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Tips to Keep Your Hardwood Floors Looking Like New

Jun 26, 2015

Hardwood is one of the most durable and desirable floor coverings on the market today. It adds class and elegance to any space, is easy to install, adds value to your home and can be refinished to restore its original beauty. However, hardwood is not entirely free of maintenance, and if you want to keep it looking like new, you would need to make a conscious effort. From our Eldersburg hardwood cleaning experts to your home: follow these handy tips to make your hardwood’s lifespan and beauty last.

How Hardwood Gets Damaged

If you want to keep your floors looking like new, you need to focus on preventing potential damage. Hardwood flooring, although it seems tough and has the word “hard” in the name, isn’t that invincible in reality. In fact, it’s very easy to damage hardwood or cause it to age prematurely. Here are some of the common types of damage hardwood floors may suffer:

• Dents and scratches
• Water damage
• Discoloration
• Dullness

Preventing Hardwood Damage

Preventing all of the above types of damage takes some time, some planning and some effort. Most of us are so busy and caught up in our daily chores, caring for hardwood is the last thing on our minds. Meanwhile, if you don’t take any preventive measures, you will have to refinish or replace your hardwood at some point, as it will become unattractive very fast. To avoid this, follow these tips and set some rules in your home, so that all family members are on the same page.

Dents and Scratches

• Don’t wear shoes with pointy heals on the hardwood.
• Use protective pads underneath the legs of the furniture.
• Never slide the furniture across the hardwood floor unless you have moving pads or carpet underneath.
• Trim your pets’ nails regularly.
• Place your décor securely in the areas where it’s unlikely to fall and leave a dent.

Water Damage

• Fix any leaks promptly while they are small.
• Don’t use too much water when mopping the floors—the mop should be damp but not dripping.
• Wipe any spills as soon as possible.

Discoloration

• Clean up pet accidents as they happen.
• Keep the curtains closed during the day to prevent the finish from fading under the sun.
• Only use cleaning products that are safe for your type of flooring and finish.

Dullness

Dullness is typically the result of tiny scratches on your floor’s finish. These scratches are caused by friction between the hardwood and tiny sand and dust particles. It’s unrealistic to keep sand and dust out of your home completely, but you can take steps to reduce the amount by:

• Placing door mats inside and outside of the main entrances.
• Placing area rugs or carpet runners in high-traffic areas, such as stairs and hallways.
• Removing your shoes at the door and switching to slippers/flip-flops if you don’t like to walk barefoot.
• Using a shoe tray to keep shoes off the hardwood, especially if you returned from a walk in the snow or sand.
• Wiping off your dog’s wet feet after a walk in the rain.
• Regularly sweeping or vacuuming your hardwood floors to remove accumulated dust and sand.
• Mopping your hardwood occasionally to remove dirt and grime.
• Having your hardwood professionally cleaned at least once a year.

What to Do if Damage Happens

If despite all of the precautions you took your hardwood still suffers damage, contact our Maryland hardwood cleaning and refinishing professionals at Kent Clean. We will evaluate the condition of your flooring, perform a thorough cleaning, repair dents and scratches, and even refinish your flooring if the damage is too far deep in the wood’s surface.

Give us a call or contact online for a free quote!

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