Hardwood floors bring shine to your home. There are many different kinds of wood that change the appearance of your home. These durable fixtures evoke warm vibes from the dense forests that they originate from. The fresh scent of pine reminds us of the splendidness of winter when we tend to huddle by the fireplace with our families to reflect on warm memories or enjoy a comforting read. During busy times we may forget to clean our hardwood floors where the floor beneath us accumulates dust and grime, covering our pleasant memories and diminishing the natural shine of our homes. By the end of this article, you should be able to restore the magnificence of your home, by implementing proper cleaning techniques. You will glean valuable information on how to clean hardwood floors, repair damages, and take adequate care for hardwood floors.
Do it yourself!
On top of the layers that get between your home and the current state of disaster are the dust, pet hair, and other loose debris. Using the proper broom should remove this layer before implementing liquid solutions.
A more efficient way to remove the dust is to utilize a vacuum cleaner. Most vacuum cleaners should do the job with its powerful suction. But you also want to learn how to shine your hardwood floors. Once you have cleaned the flooring, you should pour a liquid solution to remove the dirt and grime that is plastered into the floor. You can use Pine-Sol to loosen up sticky substances and eliminate the mess completely with a mop. For those stubborn shoe marks, you may want to upgrade to a full strength Pine-Sol to remove the rubber sole stained floor. Make sure you rinse well with water since the liquid solution is toxic. After you have successfully restored the natural shine of the floor, you may want to add a waxing agent and rent out a waxing machine to add a pleasant glow.
How to care for hardwood floors using homemade materials
If you are allergic to hardwood cleaning products and fear the toxicity of some of the chemical added to the cleaning solutions, knowing how to care for your hardwood floors can cause some anxiety. Fear not, you can make your own natural homemade solution. Be wary, though, these methods may work for a floor that is routinely cleaned. If your floor has a thick layer of dust, then it may be a better option to use full strength solutions. Anyways, one option is Water and Vinegar. The acidity of the vinegar can cut through light grim which allows you to just mop up or use a scrubbing tool. However, vinegar has a pungent scent, so if you dislike the order; you can add essential oils to your solutions to bring out a fresh smell after you clean.
Sometimes water can damage delicate hardwood floors that do not have a coating. Vegetable oil is a good substitute for water. To properly administer the solution, you should use a spray bottle that will allow you to quickly cover a wide surface area instead of splattering the solution in one single area.
Another ingredient you may want to include in your cleaning solution for wood floor care is lemon juice, olive oil, tea bags, or plant-based liquid soaps - if you are a naturalist. Some of these natural products can add the luster that commercial solutions can provide.
Or... Hire a professional!
Sometimes we do not have the time and energy to clean all the surface area of our homes -especially if you live in a big home that covers a lot of surface area. Also, the nooks and crannies of our furniture can get in the way from reaching those tough areas of cleaning. If this is the case, hiring a professional may be the right option. Professionals know what they are doing, and they have the right tools that can save you plenty of time.
As an amateur cleaner, you can end up leaving scratch marks on your floor. This is the worst case scenario because now you have ruined the natural beauty of your hardwood floor. That is another reason to hire a professional who knows how to prevent the issue.
Professionals really have a knack on cleaning floors. So much so that after the cleansing, your floor will look much better than when it was first installed. That is because they have the proper materials and technical know how to make your floors shine after the clean.
A good reason to hire a professional hardwood cleaner is that they have perfected their craft in such a way that once the job is done, the longevity of the floor increases as well, so it requires less maintenance and prevents damaged floors (which will be discussed later). Professionals can help teach you how to properly polish your wood floors, to keep them looking their best at all times.
Fixing a damaged floor
If you failed to clean and groom your hardwood floor, unfortunately, it is possible that you have unintentionally damaged the floor and now have to either hire a professional, which can cost a lot of money, or you can do it yourself. The work needed to fix a damaged hardwood floor can be tiresome depending on the extent of the damage. You would have to cut through specific planks that are loose, scratched, or cracked, or take out a portion by using a circular saw and chisel.
Sometimes it is difficult to find the exact type and color of planks needed to replace the broken pieces, so it is essential to refer back to the company that established your hardwood floor. Or you can find an expert to identify the type of wood your floor is made of and find the appropriate finish gloss - if applicable. Once the new planks arrive, you have to cut them into the right sizes and make wedges and groves, so that the wood fits into a pattern grid. For the part, you would need a soft mallet, a nail gun, and construction adhesive. You may also have to fill in any large gaps with filler if you have not properly sized the planks.
As you can see, fixing a damaged floor is a tough job. Getting all the planks in the right shape after finding the correct plank and any additional finishing product can be a hassle. It may be a better option to hire a professional, but doing so can be costly - sometimes more costly than installing hardwood floors! So, it is a wise idea to make sure you regularly clean your floor before it reaches such a state.
Preventing damage
So now let's explain how to care for hardwood floors to prevent damage. A hardwood floor takes on a lot of abuse from furniture scraping against it, the load of furniture puts stress on individual planks, which can affect nearby planks, and dirt and debris can lodge against the cracks of the floor, wedging against the grid-like pattern of the floor. For these reasons, it is a wise idea to a clear coat to the wood floor, which will not only preserve the natural look of the wood but also create a barrier against all the types of stressors a hardwood floor can face.
Before you add the coating, remember that you must clean your floor. First, you must mop and clean your floor with whatever solution works. Seconds, you have to smooth out the rough-edged of the floor by using 180-grit sandpaper. Once the floor is clean and sanded, ensure that you wear the proper safety materials from protecting against chemicals. Use a paint roller to apply the coat by moving along the grain before moving across it. Make sure you give enough time to dry the coat.
If you have successfully, applied a coat to hardwood floors, congratulations! You have increased the lifespan of your beautiful floor and made them it look better than ever.
Keeping the dust away
The first layer of defense is to keep dust away from your hardwood floor. To accomplish this, you can install an HVAC with filters to continually filter out the dust in your room. Alternatively, you can order a dust catching tower that you can plug into your home outlet. These best option may be the purchasing an ionic air purifier that uses electrostatic to catch floating particular. Not only is this option effective, but less expensive than installing an HVAC system.
To wrap it up...
The best way to keep your floor clean and functional is to plan ahead by installing the appropriate machinery and materials and having all the tools, at hand. You should add a coating after installing your hardwood floor for the first time to prevent damage and increase durability. When it comes to cleaning, you should pick the perfect solution for removing stubborn stains, dirt and grime (you can opt out to a natural cleaning solution, if you wish so). Considering cost and benefit, you may decide to hire a professional to do the job instead of enlisting yourself. Not can a professional save you time, but their work can make your floor look and feel brand new. Once again, it is important to plan ahead to cleaning your floor. Otherwise, you may have to face the costly consequences of fixing a damaged floor.
