Keeping Wood Healthy
Properly finished wood floors are without a doubt the easiest of all floor surfaces to keep clean and looking good.
Keep grit off the floor. Use walk-off mats at all exterior doors to help prevent dirt, grit, and sand from getting on your wood. Throw-rugs or small sections of carpet just inside the entrances are also recommended.
In addition, we recommend the following for maintaining your wood floors:
- Vacuum frequently to keep abrasive dirt to a minimum.
- In kitchens, use area rugs at high-spill locations and at work stations such as the stove, sink, and refrigerator.
- Avoid ultraviolet light damage to finishes by installing window tinting or draping large windows.
- Put fabric glides on the legs of your furniture to prevent scratching and scuffing when the furniture is moved.
- Wipe up spills immediately and then wipe dry.
- Clean using a not-very-damp mop and an oil soap solution, then wipe the floor dry immediately.
If a floor is waxed, occasional buffing helps renew the shine and remove scuffmarks that may appear in the wax coating. If the shine can't be renewed in heavily used lanes, occasionally re-waxing these areas may be necessary. Intervals for completely re-waxing a floor may extend to a year or longer when attention has been paid to proper care.
