My Home Flooring

To maintain the beauty and elegance of hardwood floors, it is recommended to seek professional assistance periodically or at least once a year. The best time to do this will be during summer or right after winter months. Practical protection should also be applied all throughout the year while waiting in between periodic cleaning from professionals.

Doors and shoes

Practical protection starts by the doorway. Dirt, dust, grime, debris, glass, and other foreign objects which shoes bring along from outdoors are not only annoying, they are also damaging to hardwood floors. To prevent these objects from causing damage to the floor, a door mat or rug can be placed to wipe off foreign particles off shoes before household members or guests come in.

Speaking of shoes, aside from the objects mentioned earlier; these also carry grime and sand so it’s bad news bringing them inside the house. This can be said most especially for shoes with pointed heels like stilettos and hiking shoes. A shoe rack situated just by the doorway or outside if possible, can be placed to accommodate the shoes so there is no need to bring them inside the house. If not, you can manually carry them from the room down the door before slipping your foot right in. Inside the house, everyone can wear stockings or slip-ons so there would be no need to wear shoes inside the house.

You may also create temporary runways inside the house. These can be placed in pathways and other areas with high traffic. Rosin paper can be used for this purpose. It is a covering that is rolled out and taped with painter’s tape. It is easily removed too for replacement or when it’s already worn out. The only problem is, it can only help with grit but does not prevent shoes from causing dents on the floor.

Furniture

Aside from the doorway, shoes, and foreign object, practical protection of hardwood floors is also applied with furniture. To prevent furniture from causing scratches and damages to the floor, you can use furniture leg protectors or felt pads. If not, carpets can be placed underneath the furniture to prevent any direct contact with the wooden floor. Dirt and grime may accumulate under pads, protectors, and carpets however, so these must be regularly cleaned as well.

You might want to invest upon wheels too so you can easily move furniture from one area of the house to another. If not, you can always borrow or rent a hand truck from appliance and furniture shops or ask someone to help you carry the items without having to push them around.

Water

Aside from solid particles, water causes as much as damage too. Water can be absorbed by the wood and cause damage from the inner layer going up to the surface. Even snow boots bring moisture when brought inside the house. To protect your hardwood floor, moist and water must then be wiped off of the floor right away in order to prevent any further damage.

If you’re living in a home with kids and pets around, the possibility of scratches and other physical damage to hardwood floors is very likely to happen. In relation to this, pets should be trained not to harm the floor in anyway. The same applies to kids.

Caring and maintaining the beauty and elegance of hardwood floor is as simple as following a day to day cleaning routine. Both solid and engineered hardwood can benefit from the same care and maintenance tips. Some of which are as follows:

• Constantly sweep the floor. Once daily, most especially in the morning will actually do.
• As much as possible, you must keep the floor clean and dry at all times.

• If you’re using a vacuum, use one with a vacuum cleaner of a soft broom or flooring attachment.
• The floor must be dried right after using a damp mop or cloth. But don’t use mops as you would on vinyl, ceramic, and stone based tiles. The mop should be completely dried off before applying it onto the wooden floor.

Also, as mentioned earlier, keep the floor dry always whenever possible. So in case of water and other beverage spills, the floor must be wiped dry right away. Although engineered floors are more tolerant to liquid and moisture, constant exposure to these eventually cause damage to the wood planks.

In relation to cleaning, the use of harsh detergents, cleaners that are wax based, and steel mesh wipers should not be used for wooden floors. Don’t buy into product offers promising shiny wood floors as these may actually a develop a buildup of dirt on the surface which will be more difficult to clean once it accumulates and clogs the surface. Good old cleaning still works. A practical application of this will be mixing a formula of regular dishwashing paste or detergent and water. You can get a quarter of a cup dishwashing agent mixed with a bucket of water for the formula. Wash off the soap with clean water when you’re done.

There is an exemption to the regular wood floor cleaning pattern though. Only solid and engineered floor can benefit from it. Hardwood floors with a penetrating oil finish must never be cleaned with water based cleaners. These can be cleaned by spraying a natural solvent with citrus based component, then rinsed, and wiped with a towel. The natural solvent is a recommended option over chemical based products.

