How Do You Maintain Hardwood Floors?

A well laid hardwood floor is actually a thing of beauty. It can transform any space; making it warm yet functional and stunning. But, you need to maintain a hardwood floor in order to keep that impressive finish.

If you haven’t got a hardwood floor but are considering one, then you really should check out the French oak flooring; it is so good you’ll hardly want to walk on it!

Fortunately it is not a hard task to keep your floor looking good; you just need to know the basic maintenance rules.

Dealing With Spills

If anything gets spilled on your floor you need to clear it up immediately. Even water can cause a stain mark on your wooden floor.

If your floor is properly maintained it should have a top coat of oil. This will protect the wood from any spills but only for a short period of time; the spill will gradually soak through the oil. This is why you need to wipe up any spill immediately with a dry cloth. Another option to fix a wooden floor is to use a shop vacuum or a squeegee to remove the water from the affected area.

If you’ve done it fast enough there will be no mark left on the floor.

Protect It

Any hardwood floor will get some small scratches and dents on it as a result of your daily activities. However, you can minimize the potential for damage by removing shoes before you enter your home and by using protective pads on the bottom of your furniture. If you need to move your furniture it is best to lift it but the pads will help if lifting is not an option.

If stones or other small pieces of debris do get onto your floor get rid of them immediately; anyone sliding on the can scratch your floor.

Sweeping

It’s a good idea to sweep your floor daily. You must use a soft bristle brush to ensure that you don’t damage the floor while sweeping.

It’s also a good idea to dry mop the floor daily; this should be done with an anti-static / micro fiber mop head; it will effectively collect dust from your floor without leaving any scratches.

You can vacuum if you wish but you must make sure you have an attachment suited for hardwood floors. This will have a soft brush incorporated into it to prevent you damaging the floor whilst vacuuming.

Mopping

It is a good idea to mop your floor periodically but this should be done with a damp mop. Never use a wet mop as the water can soak into your wood and alter it forever. It is also important to use hardwood floor cleaning; polish will simply make the floor slippery.

Repairing Damage

If your floor has become damaged it is possible to sand it until the scratch has been sanded out. You’ll then be able to remove all the dust before resealing the floor with oil and adding a protective polish. It will be necessary to repeat this process several ties to ensure you get the finish just right.

The amount of sanding required will depend on the deepness of the scratch you are dealing with.