Regular Care Tips for Your Hardwood Floors
You chose a home or apartment with hardwood floors or have installed or refinished your hardwood floors not just for aesthetic reasons but also for reasons that have to do with cleanliness and “ease of care.” How can you keep your hardwood floors looking their best – without exerting more energy than you absolutely must?
Consider these crucial tips:
1. Protect the floors from sun damage
Depending on the angle at which sunlight strikes your floors, discoloration can occur over periods of time. Consider installing blinds or shades to prevent long-term discoloration.
2. Clean the floors appropriately – with good tools
If you plan to vacuum the floors, get a canister bag vacuum that has a special attachment built specifically for bare floors. Otherwise, you could scrape and scour the floor and ruin the finish. When you sweep, use brooms that have what are known as “exploded” fine ends — these are superior for collecting grime, dust, and dirt. Dust mops can also be hugely helpful – particularly if you want to get under appliances or sectional couches and cabinets. Some experts believe that it’s best to spray your mop head with a special dust treatment a day or so before you sweep.
3. “Prophylaxis”
As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. Go on offense against elements that might nick, discolor, scratch, serrate or otherwise goop-up your hardwood floors. If you have cats or dogs, trim their nails regularly. If you wear high-heeled shoes – or your teenage daughters and their friends do – insist on “no shoes” on the hardwood floors. You may want to use rubber mats,area rugs, or throw rugs to cover “high traffic” areas. If you spill, mop up the liquid ASAP, so it doesn’t stain, cause discolorations, and/or create sticky areas. Water can also warp wood and lead to mold. Note any insect infestations. For instance, if you see termites or ants parading around your house or apartment, connect with an exterminator ASAP.
4. Regular maintenance
No matter how hard you work to protect your floor from dents, scratches from heavy furniture,spills, and the buildup of grit and sand between the floor boards, life is life, and your hardwood floors will take a beating if you use your home regularly. Even if you don’t, the accumulation of dust, mites, and other environmental factors will wear down your floors, discolor them, warp thewood, et cetera.To fight back, calendar in regular and periodic maintenance. The team at Elegant Floors has been helping homeowners and business owners in SantaClara County(Mountain View, Palo Alto, Los Gatos, Belmont, San Jose, and Bay Area Peninsula) for two decades. Elegant Floors is a Diamond Certified Company, and we belong to the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), a non-profit group that represents reputable companies in the hardwood flooring industry. We install, refinish and provide dust free sanding for your hardwood floors please contact us for an estimate and/or more info. www.elegant-floors.com 650-961-1339 or . If you need carpet, rug, upholstery, or tile & grout care contact the experts at Elegant Thread www.eleganttthread.com
