03May2023
Cleaning and Maintaining Your Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors give a warm earthy feel to the entire house and can last for years if taken care of properly. Besides the visual aspect, wooden flooring is also gaining popularity across Perth because of its eco-friendly nature.
Unfortunately, wooden surfaces take a lot of wear and tear every season. Winter comes with snow, salt and ice; spring tends to accumulate dirt, rainy water, pollens, and summer adds on chlorine water. These can ruin the entire look and feel a few years after the installation. Bore water in a home can also cause harm to the wooden texture and swell it up.
That’s why you should regularly clean and maintain the hardwood floors using safe and quality cleaning products and proven methods.
Protect your hardwood from dust, dirt, spills and stubborn stains with the help of the following hardwood floor cleaning and maintenance guide.
Let’s Get Started!
Before cleaning, you should know the different types of hardwood flooring that can be installed to beautify your abode. Some of the most popular types are: 1. Solid Hardwood Flooring These are available in prefinished or unfinished pieces. It is one of the best options for a living room with heavy foot traffic. It is important to remember that solid hardwood reacts when there is a fluctuation in humidity. It expands and contracts depending on the moisture level. 2. Engineered Hardwood Floors The thin layers of solid wood are used and installed over wood or concrete. It offers replication of solid wood with an affordable upfront and installation cost. 3. Cork Flooring It is an environmentally-friendly hardwood flooring option as it is made from cork oak trees. Cork floors are crafted using the outer bark of the oak tree. It is warm, comfortable and super durable if maintained regularly. You can clean it using a dry or damp mop and remove stains and spills. Never immerse your cork flooring in water, as it can cause damage. Also, use pH-neutral cleaner to remove stubborn stains. 4. Bamboo Flooring These are durable and easy-to-maintain flooring options. Do not use soaps, ammonia-based cleaners and waxes that leave streaks behind. Be gentle and careful when cleaning. Professionals mop the hardwood floors after a thorough inspection when performing a quality vacate cleaning Perth and ensure tenants can pass the inspection without any hassle. 5. Parquet This is one of the most commonly used flooring options in square-foot tiles with square edges. These look beautiful and make your house looks stylish. You can mop it with warm water to keep the floors shiny and tidy all year round.
With proper care and regular cleaning, you can protect your beautiful flooring from damage, scratches, streaks, and dullness. Follow these tips and maintain your beautiful flooring for decades: 1. Treat Spills Immediately Don’t let food or beverage spills soak on the hardwood floor for too long. Wipe it up immediately using the right technique. Avoid using steam or wet mops as they will cause more damage and make your wood swell or shrink, especially solid hardwood floors, due to the fluctuation in moisture. It is good to reduce the humidity level to avoid gapping or cupping the wood. So, the best way to clean up spills immediately is using a dry or damp microfiber cloth. Tip: Install a humidifier and keep the temperature between 60 and 800 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 to 50 % humidity. 2. Remove Dust and Debris Daily It is imperative to have a no-shoes rule in your home to keep the heavy soil, dust and debris at bay. Besides this, regularly sweep and dust the surface to prevent heavy dust and debris from settling into the grain and floorboards. Regular dust can prevent bedroom allergies and keep your house clean and shiny. Firstly, clean the top of your room, such as a ceiling fan, walls, and windows and then move towards your carpets and floors. This will save you time and energy. 3. Vacuum Once a Week If you want to maintain the beauty of your hardwood floors for years, it is good to vacuum the surface weekly. This will help you remove pet hair, crumbs, dirt and debris you missed when sweeping the floor. Use a HEPA-filtered machine that can fetch 99.9 per cent germs and other allergens without leaving scratches behind. This keeps you away from viruses and diseases. 4. Never Use Abrasive Tools and Harsh Cleaners Rubbing the floor with a scrubbing tool can leave scratches behind. Using store-bought cleaners that contain ammonia, bleach, and other chemicals can also cause damage to your hardwood flooring, especially cork and bamboo ones. Instead, use eco-friendly alternatives that are safe and effective in removing stubborn stains and grime. 5. Re-Polish Every 3 Years Recoat or repolish your wood floors if they look dull and discoloured. You can hire a professional to apply a fresh coat of wood floor finish and make it look new again.
As mentioned above, do not use harsh cleaning products and excessive water when removing dark and stubborn stains from the floor. Instead, you can try out these hacks: 1. Remove Mild Stains with pH- Neutral Detergent You can prepare a natural pH neutral cleaner using dish wash detergent and water. Damp a clean cloth and wring out excess water before tackling stains and grime. Rub the surface gently until the stain disappears. 2. Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Pet Urine Mix ¼ cup of 3 per cent of hydrogen peroxide and warm water to prepare a solution. Soak a cloth and spot-clean the surface to remove stubborn stains and pet urine in no time. 3. Baking Soda For Sparkling look It can help you get rid of greasy and oily stains without causing any damage to the surface. Prepare a paste and apply it over the surface. Leave it for a few minutes and wipe it off with a damp cloth. For a detailed vacate cleaning Perth at the end of your tenancy, hire an experienced and reliable company in your area and secure your bond. Tip: Follow the guide to keep your floors clean with pets using safe and sound cleaning products.
