No matter how much the times change, one thing that remains constant is that wooden floors are still going to look great. Whether it’s a contemporary designed household or something more modern, you can’t really go wrong with wood flooring. As great as it is however, we have to admit that hardwood floor cleaning is certainly a taxing thing to do.
Hardwood flooring is durable. With the right care and maintenance, it’s the last part of the house that will breakdown. While durable, this type of flooring is still susceptible to minor damage. Scratches, skidmarks, may not ruin the integrity of your hardwood flooring. However, this will certainly put a dent in its aesthetic value.
The good news is that it’s easy to maintain the smoothness and quality of hardwood flooring. Before things become bad, it’s vital that you take some important steps to ensure that your floor is protected. Unless you want to avail a hardwood floor cleaning service again and again, then it’s a must that you check out some of our tips here.
Cover The Legs Of Your Furniture
You should never drag your heavy furniture. For starters, the legs can cause serious damage to hardwood floors. Even if you aren’t dragging them, heavy furniture still leave skidmarks on your hardwood flooring. One way to avoid this is by putting a layer of felt underneath your chairs, sofas, and other heavy stuff.
If you are moving stuff around, it’s best to carry them and not drag them around. This is one of the major causes of scratches on hardwood floors.
Hardwood floor cleaning services aren’t exactly expensive and they are well worth the dime. As a homeowner, nothing feels worse than seeing your floors damaged with huge scratches and issues. Instead of having them replaced in the future, it would be much better to just take care of them instead. After all, prevention is indeed the better cure.
Keep The Dirt Out!
Shoes have ridges and patterns which are there to ensure that you have the perfect traction on the ground when walking. However, the problem with these is that they can actually pick up small pieces of dirt and grit as you walk. You might not notice it immediately but you could be bringing these hardwood floor damaging objects into your home regularly.
One of the things you should have right in front of your house is a rubber mat where you can rub all of the dirt out. Alternatively, you should have a shoe rack outside your door so that you can change your footwear as you go in. The dirt you bring with you is one of the leading causes of scratches on hardwood floors.
While dirt is usually nothing to worry about, it’s the other solid materials that usually cause harm. For instance, you might’ve picked up small pieces of rocks on the way. These will scratch your hardwood floor as they grind across it. As such, it’s a must to ensure that your soles are as clean as possible before you set foot inside the house.
Vacuum Regularly
Vacuuming should be done on a regular basis. It’s not just for the safety of your home, it’s also for the betterment of your health as well. However, since we are talking about your hardwood flooring, then it’s a must that you understand why this is important in protecting your floors from scratches and damage.
As we’ve said before, tiny objects like solid rocks and tiny pieces of glass can damage your floors. If these are around your house already, it will only take a few steps for these to scratch the surface. Vacuum as much as you can so that you can rid your floors of these pesky objects. Make sure to scour every corner of your home for those small particles.
Watch What You Clean With
It’s very important to clean and buff your hardwood floor as much as possible. Hardwood floor deep cleaning is a tough thing to do. If you don’t have the time to avail such services, you can try cleaning on your own instead. Simply rid your floors of all the debris and dust and then mop it once done.
We’d like to warn you however that you need to be careful about what you clean your floors with. Avoid heavy duty cleaners. Also avoid cleaning with ammonia, vinegar, wax polish, and even oil soaps. The chemicals in these cleaners can eventually ruin the texture of your hardwood flooring over time.
If you continue to use it, it can result in refinishing problems in the future. If you want to check whether or not a certain cleaner is perfect for your floor, spray it on a glass and let it dry first. If the liquid leaves a trail, then it’s not fit for your floor. In case this happens, you can use a mild laundry detergent to clean your floor instead.
Trim Your Pet’s Nails
Dogs and cats can get rowdy at times. You can’t tell them to walk gently as if they can actually understand you. Their nails – especially a dog’s can leave serious scratches on the ground. As such, you should make sure to trim their nails regularly if you want them to happily play inside the house.
Trimming your dog’s and cat’s nails only protects your floors, it also helps them walk more properly. That being said, you should also invest in a scratch post for your cat. If they don’t have one of these, they’ll do their regular scratching routine elsewhere. This leaves your furniture and your flooring at risk of getting damaged when your cat tries to sharpen its claws.
Hire Professionals
Professional cleaning services can actually do wonders in refinishing your floor and keeping it protected. Not everyone has the know-how for such tasks so it’s fairly common that people hire others for this job. Aside from giving your floor a deep clean, they can also give you tips on how to keep it in top shape.
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