Regular Maintenance
With today’s advances in wood flooring stains
and finishes, cleaning your wood floors has never
been easier. Regular maintenance requires little
more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and
vacuuming with a soft floor attachment if your wood
floor includes a beveled edge that could collect
debris. You also should clean your floors periodically
with a professional wood floor cleaning product
recommended by a wood flooring professional.
Preventive Maintenance
There are other steps you can take to minimize
maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood
floors as well.
1. Do not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products
on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause
wood to become slippery and appear dull quickly.
2. Use throw rugs both inside and outside doorways
to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from
being tracked onto your wood floors. This will prevent
scratching.
3. Do not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can
dull the finish, damage the wood and leave a discoloring
residue.
4. Wipe up spills immediately with a slightly dampened
towel.
5. Do not over-wax a wood floor. If the floor dulls,
try buffing instead. Avoid wax buildup under furniture
and other light traffic areas by applying wax in
these spots every other waxing session.
6. Put soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under
the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
7. Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats,
sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking
in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per
square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to
8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact
can dent any floor surface.
8. When moving heavy furniture, do not slide it
on wood flooring. It is best to pick up the furniture
completely to protect the wood flooring.
9. For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area
rug in front of the kitchen sink.
10. Use a humidifier throughout the winter months
to keep wood movement and shrinkage to a minimum.
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