A hardwood floor adds richness and beauty to any home. Being a perfect combination of strength and beauty, hardwood floors require their share of maintenance, too. There are certain steps that you can take to keep dirt, grit, and dust off of your floor.
Your hardwood floor is extremely vulnerable to dirt and dust, as they can cause scratches, dents, and even dulling. That is why, to keep a nice sheen on your floor, you must follow a regular maintenance routine to protect its beauty.
Know Your Floor
Before your get the mops out, you must determine the type of floor you have. You first have to find out if the floor is sealed (and with what). This is because a cleaning method depends on the type of finish you have and not the type of wood. You can always ask your flooring installer, or you can do a little test. Just rub your finger across the floor; if there is no smudge, then it is surface-sealed. If a smudge appears, then your hardwood floor has been treated with a penetrating seal, varnish, lacquer, oil finish, or shellac and after the treatment, the floor has been waxed. Your floor is stain and water-resistant if it is sealed with polyacrylic, urethane, or polyurethane. These glossy floors are quite easy to clean, and proper sweeping and mopping will do the trick.
In the case of oil-treated floors, you will have to work a bit harder, as the oil finish gets soaked into the wood and hardens it from the inside. You must clean them quite carefully, with liquid wax or paste. You must treat you lacquered, varnished, or shellacked floors like an oil treated floor, as they too are not resistant to water. These floors require periodic waxing and buffing, apart from following specific cleaning procedures.
Keeping Out The Dirt
The first basic tip to maintain your floor is to keep it clean at all times. To prevent dust particles and dirt from scratching the wood, you need to keep the dust out. Use synthetic doormats at the entrance to collect dirt and moisture. Make sure to remember that you have to avoid mats that have adhesive or abrasive coated bottom.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning Tips
Follow these simple tips to make sure that your floor remains cleans and shiny:
• Wipe up any water or other spills on the floor immediately.
• Use recommended hardwood floor cleaners.
• At least once or twice a week, you must vacuum, sweep or dust mop your hardwood floor.
• Do not drag heavy furniture or any equipment on the floor.
• Add leg protector pads under all furniture legs.
• Keep relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55%, and always avoid direct sunlight from hitting your floor.
One essential tip for hardwood floor maintenance is that they should never be cleaned with water. Water destroys the wood, and causes it to swell up or become warped. Use the floor cleaning products best suited to your floor finish, and follow the instructions given by the floor installers.
ServiceMaster Commercial Cleaning Services has over 50 years of experience in maintenance and janitorial cleaning service. The company is known for its high quality service and professionalism.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dave_Moo
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