Wood Floor Cleaning

Wood floors bring a beautiful, warm and earthy look to your home. They are not just durable, but their use can be guaranteed for decades!   Though they look pretty tough, they are delicate and are susceptible to scuffs and scratches. Like regular floor surfaces, wooden floors can accumulate dirt and grime and thus, require specialized cleaning. It is important to know the type of hard wood and floor finishing. Is it a sound or unsound; waterproof or penetrating finishing?
 
Laminate wood-look floor: The surface resembles hardwood but consists of a layer of melamine resin over a fiberboard.
Engineered wood floor: These are thin hardwood plies that are glued together and grains stacked in different directions with a sanded thicker layer of hardwood refinished overtime.
Solid floor: These are planks of hardwood (maple, walnut, teak, oak, ash) which are either treated with wood stain or left naturally.
 
Suitable cleaning methods and agents are dependent on the type of hardwood and finishing. Choosing the wrong cleaning method and agent can result in unfavorable outcomes and unplanned expenditures.

Proper care and maintenance can be a more favorable option than refinishing, a floor sanding process involving application of a new surface finishing, which can be costly.
 
Wood floor cleaning Tips:
Here are some cleaning tips that will help maintain your wood floors.

1. No abrasive particles! Our shoes carry a lot of dirt and sand particles that can gash our floors. Invest in mats to minimize tracked-in dirt.
2. Clean your floors regularly. Daily maintenance goes a long way to keeping wood floors in great shape. Sweep and mop in the wood grain's direction to prevent grime and dirt from accumulating in the cracks between the planks.
3.  Dust, mop, or vacuum before a clean:  A good method would be to remove all the debris and dust particles from your wooden floors before an actual wash. Rubbing these particles against your floor is not the best idea.
4. Bare floor vacuuming. This is important to get rid of dirt and dust between the floor and the boards. The bare foot setting prevents scratches.
5. Spills: Wipe them as soon as they happen to avoid stains.
6. NO Vinegar! A vinegar water solution is a cheap and easy to use homemade agent. However, its effect on your wooden floors is not favorable over time. Remember that you are not washing the wood on your floor, but the protective layer which is the chemical finishing. The acidity in the vinegar eats away the finishing, leaving a dull appearance to your floor.
7. Hardwood cleaner: Chose a suitable hardwood floor cleaning agent that resonates with your wood type and finishing.
   
   

Professional care: Finding an effective method to clean your wooden floors is an important step towards effective floor maintenance and care. Old hardwood floors can also be restored. Seek professional guidance on cleaning and restoration of your hard wood floors.