Wood flooring care can be a bit “hit and miss” if you’re new to it. So here’s 30 of our wood flooring care tips to help you sort out what’s important and what’s not so important.
1. If at all possible encourage everyone to take their shoes off at your door.
2. Invest in and encourage the use of a good quality doormat.
3. Invest in a good quality wood floor friendly vacuum cleaner.
4. Vacuum your floor regularly to remove dust and grit.
5. Mop regularly, using water only unless floor staining is severe.
6. Make sure your mop is only damp, not wet.
7. If you need to use products, make sure choose the right ones for your floor.
8. Inspect your flooring finish regularly for damage.
9. If your floor is damaged, take action – seeking professional advice if you need to.
10. Clean up any spills immediately, using a dry towel whenever possible.
11. Lift, and don’t drag furniture when you need to move it.
12. Take care when using furniture polish – residue can cloud your floor’s finish.
13. Take care when using hair spray – again residue can cloud your floor’s finish.
14. Protect your floor with rugs wherever possible, but particularly in high traffic areas.
15. Read, understand and stick to any specific manufacturers instructions for your floor.
16. If sweeping your floor, use a soft broom.
17. Don’t use oil-based cleaners on waxed floors – they’ll dull the surface of your floor.
18. Take care with the sun and close blinds and curtains whenever possible, because UV rays will fade your floor.
19. Hire a buffer from time to time to buff up any wax-finish floors.
20. Remove deep stains using fine steel wool and then refinish your wax floor.
21. Avoid using ammonia on your floor because it could damage the surface.
22. Take care when wearing high heels, and remove them whenever possible.
23. Keep your pet’s nails trimmed to avoid scratching your floor’s finish.
24. If you have rubber or vinyl mats, make sure you don’t allow water to get trapped beneath them because it’ll play havoc with your floor.
25. Use cups and felt protector pads under the feet of heavy furniture to help prevent damage.
26. If you do need to drag heavy furniture, pop a blanket or a piece of carpet under it before you do.
27. Rub your dog or cat down whenever possible to avoid excess grit and dust getting on your floor.
28. If humidity is a big issue in your home, use a dehumidifier.
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