Understanding & Caring for Hardwood Floors 06/15/08
Solid hardwood floors require a little care with a lifetime of value. When you first glimpse a solid hardwood floor, you sense richness, warmth and natural beauty. Gradually, you get to know its distinct personality – visual harmonies, the traces of history in the forest and in your home.
- Take a closer look.
- Appreciate the color and pattern of the floor’s strips, planks or parquetry.
- Read the grain: Is it bold-textured oak? Subdued maple or cherry?
- Check the condition of the underlying wood and the finish that protects it. Are there signs of neglect to erase (it’s not difficult), or do you see a well-tended surface that needs just a light touch to maintain it?
- Nature’s diversity lets you create dramatic looks with unique textures, colors, patterns and styles of solid hardwood flooring.
Protect Your Solid Investment
Solid hardwood floors are among the easiest to keep clean. Protect their warmth and character with simple, everyday cleaning techniques. It’s important to know how to prevent damage to your solid hardwood floors.
Dirt & Grit - Dirt, grit and sand are your hardwood floors worst enemies. They act like sandpaper on the finish, causing scratches, dents and dulling. Place floor mats at entrances to trap dirt and prevent damage.
Water & Other Spills - Standing water can warp a poorly finished hardwood floor and can damage the finish. Simply wipe up all spills as they happen.
Hard Cleaners - Avoid oil soaps. They can build up and create problems when it’s time to put a maintenance coat on the floor. Instead, neutral pH cleaners made specifically for wood floors are recommended.
Furniture – Lift the furniture to move it — avoid dragging. Felt contacts under the legs will help prevent scratches.
Dents - Vacuum with a brush attachment – don’t use vacuums with beater bars.
Sun – Direct sun can discolor your hardwood floor. Close curtains and blinds or add sheer drapes to protect from the sun’s intense UV rays.
Regular Care
Sweep - Brooms with fine, exploded ends trap dust and grit effectively.
Vacuum – Canister vacuums with special bare floor attachments are the surest way to get rid of all the dirt and dust.
Dust Mop – Use a good dust mop — one with a 12- to 18- inch cotton head —- and a special dust mop treatment. Spray the treatment onto the mop head 12 to 24 hours before dust mopping.
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6 Responses to this article
When we got our hardwood floors we were told to only use lukewarm water on them, a small area at a time, and then dry them off with a towel or whatever. Is this correct? You see this machines out there that say they steam clean the floors but after reading on-line it seems they are NO GOOD for your hardwood floors. I would like any suggestions you may have. We have hardwood in our kitchen, breakfast area and hallway. Thank you.
had 2 dogs run on the floor and left scratches. I use Bona floor cleaner, but doesn’t take up the scratches
Although I have hardwood floors, I use throw rugs because I have a dog. This prevents scratches that are not coming out without re-sanding because they are embedded into the wood. Throw rugs are much easier to clean and less costly to replace. I do not know of any cleaner that will work to get the scratches out. Sorry!
I was using oil soap until reading this article. One would think that oil soaps recommended for wood would be appropriate. However after reading the information, I will no longer do so. I do know that it is important to use as little water as possible, and steam might cause the floors to swell. So I will be looking for the Bono cleaner and mop in my local stores.
Great article! One of the better written and more informative posts about caring for wood floors. Bona is the recognized product for caring for wood floors. The oil soaps are a nightmare if you ever want to refinish the floor as well as Pledge, Endust and the like. Those will form a waxy surface that will inhibit any new finish from bonding to the floor.
Another maintenance tip is to recoat Your Floors When Needed. How often your floors need to be recoated depends on traffic. High-traffic areas, like kitchens and living rooms often need to be recoated every 3-4 years. Lower-traffic areas may last up to 20 years before requiring a recoat. If you begin to notice any wear patterns in your floor, contact a hardwood flooring professional to take a look at it.