The Dos And Don'ts Of Cleaning Your Hardwood Floors

What's okay and what's *really* not

Ane of the many reasons yous beloved your home is those great wood floors. Problem is, they tend to prove off dust bunnies and mud tracks likewise as showcase your amazing pattern mode.

So, there are a few things to consider when cleaning and regular maintenance are concerned. Consider this: Information technology's every bit easy to ruin your wood floors trying to clean them equally it is to neglect them entirely. Try explaining to your roommate or house guests how that 10 x ten section of the floor lost its varnish or why that corner is peeling up from the ground entirely.

As such, we thought it'd exist helpful to interruption downwardly some major do's and don'ts when it comes to caring for those gorgeous planks. Reading this article will put you lot in charge of your wooden floor fate and ensure that its shiny aesthetic stays intact for the long booty.

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DON'T do these things:

Turning your favorite function of your abode into the most stressful is just an innocent spray away. Let's swoop into the things y'all SHOULDN'T do when maintaining your woods floors.

  • Don't use vinegar or baking soda.
    Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or blistering soda, just these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your forest floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which tin irreparably ruin them. When it comes to DIY anything and your wood floors, only say no.

  • Don't let wet sit down on there.
    Any kind of standing h2o on your wood floors is a bad thing. Spills, water ice cubes, or even overly wet mops cause moisture to seep betwixt the floorboards and into the cracks of the wood. Over time, this will crusade the woods to bubble or warp. Yikes!

  • Don't steam make clean your woods floors
    In the same way that continuing water tin saturate the forest, and then as well can steam, which eventually turns into moisture. Save steam cleaning for vinyl, tile, or linoleum and never use it to make clean your wood floors.

  • Don't ignore spills
    Anyone with kids knows that spills are a part of daily life. Sippy cups gone wrong or airborne cereal bowls are your wood floor'south worst enemies. If a spill happens (it's okay, they're part of life), address it immediately. That includes ice cubes that spill out of the freezer, wet doggy manus tracks, and those muddy boots.

  • Don't apply the wrong cleaning products
    Acrylic products and paste wax practice more harm than practiced on your wood floors. In fact, they actually strip the woods of polyurethane and can fifty-fifty create an accident-prone slippery surface. Best to skip these entirely.

  • Don't use heavy equipment
    Using a hard-castor broom meant for outdoor spaces may scratch your wood floors, so make sure to utilise an indoor variety. Similarly, a floor cleaning motorcar meant for tougher surfaces will permanently harm your wood. Instead, utilise our recommended techniques, listed below.

Do these things:
There are plenty of things you lot tin can do to clean and maintain your wood floors, and they're all adequately easy and straightforward.

  • Do use a cleaning solution with the right PH level
    Look for a cleaner with a PH level of most 7. Anything higher has besides much element of group i and annihilation too much lower is fine for your multi-purpose surface areas but non your woods floors.
  • Practise clean with a broom and dustpan Information technology's of import to sweep ofttimes. We recommend at least once a week. If you're faithful to this routine, your wood floors won't have enough time for clay and crud to collect. A regular broom and dustpan piece of work well simply we recommend a Swiffer Sweeper for even better results. Its dry cloth has ridges that accommodate to the grooves in your floor, trapping and locking clay and hair—while it's wet cloth dissolves dirt and traps it for an amazing clean. Yes, please.

  • Do use a vacuum cleaner You volition as well desire to consider vacuuming at least in one case a week. If your vacuum has a "hard floor" setting, apply that for the toughest suction. Conversely, using a "brush curl" setting can actually scratch the surface of your floors, which is no bueno indeed.

  • Do use a microfiber-like mop For dealing with dust and dirt, expect for a mop with a microfiber-similar dusting agent. Microfibers are made up of super-soft constructed materials that blot clay and grime without leaving behind whatever scratches. The Swiffer Wet Jet Forest is a skilful choice since it uses a thick, dry, sweeping textile to adjust to the surface of your floors, trapping and locking the dirt.

The central to keeping your wood floors looking sharp is merely to pay attention to them every once in a while. Knowing which cleaning methods are okay and which ones aren't is more than half the boxing. If yous've fabricated information technology this far down the page, you're well on your way. Now, it'south just time for a little muscle.