How to Care for Refinished Hardwood Floors
If you've recently refinished your hardwood floors, you're probably still looking at them, marveling at how beautiful they are. Keeping them that way is easy. You just need to keep them dirt-free. A few simple preventive measures and regular sweeping, mopping and vacuuming are all you need to do to keep your newly refinished hardwood floors looking as beautiful as they look right now. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Put down good quality floor mats at each outside entrance. This will keep dirt and grit from being tracked in from outside.
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Wipe up spills immediately. Pools of water can seep under the floorboards and cause warping to both the hardwood floor and the sub floor. A little spilled liquid won't harm a hardwood floor, providing it is cleaned up immediately.
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Sweep with a broom that has bristles with ends that are referred to as "exploded." These trap dirt, dust, and grit best. Dirt and grit can scratch a hardwood floor when people walk on it.
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Dust mop with a good quality, cotton dust mop. Use a commercial dust-grabbing spray (available wherever cleaning products are sold). Dust mops pick up particles that brooms leave behind.
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Vacuum regularly. Do not use a vacuum cleaner with a rotating brush-type head. Use a floor brush or canister-style vacuum cleaner. Vacuum cleaners remove dirt and grit embedded in cracks that brooms and dust mops leave behind.
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Mop with a pH neutral cleaner made specifically for hardwood floors. If you need to deep clean your hardwood floors by damp mopping, wring out the mop head until it feels nearly dry. Avoid oil-based cleaners, which may hamper the re-application of a "maintenance" top coat of vanish or polyurethane.
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Use floor protectors under furniture legs. Make sure they're the kind for hardwood floors, not carpeting. Periodically remove floor protectors from under the furniture and clean under and around them to remove any dirt or grit.
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Tips & Warnings
The best thing you can do for your hardwood floors is to keep them clean. Even small particles of dirt can scratch them.
Do not use harsh chemical cleaners on your hardwood floors. They will damage, or possibly remove, the finish.
