How to Care for and Maintain Hardwood Floors

Daily dusting is one of the easiest, most underrated ways to keep hardwood floors clean. Dusting helps prevent scratches and extends the beauty and life of your floor. Daily dust mopping can also significantly reduce allergens in the home. A microfiber duster can be very effective. Microfiber has a static charge that attracts dust and allergens. It also has small fibers that reach into floor pores to lift dirt more effectively.

Sweeping isn’t the best method for dusting hardwood floors because it spreads the dust around the floor and into the air. If you choose to sweep, use a broom with angled soft bristles and sweep with the grain.

Over time, debris builds up on hardwood floors, so you need to clean them on a regular basis. However, there's a right way and a wrong way to clean floors. Don’t use a mop and water. Too much liquid can damage floors. Use a cleaner recommended by your flooring manufacturer, such as one formulated for the wood and finish. The wrong cleaner may not work or may cause damage. Look for pH-neutral, non-abrasive, nontoxic and biodegradable formulas. Avoid vinegar, since it can eat away at the finish, even when diluted with water. Your flooring manufacturer might recommend avoiding other types of cleaners, such as ammonia products and oil soaps, as well, so check your product care instructions. When cleaning, use a washable microfiber pad to remove bacteria and keep waste out of landfills.

Polishing restores the shine of your wood floors. Before polishing, dust the floor to remove loose debris. You may also want to follow up with vacuuming to make sure you pick up all the dirt and dust. Just make sure the vacuum is set for hard surfaces. Avoid cleaning heads with beater bars. You can restore luster and get your hardwood floors to shine by using water-based polishes every two to three months. These polishes won’t leave a residue or emit harmful toxins, but they prevent overcleaning and stripping. Durable, urethane-based polishes also make a wood floor shine. They have fast dry times, leave no waxy buildup and create a protective wear layer to fill in micro-scratches, evening out the appearance of the floor.

If suitable, refinishing hardwood flooring restores the wood to its original shine and appearance. The age of the floor and the thickness are factors in whether refinishing is a good idea. For example, with hardwood floors that are only 1/4-inch thick, refinishing could do more harm than good by stripping away the entire floor. Generally speaking, refinishing only needs to be done once every seven to 10 years.

• Avoid using soap-based cleaners, wax and steam cleaners on your hardwood floor. Over time, soap and wax leave residue. Steam cleaners put heat and excessive moisture on your floor, which can lead to cupping and long-term damage.
• Place rug pads with a waffle pattern under rugs in entryways or high-traffic areas. Make sure the pads are suitable for hardwood floors.
• Use felt furniture floor protectors, furniture coasters and chair leg floor protectors to cut down on scrapes and scuffs. Just make sure they’re designed for use on hardwood floors.
• Avoid walking on the floor with high heels. They can cause scratches or gouges in hardwood.
• Use the proper tools to clean your floor: a mop with a machine-washable microfiber pad for dusting and cleaning. Avoid string mops — these put excessive amounts of water on the floor, which can be damaging, and just push dirt around instead of picking it up and removing it.
• Wipe up all spills immediately to avoid permanent stains.
• Keep pet nails trimmed.
• Maintain a comfortable temperature with no humidity extremes.
• Avoid using oil-based polish, which not only dulls the wood’s finish but can also make the floor slippery.