18Sep 2014

Hardwood flooring is one of the most beautiful, most popular and also most expensive kinds of flooring options in the market today. Hardwood flooring has a subtle natural sheen to it that immediately makes its surroundings look sophisticated and elegant. It’s no surprise then that hardwood floors are in such great demand. If you take good care of wooden floors, they can look absolutely stunning for years. The tricky part about having wooden floors installed in the house is that they need regular maintenance and very particular cleaning products and techniques because even the slightest spots or traces of dirt will show up glaringly. However, with some effort and our advice on keeping hardwood floors clean, you should be able to do just great!To begin with, you can always hire a cleaning agency to take care of your wooden floors. If you don’t have the time to clean yourself or you do not want to take a risk with cleaning solutions and products on your own, hiring professional cleaners can take the load off your shoulders. However, if that is an investment you cannot afford at the time or you just want to know how to do some regular cleaning on you own, read on to find out more.Never use water and damp cloth to wipe wooden floors. Wooden floors are sealed with a wax treatment that is not waterproof, and wood can end up absorbing water and cracking as a result. If you must use some water to wipe off the floors, use minimal amounts. You should barely dampen a cleaning sponge so that it is enough moisture to mop the surface but not enough to get soaked in. Any dirt or stains you might want to clean should be tackled with a moistened cloth and not one soaked in water. Vacuum cleaners are great for wooden floors because they can quickly and efficiently pick up most dirt, dust, debris, pet hairs and fibres. Vacuum cleaners also extract dirt from in between the floorboards, corners and any natural grooves in the flooring. Home cleaning pros recommend vacuuming hardwood floors once a week to keep them clean and germ-free. If you are using cleaning solutions for wooden floors, cleaning contractors advise against using alkaline, ammonia and oil-based cleaning agents. The first two can strip hardwood floors of their shine and lustre, while oil traces make it hard to re-varnish the surface, making it hard to maintain it in the long run. Oil deposits are also a health and safety hazard, because they end up making hardwood floors slick and can cause accidents. When you’re purchasing cleaning agents, make sure you buy something that is specifically intended for use on hardwood floors. If you’re paying for cleaning services, the professionals will take care of scuffmarks and the suchlike on their own. However, if you are tempted to clean them on your own, use industry-grade cleaning agents and polish. While vinegar solutions work well on tiles and vinyl floors, they’re ill advised for hardwood flooring. The most important piece of advice that any cleaning agency will share with you is to engage in frequent cleaning. Whether it is weekly vacuuming or a biannual buffing and waxing by professional cleaning companies, you should make it a point to look after your hardwood floors. Proper maintenance will prevent damage and maintain colour and lustre, which is important because once the damage starts to show through on hardwood floors it usually means it’s time to repair or replace the flooring.

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