Hardwood floors are the pride and joy of many homes across the USA, adding that luxurious feel to every room. Due to their exceptional quality, these floors don’t come cheap – and to keep your investment looking great and adding value to your home, they do require special care and maintenance. Here is a quick and useful guide from our team.
Why maintain your hardwood floors?
Cleaning and maintaining hardwood floors is essential, not only to ensure your investment is kept looking it’s best, but because neglected maintenance and poor cleaning habits can end up costing you a lot more. With regular maintenance, your bills will be kept down and your home will be kept beautiful!
Everyday cleaning tips for hardwood floors
Spending as little as 20-30 minutes a day on your floors will keep them looking great, but it can still be a challenge when you’ve got a busy day ahead. Here are some of the essentials to take note of:
- Dust and mop: Fine dust and dirt can quickly start to wear down your floors and scratch them up, so it’s important to dust and mop regularly – say, once a week. Use a soft brush broom and keep it handy for high-use areas like the kitchen or hallway, so you can do a quick sweep if needed. When mopping, don’t use too much water or harsh chemicals as this may cause damage and moisture stains. A dry-damp mop with a gentle, recommended cleaning solution is perfect.
- Make your own cleaning solution: There are loads of cleaning solutions on the market, but you can also easily make your own at home! Simply mix one cup of white vinegar with one gallon of water – that’s it. Another good cleaning solution uses boiling water and two tea bags, and the tannic acid in the tea gives floors a lovely shine. Again, saturate the mop and then wring it out until it’s damp. Both of these cleaning solutions work really well, don’t smell and is eco-friendly.
- Vacuuming hardwood floors: When it comes to vacuuming your floors, it’s important to use the right brush and machine, as some vacuums – particularly wet vacuums or vacuums with the beater bar attachment – can cause terrible damage to the flooring. Make sure you’re using the bare floor setting to get the best results.
- Spills and stains: To prevent stains and damage, clean all spills up as quickly as possible, whether it’s juice, wine or an accident made by your new puppy. Soak up all the liquid you can and then wipe clean with a damp cloth or mop.
Long-term maintenance for hardwood floors
- Wood cleaner once a month: This certainly doesn’t have to happen once a week, so every month or so take the time to mop with a high-quality wood cleaner to get rid of any buildup on the surface. This solution gives your floors a lovely shine and keeps them strong.
- Humidity and temperature: Wood is an organic and porous material, so it responds dramatically to moisture and dryness. When a hardwood floor is too dry, planks can separate, crack or even start to peel. Too much water in the air and they’ll swell up, warping and buckling. The ideal temperature for a home with hardwood floors is between 60 and 80 degrees, with a humidity level of between 30 and 50%. This is a healthy range for you too, so everyone can stay comfortable – just remember to keep your heating and humidity constant even if you go away on holiday.
- Give up the heels and shoes indoors: Installing hardwood floors is the perfect excuse to enforce a “no shoes” rule in your home! Shoes bring in dirt and small stones that scratch up your floors, and heels are the worst offenders of all as they’ll leave dents and pits everywhere. Place an attractive shoe storage unit by your front door or wet room with a small sign reminding people to take off their shoes. This might be more difficult to enforce with guests, but comfy, soft house shoes and slippers will make the rule easier on family members!
- Area rugs: Some types of area rugs with rubber or foam backing can discolor the finish of your hardwood floors. If you are placing any rugs on the floor, use an approved vinyl backing to make sure they can’t slip and slide or damage the floor.
- Heavy furniture: Furniture that can shift or particularly heavy pieces of furniture can dent or scratch your floors. It’s a good idea to use floor protectors under heavy pieces (the heavier the object, the wider the recommended floor protector) and to put soft furniture pads under the feet of tables and chairs.
- Refinishing your floors: This should only be done when necessary, perhaps even only every 20 years, but it depends a lot on the type of wood you have installed and the quality of the finish itself. It’s a big job that requires sanding and sealing the whole space, so don’t do it unless you absolutely have to. It’s important that you use an experienced contractor and that you have somewhere else to stay until the project is finished. Some wood floors require a new maintenance coat every 3-5 years, so be prepared for a more minor but still comprehensive professional service within this period.
We hope these tips helped and that you enjoy your hardwood floors for many years to come!