Caring For Your Hardwood Floor
By Sidra Rasheed
Hardwood floors make a beautiful, elegant addition to your home.
They are lovely and lend a graceful ambience to any room. Unfortunately,
many people don’t take care of their hardwood floors like they
should. With some precautionary care, your hardwood floors will
remain beautiful well into old age.
Sunlight
If your floor is exposed to sun during the day, invest in sheer curtains, drapes, or blinds that will limit sunlight as UV rays can damage hardwood floors over time.
Furniture
Furniture glides are a great investment for your hardwood floor.
They are small coverings, usually made of felt or another soft
material, that are placed under the feet of furniture to prevent
scratches. To ensure that dust and grit don’t get imbedded, clean
the glides regularly. When moving furniture, always lift it up.
You should never slide furniture on a hardwood floor, even with
glides. If the piece is too heavy to lift, place a cotton sock
over the leg and slide it carefully.
Shoes
Avoid wearing any kind of heel when walking on a wood floor, and make sure this rule is enforced for your guests and family members as well. Hells can leave tiny dents that may go unnoticed until the light hits them and you notice your beautiful smooth floor is now a speckled design of small dents.
Area Rugs
Area rugs are not only a nice way to decorate a hardwood floor; they are also a great way to save it from stains and spills. Place area rugs in general area that might be more prone to stains, like entrances from outside, below the stove and kitchen counters, in the bathroom, etc.
Sweeping and Vacuuming
Sweep floors and vacuum them regularly. Use a vacuum with a brush attachment as beater bars can damage and dent a hardwood floor.
Water
Avoid mopping except with a special dust mop or other wood-safe cleaning agent. Be careful not to over clean your hardwood floor because too much cleaning will dull the finish.
Water is a hardwood floor’s greatest enemy, so avoid mopping with
it at all. If you spill water or another liquid on your hardwood
floor, blot it up immediately starting from the outside of the
spill and working your way in.
Cleaning
Use a special dust mop or other cleaning agent that is wood-safe.
Select your cleaner carefully and always read the label. If it
doesn’t specifically say it is safe for hardwood floors, don’t
use it. The right cleaner should match the finish on your hardwood
floor.
Care for your hardwood floors as you would anything precious and valuable; treat them well by following the preventative measures above and your hardwood floors will stay safe, beautiful, and durable for years to come.
About the Author: http://www.fastfloors.com/
Hardwood Floor CleanersBy Michael Granger
The type of wood floor you have will determine the type of floor cleaner you need to use. It is very important you choose the right cleaner because the wrong one can cause permanent damage to your wood floors. If you are unsure about the type of wood floor you have there are a few simple ways you can test it to find out. Most likely your floor has either a wax or surface finish.
What you want to do is find an inconspicuous area of your floor to test, usually a in a corner of a room. Apply 2 drops of water directly to the floor. If white spots appear under your drops within ten minutes your floor has a wax finish. If the white spots do not appear you probably have a surface finish floor, to be sure take a coin and scratch the surface of the wood. If it does not scratch then you can be sure that your flooring has a surface finish. More details can be found at http://www.oakfloorsupplies.com.
Cleaners for Wood Flooring with a Wax Finish
You must dust mop and vacuum regularly, usually once a week. You also want to buff the floor every now and again to keep it shiny. Eventually buffing won't be enough to shine the floor, that's when you know it is time for a waxing. Before waxing, clean the entire floor with a cleaner made specifically for your type of hardwood. Apply the wax evenly across the entire area and when it is dry buff it out. You should only need to wax your floor once or twice a year.
Cleaners for Wood Flooring with a Surface Finish
Sweep and vacuum your floor regularly. Never use wax on a surface finish floor. Instead, use a surface finish to recoat a dull wood floor. Depending on the amount of traffic on the floor, you may have to apply the finish every couple of months.
About the Author: Hardwood floor cleaning supplies and everthing you need to keep your wood floor shining like new can be found online.
Source: www.isnare.com
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