10 Tips To Clean & Maintain Hardwood Floors

Monday, December 5, 2011, 16:22

As Christmas is coming up, it is time to clean and decorate the house. Celebrate the festive season with lights, fun, happiness and love. Many houses have wooden flooring which requires special methods of cleaning. Maintaining hardwood floors can be really easy if you know the do's and don'ts. Here are simple tips to clean and maintain hardwood floors.

Tips to clean wooden flooring:

1. Firstly, vacuum the floor to remove dirt and debris. Don't wear slippers when you clean the wooden flooring. Scratches are permanent and can leave the mark on the floor.

2. Carpets are a nice home decoration idea and is also helpful to keep the wooden floors clean. Dirt on wooden flooring can lead to scratches which can spoil the floor design. So, use carpets and door mats or rugs wherever required to keep the wooden flooring clean and maintain it.

3. Use rugs or mats which are specialized for hardwood floors. Normal rugs and mats can spoil the flooring. Clean the rug everyday.

4. Hardwood cleaners are available in the market and are specially made for cleaning and maintaining wooden floors.

5. Never use water to clean wooden flooring. Water spoils the wood and damages it. Wood also expands due to water therefore, leading to cracks or splinters.

6. If you get marks of heels or dirt, use hardwood cleaners to remove the stains. Add few drops of this cleaner in a cotton cloth piece and then rub the stains.

7. Sticky stains can be removed with a wet sponge or a damp towel or cloth piece. It is best to remove stains from the floor immediately. This is an effective method for maintaining wooden floors.

8. Never use oily soap solution or ammonia cleaners to clean the hardwood floor. This spoils the quality of the wood. It also spoils the coating and finishing done for keeping the flooring shiny.

9. Damp mopping is a simple alternative to prevent the wood from spoiling due to water. Wringe the mop tight to remove water and make it damp.

10. Damp mopping should not be done everyday. Limit it to once in a week or 15 days. Mop when you feel it has become dirty.

Try these simple tips to clean and maintain hardwood floors.