Hardwood flooring is a timeless addition to any home. While this flooring option adds to a home’s value and looks stunning, it can be hard to maintain. Without proper care, hardwood floors can become tarnished and damaged only a few years into their life. However, regular maintenance can ensure your flooring looks freshly installed for years to come.
Avoid Moisture
One of the biggest issues many homeowners face with their hardwood floors is water damage. Whether you have bamboo, pine, or oak flooring, moisture that isn’t cleaned immediately can ruin the finish on your flooring. Even simple spills like runoff from your favorite potted plant can eat away at the polish on your floors. To combat this, try to keep your home’s humidity low and do your best to mop up any spills immediately. Staying vigilant will protect your hardwood from water damage.
Clean Regularly
Another cause of damage to your flooring is dust. As silly as that sounds, the consistent rubbing of dirt and dust particles against the polish of your hardwood will cause it to lose its shine. While it’s impossible to cut dirt out of your life completely, especially if you have a family, regular cleaning will help preserve the integrity of your floors. Rather than allowing grit and grime to eat away at your floors, sweep and mop with a neutral cleaner to keep things shiny. Many household cleaners contain harsh ingredients that will damage your hardwood flooring.
- Ammonia-based cleaners
- Vinegar
- Oil-rich polishes
- High water cleaners
All these cleaning products can damage your flooring. When you clean, make sure you patch-test and buy something formulated for hardwood!
Protect High-Traffic Areas
Finally, it’s essential to protect high-traffic areas. Entryways, hallways, and family rooms will all get more foot traffic on a daily basis. This increased level of walking exposes your hardwood to more dirt and moisture that can damage the polish. Rather than spending your days mopping those areas repeatedly, putting area rugs there will help protect the surface against wear and tear. Even if you just put a carpet in the entries of your home, people will be able to wipe their feet and keep dust off your floors. If you want to go even further, keep shoes at the front door and have everyone wear socks in your home. Protecting the areas of your floors that get the most foot traffic will keep your floors shiny.
Hardwood floors are a stunning addition to any home. If you want top-notch installation or refinishing, contact The Hardwood Giant online or give us a call at (704) 251-7279 for an estimate.