean and stainless.

As far as how often to mop wood floors, it's recommended that you do so several times a month. Once a week or every other week is the general recommendation, but in low-traffic areas, you may need it less frequently.

Make sure you aren't letting water sit on your wood floors afterward. Dry your floors thoroughly to prevent swelling or wood rot.

3. Proper Maintenance

Beyond cleaning, there are several other steps to maintenance you should exercise. Refinishing hardwood floors can help make sure they stay safe and long-lasting.

Other than refinishing and cleaning, you should also use surface products like floor wax. Not only does this add a noticeable sheen to your home, but it also helps keep out liquids. With authentic hardwood floors, you should consider having the floor sanded down as well.

That said, not everything is something easy to tackle. You should know the name of a local flooring company that you trust to handle these tasks for you.

4. Thorough Protection

The final tip on maintaining your floors is to protect them as much as you can. Thankfully, protecting them is simple and easy!

Consider putting rugs in the highest traffic areas of your hardwood floors. Any entrances or exits to the home, entries to the kitchen and restroom, and so on. Having rugs here will help ease the burden of so much traffic.

You also should exercise caution with heavy furniture. Moving couches and tables can end in deep gouges in the wood, so be careful!

Maintaining Hardwood Floors

Maintaining your hardwood floors isn't too tough once you know what you're doing. Keep the floors clean and dry, practice proper maintenance, and protect them as much as possible.

For more information on beautifying your home, feel free to contact us or browse our blog for more!