New or refinished hardwood floors aren't difficult to care for. However, they can be damaged with improper cleaning techniques.
Child’s toys, pet nails, furniture legs, dirt brought in on shoes, high heels—these and many other things can scratch and dent floors. The finish on high traffic areas can wear relatively quickly and area rugs can prolong the life of finish. Excessive exposure to sunlight can cause finished wood floors to fade.
And all too often, well-meaning homeowners—in an attempt to maintain the beauty and sheen of their finished wood floors—do far more harm than good.
An Ounce of Prevention
Checking children's toys for sharp edges is a great way to protect your child and your floors. Keeping pet nails trimmed and ground smooth is the key to living with pets on a hardwood floor. Applying high quality felt floor protectors to the bottom of furniture legs helps reduce wear around tables and other areas where furniture slides on the floor. Strategic placement of area rugs in high traffic areas will help prolong finish life, and areas exposed to extreme sunlight should have rugs moved frequently to reduce uneven fading.
The Proper Way to Maintain Finished Wood Floors
To keep potentially damaging dirt and grit off you hardwood floors, you can sweep, dry mop (with a soft microfiber mop) or vacuum. Soft-bristled brushes are fine on vacuums as long as they aren’t rotating brushes meant for use on carpet.
For cleaning up spilled food and drinks, you can use paper towel or a soft cloth, being careful that it is only damp and not saturated with water. Or better yet, you can use a mop specially designed for use on hardwood floors, such as those manufactured by Glitsa. Whichever safe method you use, be sure to clean all spills immediately.
To keep your wood floors clean, use a product such as Glitsa Clean, which is designed for use on hardwood floors and won't cause damage. Never use waxes or oil-based cleaners, which can damage your floors to the point that they need resanding. And wait two to three weeks after a floor has been finished to use any cleaning products at all.
Follow Directions and Clean Often
The important thing to remember is that the wrong cleaning products and methods can ruin a floor’s finish. Know what type of finish you have and follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions, as well as the instructions for any products you use.
Remember...
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Dry mop, sweep, or vacuum to keep grit off the floor.
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Wipe up spills as quickly as possible.
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When necessary, use Glitsa Clean to keep your floors clean and beautiful.
...this will prolong the time before a new finish will need to be applied.
