Protect The Natural Beauty of Your Hardwood Floors
Even if you don’t have a lot of spare time to devote to the care of your new hardwood floors, there are some quick and easy tasks that will do wonders to protect the look and longevity of your new surface.
Some simple preventative maintenance steps will go a long way to keep your new hardwood looking as good as new for years to come!
Hardwood Floor Cleaning & Preventative Maintenance
First, invest in floor protectors for use with furniture. This will prevent denting and scratching. To keep from tracking dirt in on shoe bottoms, consider using area rugs or protective floor mats for extra protection where needed, particularly at outdoor entrances. Avoid sharp objects like stiletto heels or cleats.
Everyday care and maintenance should include sweeping, vacuuming with a hard surface attachment, or dry mopping. If your flooring needs more than just a dry surface clean, use a damp cloth to blot spills or tackle tough spots.
Maintain a consistent indoor relative humidity level throughout the year using humidifiers and air conditioners to minimize the natural expansion and contraction of your solid hardwood planks.
Dealing with Spills & Stains
Sometimes stains and messes are inevitable, no matter how careful you are. That's why it's important to know how to deal with stains without causing any damage to your floors.
With hardwood, common messes such as milk, pet accidents, and many other liquid spills will simply wipe away clean, especially with hardwood floors that are designed with stain- and scuff-resistant technology. You should always clean up liquids immediately, as hardwood is not water-resistant.
Avoid the use of oils, wax, polish, ammonia, abrasive cleaners, steel wool, scouring powder, and buffing machines. Never wash or wet-mop your natural hardwood floors, as this could cause swelling, warping, delamination or join-line separation, voiding your product’s warranty.
