How to Care for Wood Floors

Any house or apartment built prior to 1960 is likely to have wood flooring in it, but for homes being built today it is a luxury. Costly to install and beautiful to behold, it is important to maintain proper care. In this article we will talk about some ways to care for wood floors to keep them looking their best.

Things You'll Need

• Door mats
• Area rugs
• Furniture protectors
• Wood floor cleaning solution
• Bucket
• Sponge
• Mop
• Vacuum

Instructions

1. 

   Place rugs and floor mats outside and inside at all exterior doors. Maintenance begins with prevention so in this step we make sure there is a place to wipe off shoes before stepping onto the wood floors.

2. 

   Create a "mud room" area or at the very least a designated shoe and boot removal area, for visitors to put their shoes. This will avoid water damage and issues brought in on the bottom of shoes.

3. 

   Minimize scratches from day to day activities by putting floor protectors under furniture and by putting rugs in children's play areas and other high traffic areas.

4. 

   Sweep the floors throughout the day with a broom and dust mop as needed. This keeps the floor free of abrasive debris whose damage can be multiplied when walked over or kicked across the floor.

5. 

   Vacuum once a week with a gentle vacuum cleaner that does not have a beater bar attachment. This will pick up the dirt, dust and hair that can cause scratching. Then use a dust mop that has been treated with a dusting agent to mop the floors.

6. 

   Damp mop the floors for deeper cleaning occasions such as spring cleaning or holidays. Saturate a sponge in a mix of wood cleaning product and water which has been mixed according to label instructions. Wring the mop out to almost dry. Then mop carefully, not allowing water to stand on the floor. If necessary, go back over the surface with a clean, damp mop.

Tips & Warnings

• When weather is humid turn on the ceiling fan or air conditioner so floors will dry better.

• Standing water on wood floors can damage the surface. Be sure to always wipe up any excess liquid.