Hardwood floors make your home unique and special. Yet, they get an incredible amount of dirt, grit, mud, dust, and other debris that get stuck on them day in and day out, and they require some attention if you want to keep them clean and beautiful for decades to come.
Hardwood floor must-knows:
The secret to clean floors begins with a little bit of planning. Put down bristled mats at entrance and exit points in the home and park dirty shoes and boots at the door in a designated area. Next, set up a schedule that helps you stay on track. For example, plan to sweep every day, or every other day, then mop weekly or bi-weekly. For homes that have busy kids that are in and out of soccer practice or the like, or for people that have pets, it’s important to stay on top of sweeping regularly, daily or every other day. This allows for you to get the shed pet hair or other dirt that sluffs off busy people and pets that are bustling around. Sweeping with a soft-bristled broom that is angled for corners means you will be able to mop quicker.
When you get ready to mop which should be bi-weekly, be sure to avoid using water and vinegar combinations or soap-based cleaners. In addition, never steam clean your hardwood. Find a commercial wood cleaning product like Murphy’s Oil or Bona and follow the mixing directions. Then, saturate a sponge mop that is thoroughly rung out to be damp, and mop the floor with the wood grain. Rinse the mop with clean water, the wring out the extra, and repeat the process again. If the floors are left wet at the end of mopping, be sure to dry it with a clean, dry towel, as standing water could cause the wood to flex and over time, it could cause damage.
No matter how often you clean the floor, scratches on the hardwood are inevitable, especially if you have pets. For a quick fix on a scratch, you can restore shine with floor polish, which can help fill small scratches and keep the floor more protected from wear
Not sure you want to tackle the upkeep of cleaning your hardwood floors? We can help! We have a wide variety of experienced live-in or live-out housekeepers that can keep your floors shining. Contact us today to see which person is the right fit for your home.
