If you have added hardwood flooring to your home you are probably wondering how you can extend the life of your new investment. Hardwood flooring is a beautiful addition to any home and with the right care you really can add years of life to your flooring. Hardwood is durable and can withstand pets and children with the right precautions. There are a lot of dos and don’ts for protecting and maintaining hardwood flooring that we will go over.

Hardwood Flooring Dos

1 Add doormat and rugs to your floor. Entry ways are an area that gets a lot of foot traffic and shoes often bring in dirt and sand that can wear through your flooring finish much faster. Door mats and rugs are a great way to catch dirt and debris before it makes its way onto your hardwood flooring. This debris acts as sandpaper under your feet and shoes wearing away your precious finish coat. Doormats on both inside and outside of your home are a great way to knock down the amount of debris being brought in, area rugs in entryways and in long hallways help to prevent damage to the flooring in high traffic spaces.

2. Sweep or vacuum your floor daily. Sweeping with a duster, swiffer, broom or vacuum is a great way to remove dirt from your floor. Make sure the vacuum you use does not have an abrasive bristle setting that may damage the finish. Keeping the floor debris free ensures the finish will last for years and years to come.
3. Mop the floors regularly. A weekly or biweekly mopping is a great way to protect your floor even more. A lightly dampened mop and a spray bottle are all you need to mop real wood flooring. We recommend a microfiber mop system to ensure not too much moisture is introduced to the floor but enough to remove dirt from the surface.
4. Have your floors buffed and coated regularly. A maintenance coat done every year to three years depending on your lifestyle is a great way to protect your hardwood flooring and keep it beautiful for years and years to come.
5. Finally, have the floor refinished on an appropriate schedule. Refinishing is a great way to revitalize your hardwood flooring and give it a new lease on life. This process involves sanding the word flooring and removing scratching and debris and then adding a fresh coat of finish. Most floors can be refinished up to five times.

Hardwood Flooring Don’ts

1. Don’t use abrasive cleaners. Ammonia and alkaline cleaners can dull the finish. Vinegar and lemon juice are popular and homemade flooring cleaners but can damage the finish coat on wood flooring. Oil base cleaners are also to be avoided because they can cause a slippery surface & possibly need refinishing.
2. Adding too much water to the flooring. Regarding mopping, you do not want to wet mop a wood floor. Microfiber mops are the only way to go, steam mops and wet mops are not a good option.  Adding moisture through other ways like leaving wet towels on the floor and not cleaning up spills or pet stains can prematurely damage your floor. Too much liquid can cause the floor to discolor and buckle. Do not saturate the floor when mopping and make sure to wipe up any spills quickly.
3. Do you not vacuum with brushes when you can avoid it. Some vacuum brushes can be too tough and cause premature damage. The bristles may be abrasive and eat through the finish. Some vacuums have an option to turn off the rotating brushes to protect your wood flooring.
4. Forgetting to follow the list of dos. Proper cleaning, mats, and other preventative measures are truly vital to protecting your flooring. You would be surprised how quickly a floor can dull when not cared for properly.

If you utilize our list of dos and don’ts your hardwood flooring will be beautiful for years to come. Protecting your hardwood investment through proper flooring maintenance is a great way to get the most bang for your buck. Hardwood flooring can be expensive so protecting it is a great way to ensure your investment is worthwhile.