How to Care for Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are one of the most desirable features for homes. They can enhance the look of your whole home and really stand out to guests. Hardwood floors can last a lifetime if they are well looked after. Sadly, there are a lot of things people do on a daily basis that contribute to their floor's deterioration, without even realizing it.

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Most people are not aware that hardwood floors require low maintenance cleaning and quite easy to care for. Just check out these ten tips on how to care for hardwood floors.

1. Take shoes off when entering

Heels can easily scratch hardwood floors and may even dent them, depending on the type of heel. Your best bet is to leave the heels off. In fact, we recommend taking all shoes off inside. Sand and grit can be brought in on the soles of footwear. Those small particles cause scratches on your floor that worsen over time.

2. Use furniture pads

If you want scratches and marks on your beautiful hardwood floors, don't use furniture pads. Any time you sit down on a sofa or chair that's right atop hardwood floors, the piece will shift ever so slightly, and the legs will mark the floor. When it's done over and over again, the marks will get worse and worse. Using furniture pads on all the legs will prevent there from being any marks and will help to keep your floor scratch-free.

3. Door mat

A good entry mat is the first line of defense against dirt, gravel, and other outdoor elements that can mar a wood floor. Not only will a door mat help keep your floors cleaner, but it will serve as a good landing spot for guest and family shoes.

4. Sweep regularly

Dirt, dust, and other abrasive particles can gather and scratch the floor without you even noticing. If you don't sweep on a regular basis, it can slowly damage your hardwood floors.

5. Use correct vacuum attachments

Vacuuming is an important chore for keeping dust and dirt off of your wood floors and out of tiny cracks and crevices. It is even more important to ensure that you are using the correct attachments such as a hardwood brush attachment.

6. Use proper cleaning products

The cleaning method you use can have a huge impact on the look of your floors as well as the lasting effect. Knowing which cleaning products to use, however, can be confusing. With the internet there is plenty of advice available which can be confusing and overwhelming while not always efficient, However, we can help lead you in the right direction. Often times people feel that using more products will lead to a cleaner result. This is not always the case, especially when it comes to hardwood floors.  In fact, it makes the process harder, as you need to rinse more to ensure no residue is left behind. While vinegar is a natural and inexpensive way to clean it is highly acidic which means it will wear down the finish on your floors over time.

Bona hardwood floor cleaner is specifically formulated to clean all polyurethane finished wood floors and factory pre-finished wood floors. It quickly wipes out dried spaghetti sauce, mustard, ketchup, and heel scuffs. This cleaner will not dull your floor finish or leave an oily residue. A waterborne, non-toxic, environmentally responsible cleaner.

7. Keep away sunlight

We all know that the sun’s damaging UV rays can be a threat to a person's skin. Did you know that they can also be bad for your floors. Too much direct sunlight can cause your hardwood floors to become dull and discolored over time. On really sunny days, you can help protect your floors by closing the blinds or drapes against direct sunlight.

8. Clean spills immediately

Dried and caked on spills can take a lot of effort and time to remove, if left to sit. Avoid that trouble by wiping spills up immediately with a soft, clean cloth. If you need to use a spot of water to lift the spill, be sure to dry the floor thoroughly with a clean towel.

9. Trim your pet's nails

Dog and cat claws can easily scratch and dent hardwood floors. If you're fine with scratched floors, go ahead and leave them, but you and your pets will probably be a lot happier if you keep their nails trimmed.

10. Stop the office chair from free rolling

The convenience of a home office has never been so important as it has been in the past year. Along with having a dedicated space it is highly essential to include a rolling office chair. Put a rug or padded mat under that chair to keep scratches at bay.

What tips do you have on how to care for wood floors?