Hardwood floors enhance just about any room but can become dull and dirty over time just like carpet.
Just as professional carpet cleaning can refresh and renew your carpets, having your hardwood floors cleaned and maintained professionally can dramatically improve their appearance and bring back the original luster.
How, though, can you best take care of your hardwood floors on a daily basis? Here are some cleaning and maintenance tips to keep your floors looking their best.
Routine cleaning
First, determine the finish of your floors because the finish, not the wood, makes a difference in how you’ll care for your floors and the cleaning solutions you’ll use.
If you’re not sure what kind of finish you have, rub your finger across the floor. If there is no smudge, the floor is surface-sealed; if there is a smudge, the floor has been treated with a penetrating seal. Surface-sealed and penetrating seals need to be cleaned and treated differently from one another.
Most new wood floors are sealed with urethane, polyurethane or polyacrylic. These surface-sealed floors are stain-resistant and water damage-resistant and easy to clean by just sweeping and mopping.
Use floor cleaning products recommended by the floor finisher or make your own solution by adding a quarter cup of mild or pH-neutral soap (like liquid dishwashing soap) to a bucket of water.
Since water is wood’s worst enemy, be sure to wring the mop out completely then mop in the direction of the wood grain. When the cleaning solution is dirty, mix a new batch and continue mopping. Afterward, go over the entire surface with clean water to rinse.
For spot cleaning follow these simple steps:
- Scratch or scuff marks – use a bit of baking soda on a damp sponge
- Food, water, or grease stain – use a commercial cleaner
To preserve your hardwood floors, follow these three simple rules:
- Sweep or vacuum often, especially in high traffic areas. Ground-in dirt destroys wood floors. Placing a doormat at each entrance can eliminate a high percentage of dirt being tracked inside.
- Wipe up mud and spills immediately since wood is easily damaged by water.
- Choose carpeting wisely. Rug dyes have been known to stain floors and plastic backings may affect the wood finish. A carpet pad is recommended.
A word of advice…do not EVER use any kind of wax on your floors and recoating floors on your own is NOT recommended, nor is doing any kind of waxing. That’s a great way for a homeowner to ruin their floors if they are not perfectly clean first.
This is where Purity Cleaning and Restoration comes in!
Professional hardwood floor cleaning and maintenance by Purity dramatically improves the appearance of wood floors.
The deep cleaning process removes the toughest dirt and residue both safely and effectively for a fraction of the cost of repairing damaged floors which aren’t professionally maintained.
- The Intensive Cleaning process offered by Purity successfully eliminates dirt, dust, oil, and other contaminants and is low-odor, kid and pet-friendly, and quick drying.
- The Clean and Refinish process is completed without sanding and less VOC’s (volatile organic compounds) for less harmful fumes. Your floors will be refinished to a uniform sheen of gloss or satin and ready for use within 24 hours.
We use Dirt Dragon Floor Prep and Cleaning Machine and Basic Coatings commercial grade cleaners. Our process extracts hidden dirt deep within the boards of hardwood floors which will improve your air quality and circulation, as well as rejuvenate and extend the life of your floors.
Call Purity Cleaning and Restoration Services today at (406) 642-3545 for quality, state-of-the-art hardwood floor cleaning, refinishing, and maintenance.
Visit our website puritymontana.com for a complete list of the expert cleaning and restoration services we provide in the Bitterroot Valley area.