• Aside from liquid problems, other particles which can cause physical harm to the upper layer of the hardwood must be avoided as well. These include dirt, dust, pebbles, sand, glass, debris, dime, and other solid particles. Placing a rug by the doorway to wipe them off shoes will prevent these items from being carried inside the house. These rugs and mats also help prevent pesticides and chemicals from entering the house through shoes.

Hiking shoes, athletic shoes, stilettos, and other form of footwear with pointed heels and spikes may also scratch the wooden floor and cause damage. If it can be avoided, these should not be worn inside the house.

For a more convenient and professional cleaning of a hardwood floor, you may seek the services of experts. Most companies offering installation services offer maintenance jobs too. If you can’t hire them regularly, at least do so periodically, most especially right after the winter months.

If you are an environmental enthusiast, then you will probably not want to use products that are toxic and harmful to environment. Wood cleaning products contain chemicals that go into waste water, which if drained untreated into rivers, lakes and seas will irreversibly harm aquatic life, and indirectly effect human beings and animals that depend on aquatic food. There are also other chemicals in these cleaning products that are volatile and escape into the atmosphere, affecting indoor air quality and are one of the causes of lung diseases.

For the aforementioned reasons, you may think that you should also do your part in preserving and protecting the environment from further damage. Going green, as it is called, will give you an inner feeling of contentment and satisfaction. You will find that there are remarkable natural substitutes to wood cleaning products.

Cleaning wood floors

Cleaning wood floors is not such a difficult task. You need to vacuum or sweep the floors daily so that dust does not accumulate anywhere and lead to permanent grime. If you want to mop the floor, then use very little water for doing so because moisture spoils the wood.

Natural wood floor cleaners

Vinegar, a must present kitchen item, is the most inexpensive wood cleaner, and an effective one too. Just mix equal amounts of vinegar and water and then use this mixture to mop the floor. Take care that you do not use vinegar for cleaning directly without dilution with water, because vinegar, being acidic in nature can cause a bit of discoloration to the wood.

Vinegar is not only a frugal method for cleaning hardwood floors; it is also laboratory tested to help in killing bacteria, viruses, and molds. So use any housewife’s best cleaning recipe – vinegar, if you want to sanitize your floors and keep them shining clean as well.

Vinegar mixed with a small quantity of olive oil or vegetable oil can be also used as a wood cleaner. The use of olive oil or vegetable oil replenishes the luster and shine of the wood floor. But do not use a great quantity of oil because these liquid items can cause the wood varnish or polish to wear off.

Surprising as it sounds, tea that has been brewed strongly can also be used as a wood cleaner. Tea will help give an extra shine to your floor.

Specially manufactured natural wood floor cleaning products are also offered in the market such as Natural Oils and Earth friendly Products. These products are non-toxic and are biodegradable, so they will not cause permanent damage to the entire ecosystem including aquatic life and the atmosphere.

The use of natural wood floor cleaning products will also serve the purpose of keeping your floors unsoiled and shiny. On the other hand, think that by doing so you are saving a living being’s life even if the tiniest fish. Remember that little drops make the mighty ocean. Your step may seem very minuscule in saving the ecosystem but at least you are doing your own part to help!

A lot of people prefer wooden flooring for one or more rooms in their homes. Wood flooring possess an elegance of its own, something which normal tiles and carpeted floors cannot offer. But your wood floor will require more care than tiles and carpets would, because, wood being organic in nature, is susceptible to damage by moisture, dust, termites etc. But with a little care and maintenance, you can keep your wooden flooring sparkling clean and unsoiled!

Type of wood flooring at home

First of all you should know what type of wood flooring you have in your home. Is it real wood or is it laminated? Laminated wood is the synthetic type, it is not actually wood but tiles that give the appearance and texture of wood. When buying a product for wood floor cleaning, be very sure to look if it is meant for real wood or laminated floor.

Wood floor cleaning products

Second, remember that the finishing on the top of your wooden flooring will determine what type of cleaning product you should use. You will certainly not want the cleaning product to discolor your flooring! For that, you must follow any guidelines provided by the company which had installed the wood flooring for you and use cleaning products they have recommended. If you have installed the flooring on your own, you can use various products readily available over the market. There are multipurpose cleaning products that can be applied on all kinds of hardwood floors. Most of which are relatively safe to use. Some of these products include Bonakemi Hardwood cleaner, Swift Water jet and Clorox Ready-Mop.

