4 Steps to Help Keep Your Hardwood Floors Looking Great

The benefits of hardwood flooring go beyond aesthetics. Hardwood is famed for its strength and durability. It complements a wide variety of decor themes. Like all other flooring types, hardwood flooring needs regular maintenance. Periodic maintenance addresses problems before they snowball into major crises and prevents future problems.

Over the years we’ve stepped into countless homes throughout the North Bay area, providing flooring solutions to happy customers all over Sonoma County. As new homeowners come into the market and make the switch to hardwood floors in Santa Rosa, we’d like to be a point of resource and help new homeowners protect their investment.

Here are our top tips for maintaining hardwood flooring.

Clean Spills Immediately

Attend to any liquid spills on your hardwood floor immediately. Use a dry or slightly damp mop to clean spills. Avoid wet or steam mops, as they can do more harm than good. If water gets tracked into your home regularly, have a no-shoes rule in your house.

Wood can swell and shrink when exposed to moisture. To prevent cupping, gaping, splitting, and other issues caused by fluctuating humidity levels, maintain your home’s temperature between 60- and 80-degrees F.

Implement a Cleaning Schedule

To stretch the lifespan of your floors and keep them looking great you need to have a cleaning schedule and stick to it. Hardwood floors with high traffic should be mopped no more than once a week.

You can use a commercial wood cleaner or make your own cleaning solution by mixing 1 part vinegar with 10 parts lukewarm water. Remember to add a few drops of liquid castile soap to the solution.

Dip a clean rag or sponge mop in the solution and wring it out thoroughly. When mopping your floor, avoid putting excess liquid on it. Rinse the mop with clean water. Wring out excess water and damp mop your floor. Remove any excess water with a clean, dry towel.

Use Furniture Pads

Sofa, chair, and table legs can cause unsightly scratch marks on your hardwood floor. To prevent ugly scratches, add furniture pads to the legs of your furniture pieces. When moving furniture, lift it completely instead of dragging it. If you have pets, trim their nails regularly to keep them from scratching your floor.

Sweep or Dust Regularly

Gritty dirt can erode the finish of your hardwood floor, affecting its appearance. Even if you have a no-shoes rule in your house, dust can get in different areas of your home, eventually settling into the grain of your hardwood floor or between floorboards. To tackle this problem, sweep your floor regularly using a soft-bristle broom. If you use a vacuum, ensure its beater brush is disengaged before vacuuming your floor, or it can leave behind unsightly scratch marks.

Rugworks is a distinguished hardwood flooring company in Santa Rosa. We love to bring value to people’s homes and make sure they stay satisfied clients for years to come. Call (707) 935-0648 to have an expert come and check out your current flooring situation.