Carpet and wood have long been popular choices for flooring, and both have their pros and cons. In particular, hardwood floors are renowned for their durability, warm appearance, and on-trend aesthetic, but as with anything, to maintain its appearance, a hardwood floor needs proper care.
- Popular flooring choices include wood and carpet.
- Hardwood floors are considered to be durable, warm in appearance, and stylish.
- To maintain its appearance, a wooden floor requires care.
Although hardwood floors are a popular and appealing choice for flooring, they can also be quite expensive to install or renovate. Because they don’t respond well to being saturated with water, it’s important to take care of them properly to protect and maintain their appearance and avoid any warping or discolouration.
Nevertheless, soap and water is a common approach to cleaning wooden flooring so it’s worth knowing how to do it properly.
According to the professionals, the trick is to use a minimal amount of water, and make sure that the drying technique is correct and thorough because if any water is left standing on wooden flooring it is likely to sink into gaps and grooves which may then cause the planks to warp.
Firstly, as there are various different types of hardwood flooring available, it’s important to get the right cleaning product for the floor to be cleaned, and if there’s a choice, it may be worth avoiding high gloss finishes as they can lead sometimes lead to a residue build up.
Move furniture and rugs out of the way then sweep or vacuum the floor to be washed.
Read the instructions on the cleaning product to make sure it is used in the right proportion, with the right kind of mop – usually a soft one to avoid scratches – and in the right quantity, making sure that the mop is thoroughly wrung out so that it is damp, not wet.
If there are any marks or stains, it may be worth trying to work on them specifically using a microfibre cloth, avoiding over wetting the area and always being mindful of the product instructions.
Finally, make sure that the floor is completely dry using a dry cloth or mop once the mopping is complete, to avoid stains or risk of swelling or warping, and repeat the process weekly if possible, just to keep on top of it.
If using water and a dedicated product isn’t an option, try wiping the hardwood down with a damp cloth to clean then rubbing with another clean dry cloth to buff.
Of course, it may also be worth calling in a professional cleaning company who provide hard floor cleaning and maintenance every now and then to help keep beautiful hardwood floors in pristine condition.
