Hardwood flooring is one of the most appealing parts of many houses. It is designed to be durable and takes minimal effort for maintenance. Unlike engineered or laminated wood, we could refinish a hardwood surface many times. Proper hardwood flooring could add years of warmth and beauty to our house. The flooring may increase the value of our house, ensuring a speedier resale. However, we need to make sure that the flooring looks its best. It means that the flooring should be cleaned up regularly. The bane of any hardwood flooring is grit and dirt. Fine particles could cause marks and scratches, if we don’t removed them immediately from the surface.
Dust can be seen more easily on a hardwood flooring, compared on carpet or linoleum. This could cause discolorations on hardwood flooring, especially on heavy-traffic areas, such as near the doorway. We should sweep and dust hardwood flooring, at least once each day on heavy-traffic areas and once a week on low-traffic areas, such as corners of our room. We should be aware that normal cleaning and dusting products could damage the surface of hardwood. There are products that are developed and sold specifically to clean and maintain hardwood flooring. When using a vacuum, we should choose the smooth brush attachment, instead of a beater bar that can scratch the surface.
After years of usages, the hardwood flooring may require more in-depth cleaning tasks. If our hardwood flooring has a glossy finish, it is a good idea to choose water-based urethane. For flooring with matte finish, we could use the standard damp mop cleaning with mild detergent. We should be aware that excess water and harsh detergent could penetrate even the most durable hardwood with matte finish, causing stains and discoloration. Generic hardwood flood cleaner could be used on a surface with protective glossy barrier. When cleaning a hardwood flowing, we should avoid using dusting products, household cleaners and regular floor cleaners.
It is also important to avoid using wax on surface with glossy finish. When we want to remove excessive dust on hardwood flooring, we should use only damp mop with mild detergent. Eventually, some parts of the flooring, especially on the heavy-traffic areas would get damaged. In this case, we would need to remove the old, bruised finish with the proper oil-based stripper. After a proper sanding, we could reapply the wax or varnish. In order to prevent damages on flooring, we should use sealer with polyurethane or similar products. When refinishing an area of hardwood flooring, we should make sure that it looks visually consisted with the rest of the surface in the room.