The look and feel of hardwood floors are unparalleled, but just like everything they need upkeep to stay looking great. Do you know how to keep your hardwood wood floors looking and feeling great over the years? Here are some cleaning tips to get you on the right track.
Keep Them Clean
Even though the wood of your floors is hard, small bits of grit and sand can scratch them and wear them down. This is how sandpaper works, and it can happen to your beautiful floors! One of the top floor cleaning tips for a home with hardwood floors is to sweep or vacuum frequently. Some people invest in a robotic vacuum to help them keep up with the chore. Keeping walkways clear of grit is particularly important as these are the areas most likely to have the grit ground into the hardwood.
Wipe Up Spills
Once you have dirt and grit under control, don’t forget about the damage water can do to hardwood! If you have kids or pets, make sure their spills and accidents are wiped up as soon as possible to avoid staining and other damage. Other common culprits are house plants and leaky pipes. Double check that all your house plants have plates underneath them to catch the water that drips through. If a pot doesn’t come with a tray or comes with one that is too shallow, you can use plates or platters instead.
Go Shoe-Free
It’s time to become those people. Ask everyone who comes into the house to take off their shoes before stepping on the hardwood floors. This will significantly decrease the wear and tear on your floors. If there are areas where this is impossible or unlikely, find rugs that fit your style to protect your floors from shoes. You can always pick up the rugs during special occasions to show off your gorgeous, blemish-free hardwood floors.
Pad Your Furniture
One of the simplest ways to protect any time of sensitive floor is to invest a little money into furniture pads. These protect your floor from the legs of couches, chairs, and tables that could gouge holes and scratches into your flooring. Hardware stores have easy to use and affordable options for furniture of different sizes, weights, and colors. There are also do-it-yourself ways to make furniture pads out of things you have around the house. Furniture pads are helpful, but if you’re doing a bit move around of furniture it’s always a good idea for your floors and back to use some tools. Consider buying or renting a dolly or moving blankets to make the process simpler and safer.
The best floor cleaning tips for the home with hardwood have to do with preventing damage in the first place. By reducing the likelihood of damage to your beautiful floors, you will spend less time and money repairing what has happened. Take heed of these cleaning tips and your hardwood will last you for years to come.
