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 Hardwood
floor protection is essential to maintaining your floors
but doing it correctly is the difference between preserving
them and ruining them. The problem that most people
face is simply knowing what to do to take care of their
floors. The fundamentals of learning this though, are
quite simple. You will find a wide range of advice out
there. The best way to tell what the right advice is
and what isn't is simply to know your product.
It starts at the point of choosing
the proper flooring for your home. When maintenance
is an issue for you, it can be wise to simply purchase
the flooring types that allow for the most flexibility
in this. The harder to maintain floors will require
not only time and energy to do the upkeep often times
will encompass a substantial budget.
 Hardwood
floor care is not difficult. Before we tell you one
way to do the cleaning or another it is important that
we make a note here about your flooring type. It is
essential to use the directions for floor care provided
by your hardwood
floor manufacturer. If they tell you not to use
chemicals on the floor, it is because the chemicals
will breakdown the protective coatings on the hardwoods.
This then leads to additional problems. So, the best
advice to give you is to use the instruction provided
to you by the manufacturer and/or installer of the flooring.
Here are some helpful hints to remember
and to follow with the use of hardwood floors.
- Custom hardwood floors require the most care.
In that we mean that it is especially important
to insure proper care of the flooring as you use
it. Again, you need to heed the directions provided
to you by the
installers and manufacturers
because each type of flooring is relatively different.
It is safe to say that most flooring will need simply
a dry mop to clean them.
- When it comes to those that wash hardwood floors,
it is important that you only use non abrasive products
as well as equipment. And, in most cases, a damp
mop is all it takes to clean the floors thoroughly.
- Hardwood floor cleaners are another type of cleaning
method that is misunderstood. On the market today
you will find many products claiming to be safe
to use on hardwood floors. That doesn't mean you
should use them. While you may want to use some
products to clean your floors, try to use the smallest
amounts. These chemicals can break down protective
coatings leaving your floors unprotected and often
times damaged.
- Lastly, many people believe they need to polish
unfinished hardwood floors. While you can do this,
it is important again to make sure that the type
of flooring you have can benefit from this type
of treatment. Always use the softest of materials
and be careful to follow directions properly.
Why all this fuss about cleaning hardwoods? The investment
that you put into your floors is more
than likely a big one. And, the proper upkeep of those
floors will keep them lasting years and years to come.
When you use materials to do this that will in the end
damage the protective coatings or will even remove them,
you will risk damage to the woods. This can be expensive
damage as well. It takes just a little time and a little
effort to clean hardwood floors properly. |
