How to clean hardwood flooring?

There are various advantages in having a hardwood flooring done for your home or office. Apart from giving it great looks it can end up lasting a long time for your building as well. This is the reason why people choose to have hardwood flooring installed in their homes.

To make the hardwood flooring last for quite a while you would have to ensure that it is maintained properly. Installing them and leaving them alone would do no good and end up causing more harm than good to the hardwood flooring.

Proper maintenance would mean that you clean it on a regular basis and take proper care for it. Unlike the normal flooring there are a few things that would have to be considered when it comes to cleaning hardwood floors.

We look at the ways in which you can clean them without leaving them damaged. There are different methods you can choose to use to have them cleaned appropriately. We look at the best ones that can end up helping your hardwood floor last for years together.

Basic Dry Cleaning

This is the basic type of cleaning that you would have to ideally perform once in a week. This would keep your hardwood floor clean and rid of all dust particles. If you do this regularly you would only be required to do a full-fledged cleaning of it once every couple of months.

• Use a dry mop or a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and grime
• If vacuum cleaner ensure that you do not use a beater bar

This process can be done once a week or once in two weeks and it totally depends on the accumulation of the amount of dust and other particles. It would also remove any pet hair that you may have over a period of time.

Deep Cleaning Hardwood Floors

The deep cleaning is relatively the same but involves a couple of other steps than the normal cleaning and they are:

• After dry mopping or removing the dust and grime with a vacuum you have to use a cleaning liquid
• Commercial cleaning or usual soap can be mixed with water without allowing it to form too much lather
• Using a mop or cloth you can wet it in the mixed liquid and use it against the hardwood floors
• Once done with the above step you can choose to dry it with a cloth, mop, or dry it with a vacuum as well

Remember to dip the mop or cloth and squeeze dry it before you use against the hardwood flooring. Adding a couple of tea bags along with the liquid for extra shine that is produced by the tannic acids present in it.

Damage Control & Prevention

Damages and scratches are unavoidable, especially when you have children or pets at home. However, the scratches can be covered using a normal crayon that you use for coloring. Rubbing them gently over the surface of the scratches can help cover them.

To avoid scratches from developing it may be a good idea to use doormats or floor mats. These mats can be used both inside and outside of the doors that you use for entrance and exiting the house or office space.