Hardwood floors are naturally beautiful, durable, and can last your family decades with proper care. Considering, though, that hardwood floors are porous, they can end up staining much more easily than tile or laminate. It can also be trickier to get the dirt out of the slats if your hardwood is at all textured. Even though wood is durable, it can be scuffed, which robs your beautiful, warm floor of its shine and looks. To keep your hardwood looking great, here is a list of tips, both things to do and to avoid!
Careful With the Vacuum
The first step when cleaning your hardwood is to remove larger bits of dirt and dust. You can do this with a broom (only use soft bristle brooms), or you can do this with a vacuum. If you go with a vacuum, then you need to be careful not to have the beater bar down. This attachment is to help fluff up your carpet but used on hardwood you can end up leaving scratches all along the surface. Make sure your vacuum is set to hardwood or use a robot vacuum.
Mopping
Water and hardwood floors do not mix. Wood is porous, and if it gets wet, it can sop up all that moisture and end up warped or popping up. You do not want this. When you mop, make sure that your mop is barely wet, if you can wring it out and water comes out, it is too wet. Alternatively, you can get down on your hands and knees and use a damp cloth to do the job of a mop, though this is more labour intensive and takes longer.
What to Mop With
You do not want to use just any soap on your hardwood floor. Some soaps leave residue while others are unsafe for your floor. Make sure to purchase a hardwood cleaner from the store that is safe to use and always mop with plain water after you use a cleaning solution.
Do not use vinegar to clean your hardwood. It will make the surface of your floor dull and damage it.
Never Steam Clean!
Steam is not good for hardwood. There is a reason we do not have wood floors in the bathroom and tend not to have them in basements and kitchens, and that is because water does not play well with wood. As stated earlier, water, including steam, can cause a wood floor to warp and pop up. Steam on engineered wood can even cause the layers to separate.
Clean Up Spills
If you spill anything on hardwood, clean it up right away. It can seep into the wood and warp or stain it if it has a colour to it (if you spill red wine for instance). Quick cleanup will protect your floors and keep everything looking great!
Get Your Floors Cared for Professionally by Kirei Cleaning
If you have wood floors then every so often you will need to maintain them properly. That includes stripping, waxing, and polishing your floor. At Kirei Cleaning we provide Vancouver house cleaning services that can include taking care of your hardwood. Give us a call, and you’ll see why we’re the best cleaning company in Vancouver!
