Protecting and Caring for Hardwood Floors
When properly cared for, hardwood floors can provide you with generations of use and wear. A little TLC now can keep your investment looking like new for decades to come. But where do you begin? What are the do’s and don’ts for caring for your hardwood floors? Let’s start by taking a look at hardwood flooring’s natural enemies.
Enemies of Hardwood Floors
- Grit. Dirt, dust and grit can scuff hardwood floors. Your best line of defense? Use non-rubber or vinyl-backed rugs at entry points to trap sand and dirt from your shoes and sweep your hardwood floors at least once a week with a soft-bristled broom.
- Water. Moisture or even excessive humidity can warp and crack floor boards or damage the finish. If you spill water on the floor, clean it up as soon as possible. If you notice excess humidity in your home, consider a dehumidifier to get some of that water out of the air. Keeping the interior relative humidity between 35%-55% is what most manufacturers recommend. And avoid using dripping wet mops for cleaning your floors—instead, spray a little approved hardwood floor cleaner on a mop head.
- Cleaners. Yes, you can damage your hardwood floors from improper cleaning. As an organic material, hardwood can’t stand up to harsh cleaners. Avoid oil or ammonia-based cleaners, which can dull the finish. Instead, look for products that are specifically made for cleaning hardwood floors, preferably one which has a neutral pH. In doubt? Ask your hardwood floor expert, Tish Flooring, for information on what cleaning method is best for your floors.
Caring for your hardwood floors takes only a little work and some common sense.
Questions about how to care for your floors? Call Tish Flooring at 879-TISH, yourIndianapolishardwood flooring experts. Whether or not you purchased your floors from Tish, we’d love to help you keep them beautiful.
