Hardwood floors are a timeless design choice for your home. They’re unique, memorable, and capable of adapting to any room plan – this makes them a sustainable choice for an eco-friendly home. As with anything worth owning, homeowners should keep some maintenance routines for proper hardwood flooring care. With proper care, cleaning, and maintenance, hardwood floors will last a long time.
With that said, it’s relatively easy to regularly maintain them with a broom, mop, and simple cleaning techniques. And, every few years, a professional floor restoration crew should be brought in to see if services like hardwood floor sanding or wood floor staining are needed.
To keep your floors beautiful, functional, and intact, we’d like to provide you with some at-home tips and suggestions, some “do’s and don’ts” of hardwood flooring care.
Do
- Use Floor Protection
Some simple preventative measures are a great way to minimize your risk of hardwood floor damage and wear. Prevent gouges, scratches, and dents on your hardwood floors by using furniture pads. Furniture pads are an incredibly effective and cheap solution to preventing scratches and dents on your hardwood floors. Carpets in high-traffic areas are also highly effective in reducing wear and scuffs on the hardwood.
In general, try to be deliberate with rug placement and don’t place furniture on the flooring if it isn’t padded. Some scratches are unavoidable, but others can be mitigated/prevented with proper floor protection.
- Use Floor Cleaner
Trust us when we say that you’ll need to find a reliable and specially designed hardwood floor cleaner. Many homeowners mistake using generic cleaning solutions on their hardwood floors; this is not a good habit. Generic cleaners may be non-effective in removing dirt and grime from hardwood floors, but even worse, they may also have chemicals that can damage floors’ finishes and stains.
We recommend sourcing a dedicated hardwood floor cleaner. At JJ Hardwood, we use professional-grade flooring solutions from Bona®, and we also recommend their consumer-friendly hardwood floor cleaner.
Don’t
- Ignore Spills
Standing water and accidental spills can cause severe damage to your hardwood floors. Wood shrinks when it has been exposed to moisture. Too much liquid exposure can destroy your flooring and cause structural damage to your home.
To prevent wood shrinkage, clean up spills immediately and keep your home’s temperature between 60-80 degrees Fahrenheit. If possible, keep your home climate controlled and within the ideal humidity levels for hardwood flooring, around 50%.
- Skip Your Floor Cleaning Routine
Consistently sweep, mop, and vacuum your hardwood floors. You’ll notice any damage before it can become exacerbated, and your floors will look better too! Having a consistent hardwood flooring care routine will prevent smaller issues from becoming costly damage over time.
If you have any questions regarding hardwood floor maintenance or hardwood floor restoration, please contact us today!
