Hardwood floors are made of oak, maple or exotic woods like Brazilian cherry and bamboo and other hardwood alternatives have become popular in recent years because they are made from a renewable source. Hardwood floors add beauty to a home and need to be taken care of the right way. Hardwood floors go through take a lot of abuse. Dirt, mud, dust, food and those beloved pets can leave their mark. These can all take a toll on the polyurethane finish and finds a way in between the floor boards. You need to be very careful with hardwood floors. Too much water can be bad, along with vinegar that is too strong and baking soda solutions can breakdown the polyurethane. “Glow” enhancers can also have a negative effect on the finish even though they sound like they should work like conditioner for your hair! It’s not hard to keep hardwood floors properly maintained. The first step in floor cleaning and maintenance is keeping the dirt away in the first place. Stay on top of it by using mats with tough bristles and leave dirty shoes at the door. Sweep, mop with a neutral cleaner and vacuum regularly.
How to Deep Clean Hardwood Floors
• Use soft-bristled brooms that are angled to get into the corners. Make sure it’s wide enough to get the job done faster and move with the grain of your flooring.
• Don’t use vacuums with carpet beaters and brush rolls as they can damage your flooring.
• To make cleaning your floors easier you can use a robot vac. These little vacuums will run for at least an hour before they need to be recharged.
• Clean sticky messes up right away with a damp cloth and a little cleaner for wood floors.
• Take care of dust and pet hair with a microfiber mop head to make the job easier.
• Wood floors should be cleaned at least four to six times a year.
• Don’t ignore wet spills or they can damage your floors.
• Don’t use heavy duty brooms on your hardwood floors
• Don’t use the wrong products as some of these can dull your floors.
• Too much water is bad for hardwood flooring. Wet mops can push water in between the floor boards and water also gets into tiny tears in the wood that happen as it shrinks and contracts and can cause further damage.
• Never steam hardwood floors! Steam is for linoleum, vinyl and tile flooring.
When your hardwood floors get really dirty, you will need to use a damp mop that has been wrung out completely. Move along the grain and use a spray bottle that has been filled with the cleaning solution, so you can control the amount you use. This method means you don’t have to rinse and wear some soft socks while you do it to gently buff the floors as you go!
Hardwood Floor Cleaning & More in Glendale, Pasadena, Burbank, Diamond Bar & Agoura Hills, California
Whether you clean your floors yourself or hire professionals, you want to make sure it’s done right. Hire the professionals at Go Green Carpet Cleaning & Restoration so your hardwood floors can look as great as they did the day they were installed! Contact us today.