Caring for Wood Floors

Caring for those Wood Floors

Taking care of your floors can be a tough. There are so many different factors that can keep your floors from looking nice. Whether you’ve just bought some brand new flooring from somewhere like Prodan Flooring in Gresham, OR, or your floors are vintage and came with the house, looking after your flooring is important if you want it to last. Of course, if you’re noticing an odd lean in your wooden floors or that they’re no longer level, it may be worth checking to see if the issue is with the floorboards or if there’s an issue with the foundation of your house. For the latter, make sure you go to a Quality Foundation Repair firm to keep your property safe. With that in mind, here are a few cleaning tips to make your floors shine.

General Tips for keeping your wood floors looking nice…
– Vacuum your floors weekly. The fine grit in the dust acts just like sandpaper and will wear through your floor’s finish. Use an attachment with a brush or a felt surface that runs along the floor. Rotating brushes can scratch the finish. And if you don’t feel like hauling the vacuum out, a dust mop or microfiber sweeper will work just as well. If you’re needing to clean specifically without damaging your floors, look at this site on how to clean urine on wood floors.

– Be careful with your hairspray and furniture polish, it can cloud up your floors finish. Wipe it up immediately with a damp cloth. For a more thorough cleaning, use a non-ammonia window cleaner.

– Water can ruin your finish as well as stain your wood. Close windows when it’s going to rain, put trays under potted plants, and wipe up water if you see it.

– Use a door mat. They really do their job and beyond. Even though vacuuming and spot cleaning are good tips for keeping your floors from becoming dull, keeping the dirt out of your house is better. Making sure to stop and wipe your shoes before going inside keeps dirt and moisture from entering your home and staining your floors.

– Protect high-traffic zones with area rugs. Walking across an area several times a day eventually wears down a wood floor’s finish. Nice-looking throw rugs are the easiest way to reduce the wear. But make sure they don’t have a backing. Vinyl or rubber backing traps humidity, which can ruin your floor’s finish and stain or damage the wood.

– The rules about using waxes and restorers are an important thing to keep in mind. Yes, you can rejuvenate a wax finish with more wax. But don’t use wax on a surface finish such as shellac, varnish, or polyurethane. It will make the floor far too slippery and interfere with subsequent finishes. Use a polish made for the finish you have on your floor. You can also get a general-purpose floor restorer for some finishes, but make sure to first test the restorer on an inconspicuous area to make sure it won’t peel.

Cleaning Tips For Your Wax Finished Floors:
If you can’t get your floors to shine just using a dust mop, try buffing the floors instead of just adding on another coat of wax. Buffing should always be the first option, as it can provide a nice shine without adding another layer of wax to your floors. If this still doesn’t work, then you’ll need to apply a wood floor cleaner and liquid wax made specifically for wood floors. After you apply it, let the wood dry and then buff. This should be done once or twice a year, depending on how much traffic you have. You can get help with Floor Refinishing in Chesterfield Va if you’re looking for services in that area to keep your hardwood flooring looking as good as new.

Common Stains: Here’s how to remove some common stains from wax finished floors.
– Most food stains are easy to clean by gently rubbing the area with a damp cloth. Start on the outside, and work your way in. Make sure you dry the surface when you’re done.
– Water spots and ink spots (white and dark), can be removed with steel wool. Start with #000 to remove the spot from your floor. If the stain is persistent, then try a very fine sandpaper, then #00 steel wool and a wood floor cleaner. Make sure to wax and buff when complete.
– Surface scratches can be cured by applying a little wax on the area, then buffing.
– If the substance is sticky or soft, harden it with a cold pack or ice cubes. It should then just peel off.

Cleaning your Surface Finished Floors (Urethane):
If you can’t get your floors to shine with just your dust mop, try cleaning with a wood floor cleaner recommended for cleaning wood floors with a urethane finish. If this still doesn’t work, the floor should receive a new coat of surface finish. Keep in mind you should never wax a surface finished floor.

Common Stains: Here’s how to remove some common stains from surface finished floors.
– Food, water, and ink stains can be cleaned using a wood flood cleaner specifically made for urethane finished floors.
– Nicks and scratches can be repaired with a urethane repair kit.
– If the substance is sticky or soft, harden it with a cold pack or ice cubes. It should then just peel off.

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