How do you protect your wood floor finish?

Ideally, you want to protect the floor from dirt and grit, and any other kind of hardened waste. Any hard dirt acts like sandpaper on your wood floor and damages the finish exposing unfinished wood. Look out for dirt under rugs and carpets, under furniture, and from shoes.

Take the following steps to limit any wear and tear to your hardwood floor and avoid serious damage:

At all entrances, place mats, rugs, or pieces of carpet to catch any dirt brought in from outside. Regularly vacuum or shake the mats outside to eradicate accumulated dirt.

Under furniture use floor protector pads. These pads (or alternatively other soft material) should be placed under your furniture and any other large objects that may lay unmoved for several days. Clean your floor protector pads monthly and replace them every six months.

Area rugs are also a good choice. These can be placed in highly-used areas such as the kitchen or entrance hallway. The rugs will reduce the amount of maintenance you’ll have to take on with your hardwood floor, and extend the life of the wood.

Take the following steps to keep your wood finish clean:

Sweep your floors regularly to eradicate dirt. A broom with fine bristles is recommended – especially those with “exploded” bristle tips – for containing and removing unwanted dirt.

You should use a multi-surface vacuum on your hardwood floor. This will make removing dirt much easier. Use a setting that will ensure you don’t trap dirt under the vacuum, and clean the floor once a week.

Any spillages should be cleaned quickly. You can use a damp cloth but always wipe the area afterward with a dry cloth or paper towel leaving no moisture.

Avoid the following when attending to your hardwood floor:

Never use a wet mop as moisture can damage the finish. This obviously means you should remove any accumulated water or liquid from the floor as quickly as possible. Water stains will unfortunately lead to the floor needing a re-finish which can be a costly affair.

Also, never use commercial dust-removal products on the floor. As these products are designed for furniture they can make your floor dangerously slippery and can also damage the finish. You should also avoid using wax as it will dull the finish and could again lead to expensive repairs.

New hardwood floors will start off shiny and clean, but without proper care and attention can quickly dull and become streaked. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve inherited an old hardwood floor or installed a new one, learn how to protect and maintain it to keep the floor looking shiny, clean and refreshed.

You should be careful which cleaning products you use on your hardwood floor. The best commercial cleaning products are those manufactured by the hardwood flooring companies themselves. These are better than other cleaning products because they are specially formulated to polish the polyurethane seal found on the majority of hardwood floors.

Watch out for cleaning methods that claim to be easy and cheap alternatives to commercial cleaning products. Never use vinegar water, lemon juice, or other home remedies to clean or shine your hardwood floor as these can damage the polyurethane finish. A good cleaning product has a balanced pH formula and won’t cause the polyurethane finish to crack or dull.

When cleaning, first sweep the floor with a soft-bristled (or “exploded” bristle) broom to remove any accumulated dirt or girt. You can also use a floor duster but don’t use wood-cleaning products designed for furniture as these can make the floor dangerously slippery. Clean the floor on a weekly basis and use a specifically designed cleaner for polyurethane finished floors.

For a great polish, use a specially formulated hardwood floor polish. Use a clean damp cloth to apply, and a dry cloth to polish.

Don’t worry if you need to restore a damaged or aged hardwood floor, as a professional can help. They will strip the polyurethane layers, re-sand the surface and then re-stain. Once this is done, a new layer of polyurethane will be applied to the wood. Then you’ll have a new-looking hardwood floor in your home. The task now is to go back to the beginning of this article and remind yourself how to keep it looking that way.