The beauty, elegance and durability of solid wood floors make them one of the best choices for flooring and can last for decades if properly cared for. However, like all flooring choices they can still be damaged if care is not taken to protect them.
Wooden floors are actually fairly easy and straight forward to care for and following our top tips below will ensure your floors will stay in great condition for many years to come.
Top tips for maintaining and cleaning wooden floors
- Clean up any liquid spills immediately.
- Sweep away dust and dirt on a regular basis.
- Use protective pads under furniture, especially anything heavy.
- Use a microfibre mop and wood floor cleaning products.
- Never use a steam or wet mop, or abrasive cleaning products.
Keep Your Wood Floors Clean
One of the most overlooked dangers to your wood floor is dirt build-up that can scratch the surface layer. A simple daily brush with a soft bristle broom or even a quick vacuuming will protect and give longevity to your wooden floors.
Keep Your Wood Floors Dry
Any liquids are a serious threat to wood floors because it can cause staining and even warping. Whilst the top layers of stain or varnish will offer some protection, if the liquid is allowed to soak in, it can cause irreparable damage.
If you chose to mop your floors, make sure your mop is only slightly damp. It is recommended to brush or vacuum whenever possible to keep unnecessary moisture away from your floors. Ideally, use a dry cloth or, if required a lightly damp cloth to avoid too much water which can lead to the wood swelling.
Protect Your Floors From Scratches
Heavy furniture is one of the biggest causes of scratches and marks to solid wood flooring. Luckily, it is cheap and easy to protect against scuffs and scratches by using cushioned felt protector pads that are readily available at most home improvement stores.
Unfortunately, dog’s nails are another potential cause of scratching on your wood floors. Keeping their nails trimmed is a good way to stop your pets scratching your flooring.
Lastly, wood floors can also be damaged by hard heeled footwear. One of the worst offenders is a pair of high heels. Try to minimise the amount of high heeled footwear on your wood flooring to protect your floors from scratches.
Limit Excessive Sunlight
It is not a well-known fact that sunlight can cause significant damage to natural wood flooring. Continuous and prolonged direct sunlight can cause fading and discolouration on your wooden floors.
Curtains and blinds are likely to be the cheapest way to minimize sun damage. If you are ever considering changing your windows, ask about UV coating for the windows as this will help protect your floors from harsh sunlight.
Failing this, rugs and mats can be used to cover the most exposed parts of your wooden floors, but this approach can lead to mismatched floor colours between the darker/paler areas of the flooring.
If you have any questions on this topic or would like to discuss your own wood flooring, please don’t hesitate to call us today on 087-6268100 or email us at info@rhwoodfloors.ie You can view our collection of 5-star reviews here and also watch some of our customer’s testimonial videos here. RH Wood Floors offer a free home visit to discuss your plans, measure up and provide a personalised quote just for you, all backed up by full certification from The National Wood Flooring Association. Thank you for considering RH Wood Floors for wood floor sanding.