There’s no denying the beauty and warmth of gleaming hardwood, but if not properly cared for, it won’t take long before they start looking worn. The good news is, caring for the hardwood flooring in your Ottawa home is much easier than you might think with a few tips and tricks!
Prevention is your Best Start
Hardwood flooring is durable and long-lasting, but there are some conditions that can cause wear and damage that will age your floor prematurely. Here are some tips to prevent or at least this from happening:
- Ottawa winters can wreak havoc in entry ways. Lay down good mats or better yet, a separate location to remove outerwear to protect your flooring from water and salt.
2. Lay down an area rug or cushioned mat in children’s play areas to limit dents and scratches from heavy play activity.
4. Use runners for particularly high traffic areas such as hallways and in your cooking areas.
5. Place protective pads under furniture legs to avoid scratches when moving heavy pieces.
Frequent Light Maintenance Makes for Easy Care!
To maintain the beauty of your hardwood flooring, you should keep them as dust and debris free as possible. This may seem like a lot of work, but a great tip is to use a dust mop or disposable sweeper cloths and a light spray of dusting spray. If you prefer vacuuming over sweeping, use the floor attachment and do a quick pass daily or as often as needed. Investing a little time frequently will save you from having to do deeper cleaning as often and will ensure that dust and other little particles aren’t ground into the finish of your hardwood floors.
Tips for a Deeper Clean
Over time, your hardwood flooring can accumulate a build up of grease, grime and other dirt and a deep cleaning is needed to refresh them. It’s very important that you don’t use harsh chemicals on your floors as they can dull the finish or cause it to yellow; neither of which are desired outcomes. Simply use a cleaner designed for hardwoods, diluted per spec on the product label. Use a soft mop that is dipped into the solution then rung very well. The idea is to damp mop rather than slather the water. If there are any drips or streaks of water, be sure to wipe them up right away. If it’s a particularly humid day, you might consider using your air condition or ceiling fan to help the floors dry faster.
That’s all there is to keeping the hardwood flooring in your home looking its best. Many people fear they are high maintenance, but with a few little tips and tricks, they’ll stand up to your Ottawa family’s use for generations to come!
Visit StoneSense in Ottawa to see our beautiful selections of exotic hardwood flooring or engineered hardwoods, or contact us today and let us know how we can help.