We’d like to start the season off right by paying it forward and sharing some tip hardwood floor cleaning tips!  The good news is that if you have hardwood flooring and have been maintaining it throughout the year, then this part of spring cleaning won’t be too much hassle.  The bad news is that, like most of us, life is too hectic to keep up with floor maintenance, we might have to use a little more elbow grease and some key ingredients to bring your floor back to life.

You need to choose the best products for your hardwood finish, so our first tip is to determine whether your floor has been sealed with a finish like urethane, and those that haven’t (or have been finished with lacquer or shellac).

Most newly-installed floors are the first kind and have been sealed in this way to provide the most easy-care option possible for modern life: because these surface-sealed floors are very resistant to water and stains, all you need to do is sweep and then damp-mop them with a hardwood floor cleaning solution.

For non-surface sealed floors, because they are a lot more sensitive to water penetration you must avoid mopping at all costs! Instead remove dust and dirt build-up by simply sweeping or vacuuming on a regular basis, and then once a year provide the floor with some intense TLC: gently strip back old wax using mineral spirits or a recommended hardwood wax stripper, then nourish the wood with either fresh liquid or paste wax, and finally buff the floor up to a shine.

Another tip is to use the right vacuum cleaning head on your hardwood floor – it must be a brush or felt head! Any other kind of vacuum head is liable to dent or mark your floor. You also want to make sure that the wheels of your vacuum cleaner aren’t scratching your floor, and if they do, apply sticky backed felt tape to the wheels. Another great way to “vacuum” is to use a microfiber dusting pad, which will trap the dirt and debris just as well as a standard vacuum cleaner.

For more tips, continue to read our blog or feel free to give us a call or stop in our new showroom. We are always eager and happy to help!