Tips for Hardwood Floors
By Jill Moore
Photo: © Lisa Turay/ Fotolia
 Hardwood floors are a beautiful flooring choice, but can show signs of wear and tear as they age. The following tips for properly maintaining hardwood flooring can help you keep the floors in your home looking their best.
1. Preventive Maintenance - To minimize the visible signs of wear, keep your hardwood floors clean and free from debris that can scratch or stain the wood. Depending on how heavily trafficked the area is, you may need to vacuum, sweep, or mop your hardwood floors once a week. Avoid using any cleaning products that are not safe for use on hardwood floors.
2. Repairing Scratches - One of the biggest problems with hardwood floors is their tendency to scratch. |
Some minor scratches that penetrate only the urethane coating can be repaired easily with a simple repair kit made for urethane. Deeper scratches are harder to remove, but can be eliminated or minimized with floor wax designed for use with hardwood flooring.
3. Repairing Stains - Spilling beverages or other liquids can cause surface stains on hardwood floors. These types of stains affect only the urethane coating of hardwood flooring, but do not penetrate through to the wood underneath. They can be fixed relatively easily.
To remove surface stains, scrub the area with a floor cleaner designed especially for urethane finishes. The most serious stains, such as pet stains or red wine, may require scrubbing with fine steel wool or sand paper. In this case, the affected area will need to be stained and sealed with urethane.
The charm of genuine hardwood is partly due to the beauty of their natural surface. No matter how careful you are with your hardwood floors, they will scratch and stain with use. With good care, you can keep them looking their best for years to come. |
