Keeping Your Flooring Looking Great
Hardwood floors make your home beautiful and boost property value, but they also mean you’ll need to adapt your cleaning routine to keep them in excellent condition. Whether you’re dealing with ice melt and snow in winter or the mud and moisture in spring, here are some of the best ways to care for hardwood floors at your house.
Don’t Wait to Clean Up Spills
If you spill a liquid on hardwood flooring, clean it right away. Use a dry paper towel or cloth to absorb the liquid. Steam mops that use hot water to clean are not recommended for wooden floors. These tools can damage the material long-term by increasing humidity levels in the wood. Take your shoes off at the door to avoid tracking water, snow, or ice across your hardwood flooring.
Care for Hardwood Floors by Using Furniture Pads on Your Furniture
One of the biggest concerns many homeowners have about hardwood flooring is the potential for scratches. To care for the hardwood floors at your house, use furniture pads on all of your furniture legs, including tables, chairs, couches, and beneath bookshelves. Even if you don’t move the furniture frequently, a slight jostle could scrape the floor and cause scratches. Furniture pads also make it easier to rearrange a room if you enjoy changing your interior décor.
Sweep Daily and Dust Weekly to Care for Hardwood Floors
The gaps between each board are prime spots for collecting debris, dirt, and dust. To care for hardwood floors, sweep or dust the floors daily. Once a week, use a vacuum on the floors to clean them more thoroughly. Because vacuums use suction, they can collect tiny pieces of debris that you might have difficulty gathering up with a broom.
Don’t Be Afraid to Refinish Your Floor
Even if you do a great job caring for hardwood floors, they will eventually need refinishing. A flooring professional will apply a new finish coat to the floor, restoring the beauty of the wood and helping protect it from damage. It is generally recommended to refinish hardwood flooring every 7 to 10 years to keep the material looking its best.
House Doctor Home Inspection provides home inspections to customers in Rhode Island. If you’re buying or selling a home, contact us to schedule our services.