Taking care of your hardwood floors can make them a beautiful and elegant addition to your home. Hardwood floors can give your home a graceful ambience and beautify any room. Unfortunately, many fail to care for their hardwood floors, and the results are less than dismal. With just a little precautionary care, your hardwood floors can stay vibrant and elegant even after many years.

Cleaning Your Hardwood Floor

Choose your hardwood floor cleaner carefully and always read the instructions on the label. Using a special dust mop or other wood-safe cleaning agent is vital. If it does not specifically say it is safe for hardwood floors, you shouldn’t use it.  Be sure to match the finish on your hardwood floor with the cleaner you’re using.

Vacuuming and Sweeping

Sweeping hardwood floors and vacuuming them regularly is important for their upkeep. When vacuuming, do not use beater bars, as these can damage and dent the hardwood floor. Instead, use a brush attachment on the vacuum cleaner.

Water on Hardwood

Avoid mopping your hardwood floor with water, as water is a hardwood floor’s greatest enemy, so avoid mopping with it at all.  Only use a special dust mop or any other cleaning agent that is wood-safe. If water or another liquid spills on your hardwood floor, make sure to blot it up immediately with a dry cloth. Start from the outside of the spill and work your way inwards. Also, make sure not to over clean your hardwood floors, since too much cleaning dulls the finish.

Area Rugs

Area rugs not only add decoration to a hardwood floor, but they are also great in saving it from spills and stains. Placing area rugs in a general area more prone to stain, such as entrances, in bathrooms, or near kitchen sinks, stoves and counters can save your floor from disaster.

Shoes

Heels of all kinds should be avoided when walking on a hardwood floor. Heels leave tiny dents in the hardwood that may go unnoticed until light hits them and your previously beautiful hardwood floor is no longer smooth as it was. Make sure your guests and family members don’t walk on your hardwood floors with their shoes as well.

Sunlight

UV rays are harmful to hardwood floors and ruin it over time, so if your floor is exposed to sun during the day, a smart investment would be in blinds or drapes that can limit the sun’s rays.

Furniture

Furniture glides are a must-have if you own a hardwood floor. They are small felt or cotton coverings placed under the furniture to prevent it from scratching the wood. Make sure to clean the glides regularly to ensure that dust and grit don’t get imbedded on them. Furniture that needs to be moved should always be lifted and never dragged on the hardwood floor. If the furniture is too heavy to lift, placing a cotton sock over one of the legs and sliding it can be a simple solution.

Caring for your hardwood floors is vital and you should care for it as you would for anything precious and valuable. Treat your floors well by following the preventative measures described here and for years to come your hardwood floors will stay vibrant, beautiful, smooth and durable.