Cleaning Your Hardwood Floors

1
Cleaning Your Hardwood Floors
2
Your hardwood flooring is one of the easiest
types to keep clean and require minimum
maintenance.  The flooring can last for years. 
Clean hardwood floors that go throughout your
home can make it feel spacious and look
beautiful.  The methods to clean your floors
should not differ among types of hardwood floors
but there are some finishes that do require some
extra care when you are removing any stains. 
3
The most effective and quickest way to clean
hardwood flooring is to use a damp mop.  Before
you mop your floors may sure that all the surface
dust has been removed. You can do this using a
lightweight vacuum or a broom with soft
bristles.  Once it has been swept you can mop and
rinse the floors.
4
It is very important that you remove all dirt and
grit from the floors because they are the biggest
reasons that you scour or scratch the finish. 
You can use a cleaner that is made especially for
hardwood flooring or you can just use a neutral
cleaner, you might also want to consider calling
flooring companies for cleaning.  This is a
cleaner that does not have too low or too high pH
level. 
5
Just mix some of the neutral cleaner with water. 
If your hardwood floor is old you should look for
worn patches on the floor.  If you see any do not
use any water there because the liquid can cause
the floor to warp by it penetrating the wood. 
You should also not mop unless the floor is
properly sealed.
6
Today, most of your hardwood floors are finished
with a surface finisher that is called
polyurethane. This sealant is used to make the
floors look shiny and glossy. It looks like a
plastic coating over the hardwood and very hard
wearing. There is another sealant, penetrating
seas. This sealant, or finish, consists of oil or
wax finishes that penetrates the hardwood floor
and protects the floor from inside.
7
After mopping you can finish your hardwood
flooring with polish or wax. If you see that it
still looks dull you can use a buffer to buff
them with wax. It will take some extra time to
clean them this way but it is worth it.  There
are some that like to use a floor polish on the
hardwood floors to give them an extra shine.  You
can re-shine the floors every two to four weeks
if you choose to do so.
8
As with any floor, hardwood floors are
susceptible to stains but you can use a very fine
steel wool to remove most stains.  You can also
use a little rubbing alcohol to remove the
stains.  If you have a stubborn stain that will
not go away, you may have to sand down that area
to remove it. Every once in a while you might
want to consider hardwood floor refinishing so
that you can regain the lost glaze and shine on
the hardwood floor.
9
FloorGem Services Inc. http//www.floorgem.com
8950 Route 108, Suite 105 - Columbia, MD 21045