It’s not difficult or labour intensive to keep your hardwood floors spic and span.
However, there are some dos and don’ts that you need to be aware of to ensure that you clean your floors without damaging them.
While it’s important to sweep or vacuum your hardwood floors regularly, you should only give them a thorough cleaning when it’s really needed. Your floors will last, and look great longer without more deep cleaning than necessary.
Before you clean your hardwood floors, you need to know what kind of surface finish they have. Different finishes have different cleaning requirements. Pre-finished floors have bevelled edges and if the surface isn’t glossy, it’s a stained or unfinished floor. If the finish is glossy, the floor is either waxed, or has a polyurethane, urethane, or polyacrylic coating. Older floors that haven’t been refinished often have a varnish, shellac, or lacquer coating. While they technically are called “surface sealed,” these finishes are not nearly as durable or water resistant as modern plastic finishes and should be cleaned as though they have a wax finish or are unfinished.
Plastic coatings are very water and stain resistant so they’re easy to clean. Pre-finished flooring has a durable coating on the surface, but water can get into the gaps between the boards and cause damage. Wax finishes or stained and unfinished floors have to be cleaned very carefully to prevent water damage.
Use a cleaning solution designed for your type of flooring. Site finished floors can be cleaned with solutions that are not suitable for other types of finishes. They are also more resistant to water damage – just don’t let water stand on the surface for too long.
Pre-finished floors or floors with a waxed or stained finish can be damp mopped but surface water must be wiped up immediately. It’s important not to let any water seep into the cracks. If you can wring water out of your mop, it’s too wet.
For professional advice on taking care of your Calgary hardwood floors, visit your nearest TimberTown location.
