How to Protect Hardwood Floors From Damage
Preserving the beauty of hardwood flooring does not have to be painstakingly difficult. It is easy to protect the durability and good looks of your wooden floors with little effort. Routine proper care and maintenance on a regular basis will do the job. At Impressions Carpet & Hardwoods, we offer hardwood refinishing and cleaning services to help you keep your hardwood floors looking superb.
General Cleaning and Maintenance
It is important to regularly clean hardwood floors of the accumulation of dirt and grit between the floorboards. Do not use a wet mop which can damage the finish. Instead use a dust mop or broom with exploded tips, or a vacuum with attachments for hardwood, or a vacuum with the beater bar switched off.
Clean Spills Quickly
Use a soft, dry or lightly dampened cloth to wipe up spills as soon as they happen. Wipe the spills starting at the edge and moving toward the center. Spills allowed to sit on a hardwood floor can eventually damage the finish and the wood itself.
Use Special Rug Mats at Entrances
In order to minimize and protect your hardwood floor from scratches and scuffs, you can place scatter rugs at every entrance to prevent debris such as small stones from damaging the floors, and especially below heavy furniture, or any pieces of furniture that may scratch the surface. However, instead of using rugs with rubber bottoms that can discolor the floors, get special rug mats available from a wood flooring store that will not discolor the wood surface.
Avoid Walking on With Certain Shoes
Make sure everyone who walks on your hardwood floors does not wear high heels or sports cleats which can scratch the wood finish and also leave dents in the floor. Also, put felt pieces on the bottom of furniture legs to prevent scratching when tables, chairs, or other furniture pieces are moved.
Use Cleaning Products Recommended by the Floor Manufacturer
When cleaning the floors, only use products the manufacturer has recommended. If the floors were finished or refinished by the installer on site, then ask the installer what cleaning products to use.
If those recommendations cannot be obtained, you can use a generic hardwood floor cleaner available from a retail store. However, never use petroleum- or wax-based products on a surface finish floor – they can mar the finish.
Whether the flooring is surface finished, wax finished, or acrylic impregnated finished, use the recommended cleaners for those types of finishes.
For information about the hardwood floor refinishing & carpet cleaning services we offer at Impressions Carpet & Hardwoods, call us today at 303.274.5100 or reach us through our contact form.