5 Most Popular Types of Hardwood Flooring
Before cleaning, you should know the different types of hardwood flooring that can be installed to beautify your abode. Some of the most popular types are: 1. Solid Hardwood Flooring These are available in prefinished or unfinished pieces. It is one of the best options for a living room with heavy foot traffic. It is important to remember that solid hardwood reacts when there is a fluctuation in humidity. It expands and contracts depending on the moisture level. 2. Engineered Hardwood Floors The thin layers of solid wood are used and installed over wood or concrete. It offers replication of solid wood with an affordable upfront and installation cost. 3. Cork Flooring It is an environmentally-friendly hardwood flooring option as it is made from cork oak trees. Cork floors are crafted using the outer bark of the oak tree. It is warm, comfortable and super durable if maintained regularly. You can clean it using a dry or damp mop and remove stains and spills. Never immerse your cork flooring in water, as it can cause damage. Also, use pH-neutral cleaner to remove stubborn stains. 4. Bamboo Flooring These are durable and easy-to-maintain flooring options. Do not use soaps, ammonia-based cleaners and waxes that leave streaks behind. Be gentle and careful when cleaning. Professionals mop the hardwood floors after a thorough inspection when performing a quality vacate cleaning Perth and ensure tenants can pass the inspection without any hassle. 5. Parquet This is one of the most commonly used flooring options in square-foot tiles with square edges. These look beautiful and make your house looks stylish. You can mop it with warm water to keep the floors shiny and tidy all year round.
How to Clean and Maintain Hardwood floors?
With proper care and regular cleaning, you can protect your beautiful flooring from damage, scratches, streaks, and dullness. Follow these tips and maintain your beautiful flooring for decades: 1. Treat Spills Immediately Don’t let food or beverage spills soak on the hardwood floor for too long. Wipe it up immediately using the right technique. Avoid using steam or wet mops as they will cause more damage and make your wood swell or shrink, especially solid hardwood floors, due to the fluctuation in moisture. It is good to reduce the humidity level to avoid gapping or cupping the wood. So, the best way to clean up spills immediately is using a dry or damp microfiber cloth. Tip: Install a humidifier and keep the temperature between 60 and 800 degrees Fahrenheit, 30 to 50 % humidity. 2. Remove Dust and Debris Daily It is imperative to have a no-shoes rule in your home to keep the heavy soil, dust and debris at bay. Besides this, regularly sweep and dust the surface to prevent heavy dust and debris from settling into the grain and floorboards. Regular dust can prevent bedroom allergies and keep your house clean and shiny. Firstly, clean the top of your room, such as a ceiling fan, walls, and windows and then move towards your carpets and floors. This will save you time and energy. 3. Vacuum Once a Week If you want to maintain the beauty of your hardwood floors for years, it is good to vacuum the surface weekly. This will help you remove pet hair, crumbs, dirt and debris you missed when sweeping the floor. Use a HEPA-filtered machine that can fetch 99.9 per cent germs and other allergens without leaving scratches behind. This keeps you away from viruses and diseases. 4. Never Use Abrasive Tools and Harsh Cleaners Rubbing the floor with a scrubbing tool can leave scratches behind. Using store-bought cleaners that contain ammonia, bleach, and other chemicals can also cause damage to your hardwood flooring, especially cork and bamboo ones. Instead, use eco-friendly alternatives that are safe and effective in removing stubborn stains and grime. 5. Re-Polish Every 3 Years Recoat or repolish your wood floors if they look dull and discoloured. You can hire a professional to apply a fresh coat of wood floor finish and make it look new again.
How to Spot Clean Your Hardwood Floors?
As mentioned above, do not use harsh cleaning products and excessive water when removing dark and stubborn stains from the floor. Instead, you can try out these hacks: 1. Remove Mild Stains with pH- Neutral Detergent You can prepare a natural pH neutral cleaner using dish wash detergent and water. Damp a clean cloth and wring out excess water before tackling stains and grime. Rub the surface gently until the stain disappears. 2. Use Hydrogen Peroxide for Pet Urine Mix ¼ cup of 3 per cent of hydrogen peroxide and warm water to prepare a solution. Soak a cloth and spot-clean the surface to remove stubborn stains and pet urine in no time. 3. Baking Soda For Sparkling look It can help you get rid of greasy and oily stains without causing any damage to the surface. Prepare a paste and apply it over the surface. Leave it for a few minutes and wipe it off with a damp cloth. For a detailed vacate cleaning Perth at the end of your tenancy, hire an experienced and reliable company in your area and secure your bond. Tip: Follow the guide to keep your floors clean with pets using safe and sound cleaning products.