Murphy’s oil soap is also a very popular brand of wood floor cleaning. It is normally safe to use for all types of wood flooring. This product does not contain ingredients that will damage wood such as bleach or oil. Armstrong Cleaner, another popular brand can be used for both real and laminated wood. Regardless of the brand you use, you should first read the ‘How to Use’ section on the label for basic instructions.

Natural wood floor cleaning

If you want to clean your wood floors by a non-toxic and eco-friendly product, then you can use vinegar for that purpose. Mix equal amounts of vinegar and water and use them to mop the floor. Vinegar is also an inexpensive cleaner clinically known to greatly help in killing viruses, bacteria and molds.

Wood flooring require a lot of care even if you regularly use the recommended products for wood floor cleaning. You will need to regularly sweep your floors, immediately wipe off liquid spills, and protect the floor from direct sunlight by using curtains or blinds. Do not allow water to stay on the floor for an extended period of time. As for the cleaning products you use, make sure that none of them contain ammonia, oil, bleach, and powerful detergents. In case you really need to use these synthetic cleaning products, have it limited to no more than twice or thrice every week.

Wood flooring, despite all its timeless elegance and beauty, does not always remain in the same condition as it was the first time it was installed, especially if they are not given the proper care and maintenance.

Wood floors lose their color after some time, especially if they are directly exposed to forces of nature such as strong sunlight and humidity. When you feel that the wood floor in your room is not looking very fetching and it has been damaged to some extent by elements of nature or scratches from shoes, furniture etc., then you can hire professional wood floor cleaning services to bring its luster and shine back.

It is not very easy to do a DIY job on a revamp of your wood floor especially if it has too many scratches or permanent damage. Hiring a professional wood floor cleaning service will save up your time and effort and give you better results too. If it’s possible, do not wait for your wood floor to acquire permanent damage. So hiring a professional cleaning service twice or thrice a year will benefit your floor the most.

Hiring professional wood flooring cleaning service

If you are looking to hire a professional wood floor cleaning service, then you will need to search for such a service that is present locally. You can look up information through newspapers and also on the Internet. Get information about the background of the service you are going to hire or solicit the opinion of people who had hired this service before. Also, compare the rates of different services and check out for special offers so you can take advantage of them. Make sure that they offer cleaning services for the type of floor installed in your home too.

You may be wondering what an expert wood floor cleaning service does which you can not be able to do yourself. First, the equipment utilized by a cleaning service is definitely better than what you have at home. They also follow a more systematic way of cleaning your home floor. These are some the steps:
• Carefully removing all furniture and furnishings from the room.
• Vacuuming using a powerful vacuum cleaner that removes all the accumulated dust.
• Cleaning scratches.
• Filling cracks with a filler that is of the same color as the wood flooring.
• A final finishing touch is given at the end that will preserve and protect the floor from future damage.

Regular cleaning ought to maintain the luster of your wood floor. But despite your best efforts, after a few years some or other damages will be noticeable. For this reason, you can hire a professional cleaning service that will also refinish the floor if required.

If you want to be on the safer side, take extra precautions such as keeping a mat on the entrance of the room so that everyone’s dirty feet do not spoil the floor. You may also keep a safety pad underneath furniture such as sofas and chairs. Make sure to take extra care in wiping out water and spills immediately. This way you can increase the longevity and durability of your wood floor.

Cleaning of hardwood floors is a task that most people would agree to hand over to professional and pay money rather than getting into it themselves. But if you at it, cleaning hardwood floor is actually not something extremely difficult but something that requires immense amount of care and a lot of special techniques.

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Your house is a representation of your life. Everybody wants to have a clean, comfortable, and good looking place that they can call home and show off to people. Wood flooring is quite common for home décor and is usually applied for most homes. However, it requires immense amount of care in order for it to last for years and generations to come.

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If you are thinking of installing a hardwood floor at your home, then do not ponder upon the idea too much, just go ahead with it! Wood flooring has is never out of fashion and more and more people are installing hardwood floors at their homes. This is due to various benefits associated with installing a hardwood floor. Here’s a few of them:

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