Hardwood Floor Experts Lane

If you are worried about how to clean your hardwood floors, you should feel at ease as this article will help you through the cleaning process of your floors in a very proper way.

Hard wood, which are solid and wooden, tend to be easier to clean. If you take proper care of its maintenance, that increases its life and also its overall appearance. Grit and Dirt are the nemesis of a hardwood floor and create scratches and dents. They also dull the finishing of the smooth surface. Keeping this in mind, you need to follow a daily procedure which will keep the floor clean and long lasting.

Before deciding on how to actually begin cleaning the hardwood floor, it is important to check the condition of the floor. Do you find it scratched in parts, or scraped or chipped? Is the finish dull? If you discover that the finishing is damaged then make sure to never use water on it, as the wood will meet further damage upon coming in contact with water. However, if the finishing is in a good condition than the floor can be washed with a damp mop.

Waxing is also a good option for your this kind of floors. If you have water blot on your waxed finished flooring than take a steel wool, drench it in water and then rub on these stains to remove them. For cigarette burns, you should use a mild soap.

When cleaning the hardwood with polyurethane finish, you should first remove all the furniture and rugs which are kept in the room. Then clean the room with a broom or Vacuum the floor. After that soak a mop in soapy water and rub the floor with it followed by a scrubbing of fresh water. Clean the floor with a clean towel till it’s dry. When using water on the floor, you should make sure that it does not go into the joints of the wooden floors.

Besides cleaning the actual hardwood surfaces, it is essential that you make it a routine to follow the dos and don’ts to help preventing the floors getting dirty.

It is important to keep floor mats on all the doorways leading inside the house; this will protect the dirt going on to the flooring. It is very important to use only neutral pH cleaners on the hardwood flooring. When vacuuming the floor, you must use a brush attached to it.

For dust you should use dust mops and floors should be swept regularly. Discoloring will occur when the floor is exposed to direct sunlight. Use blinds, curtains and drapes for blocking the sunlight. Never drag your furniture over a hardwood floor. It is also essential to put some sort of protection on the legs of the furniture to avoid the floor being scratched. The one thing which causes the maximum damage to the wood is water, which should never be left spilled on the floor.

All you need to do is follow this procedure repeatedly and you will have beautiful floors for ever.

A majority of American families have welcomed pets into their hearts and homes. No matter how cherished a pet may be, it still needs to be trained to use a litter box or go outside when the urge prompts. Regardless of how well trained your pet is, there will still be occasional mishaps. If you’re in the habit of leaving your pet home alone for long hours, or if you have an older pet, the inevitable is bound to happen.

For people who have hardwood floors, this can present a real problem. You’ve probably learned that if your pet has an accident, you’re going to end up with a stain on your hardwood floor that is going to be difficult to get rid of. Relax! Pet stains can be removed from hardwood floors. By getting a few special tools together, you’ll be able to remove a fresh stain quite easily. Older stains will take a little more work, but they, too, can be removed with a little effort. Before beginning, always remember to test your stain removal method on an out of sight piece of flooring to make sure you won’t cause any damage.

Most pets have the instinct to mark out their territory within your home. This is especially true if you have old pet stains which your new pet will be able to smell. Your new pet will want to leave his mark on top of any old pet stains to establish that the territory now belongs to him. Any time you remove a pet stain, be it fresh or old, you need to get rid of all the odors that will attract your current pet’s territorial instincts.

Removing Fresh Pet Stains

Since fresh pet stains will not have soaked into the floor yet, they are easy to remove. To take care of pet stains when they first happen, you’ll want to keep the following items on hand: paper towels, white vinegar, warm water, and a product that contains bacteria and enzymes which will eliminate both the stain and the odor from the area. When shopping for this product, read the label carefully to determine if it was formulated for use on a hardwood floor. Some of the stronger products on the market will actually damage your floor, so make sure you avoid them.

When a pet stain happens, grab your materials (you may want to keep them all assembled in a small pail), and use the following method to eradicate the stain and odor:

* Use a paper towel to blot away any standing urine.

* Scrub the stain with white vinegar which will help eliminate both stain and odor.

* Use the warm water to rinse the stained area.

* Once again, blot up any liquid using paper towels. You want to dry the area quickly and thoroughly so that you don’t incur any water damage. If you leave water standing for too long, you may begin to see some warping.

* Use the stain and odor removal product you purchased to treat the area. By doing so you’ll lessen the chances that your pet will find the area attractive again in the future.

Eradicating Old Pet Stains

If you have stains that have been around long enough to have soaked down into the wood and sub-flooring, you will need to sand down into the stain in order to determine how deep the damage went. If you find that the stain is gone after just a bit of sanding, you will probably be able to refinish just that area. If the damage is too deep and too extensive, however, you’ll have to take out that section of the flooring and then possibly need to refinish the entire floor.

Stains that have been left for long periods of time will have left odors that eventually permeated the wood and the sub-flooring. You can often treat these areas with commercial bleach, but if you do that, protect your skin with rubber gloves, and make sure you know what you’re doing. If it comes down to the fact that you’re going to have to sand and resurface the whole floor, use a shellac-based primer which will give you the results you’re looking for.

Hardwood floors are the latest trend in many modern houses today. Rather than looking ancient, these type of flooring fits perfectly with many modern furniture and fixtures.

It is true that they look luxurious and elegant that will accentuate the beauty of your home’s interior. But you have to take extra care in maintaining its quality look. Simply cleaning them with common household tools and methods might ruin it rather than maintaining its quality. Here are some tips to get your started.

Use Hardwood-Friendly Cleaning Agents

One tip is to avoid concentrated solutions in cleaning your hardwood floor. These chemicals can destroy the physical appearance of your hardwood by making them look worn and dull. In order to maintain the quality, use only prescribed pH solutions for it.

It’s advisable to wipe them dry after you apply these cleaning agents. When applied on your flooring, they can give it the necessary shine that the hardwood is famous of. But if you leave them there long enough, they will easy corrode into the material and cause irreversible damage.

Use Soft Materials Only

It is very important to use soft materials when cleaning your hardwood floor to avoid scratches and abrasions. Avoid using straw brooms but use soft-bristled ones instead. You may also want to use vacuum cleaners first before sweeping the floor to remove the heavy dirt and grime, and leaving the rest to be swept off. Use soft-bristled attachments on your vacuum cleaner too, just in case!

When using cleaning agents, it’s advisable to use damp mops with soft heads or sponges. If you are using cloths, go for cotton instead of other materials. You might want to shake of excess solid particles as an extra precaution. You should mop your floor daily to keep it shiny and beautiful. Note, however, that wet mops can cause damage instead of cleaning them. Only slightly dampen your mops to avoid unnecessary moisture.

Never Leave Stain

Like marble, liquid stains are one of the enemies of your hardwood floor. Spillage of acidic substances like vinegar, alcohol, and wine can greatly damage your floor, far worse than water stains. If left unchecked, it can cause spots and splotches that will be almost impossible to remove. Make sure that you mop them up quickly before they do any damage.

Hardwood floors are expensive and can greatly increase the value of your home; but they can be very sensitive to external causes that can be a threat to its overall quality. Following these tips above can greatly reduce the risk of such problems ever occurring on your precious floor.