Hardwood floors can be aesthetically beautiful and highly functional, but they’re also prone to a few problems, including susceptibility to damage and streaking. With a couple of kids, a couple of pets, and significant traffic flow in and out of your house, it’s only a matter of time before your hardwood floors look like a total mess – and you may struggle to keep up with the cleaning.
Fortunately, there are some easy, accessible strategies you can use to get your hardwood floors cleaner – and help them stay that way.
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Use the Right Wet/Dry Vacuum
A wet/dry vacuum is designed to handle a number of different cleaning tasks equally well. They’re capable of vacuuming and washing your floors at the same time, and can be used on a variety of surfaces, including sealed hard floors and area rugs. If you have multiple surfaces to clean in the same sweep, or if you’re just looking to save time and maximize efficiency, a solid wet/dry vacuum can help you do it.
Always Do a Precursory Clean
Whether you use a wet/dry vacuum or a simple mop and bucket, it’s important to use a broom, vacuum, or dust mop to remove loose particles from the floor before you proceed with any other cleaning steps. Small rocks and grain, as well as dirt, dust, and pet hair can all damage your floor if they’re dragged across the surface by another tool. If you make this mistake once, you may end up with a streak that you never notice – but if you do it every time you clean the floors, you’ll end up with a floor that’s covered in scratches and dings.
Use the Right Wood-Cleaning Products
Hardwood floors should be cleaned with products that were specifically designed to clean them. When you buy these commercial products, be sure to read the labels carefully; using the wrong type of product or using a product incorrectly could leave you with stains, streaks, and other floor-related problems. If you don’t want to use a commercial product, you can make your own floor cleaner with a combination of 1 part vinegar, 10 parts warm water, and a few drops of liquid, oil-based soap.
You’ll saturate a mop or similar cleaning tool with your chosen cleaning solution, wring it out, then mope the floor thoroughly, rinsing the mop occasionally. Make sure to clean up any excess liquid from the floor to avoid any damage.
Address Scratches and Dings
There are a few different strategies you can use to cover up scratches and dings that will, inevitably, accumulate on your hardwood floor. For example, you can invest in a commercial cleaning solution or hire a flooring professional to address the problem for you. However, it may be easier to use a crayon that matches the color of your hardwood to color in the scratch, then follow-up with a hair dryer or heat gun to gently blend the color into the rest of the floor. This is best reserved for small scratches that are out of the way.
Use a Floor Polish
If you want your hardwood floors to truly shine, you’re best off using a wood polishing product. For this, you’ll pour a small amount of the polishing product onto the floor, then use a flat-surface mop to gently apply the solution to the wood, going with the grain and eliminating air bubbles as much as you can. Don’t try to do your entire floor at once; instead, try to focus on one small section at a time. You’ll also want to apply the polish in thin layers; thinner layers tend to dry faster, and if you end up needing more polish, you can always apply more.
Prevent Further Damage and Protect Your Floors
Next, you can protect your floors and prevent further damage with steps like the following:
· Use welcome mats and rugs.
Use welcome mats, rugs, and runners to control how much dirt and debris enters your home. Encourage guests and family members to wipe shoes before entering.
· Remove shoes when possible.
Even better, remove shoes entirely when walking on hardwood floors to prevent the possibility of scuffing.
· Use felt pads on furniture.
Apply felt pads to the bottom of your furniture to prevent scratches and scuffs when moving that furniture.
· Be proactive.
Be proactive when tending to your hardwood floors; clean spills quickly to avoid damage and sweep the floors at least once a day to remove debris.
Make sure you clean your hardwood floors at least once a week, polish them semi-regularly, and reseal them every 3 to 5 years. If you keep up with your hardwood floors, work to protect them, and clean them as necessary, they’ll last an incredibly long time – and look beautiful for their entire lifespan.
