Wood floors have a rare flourish that enhances the stylish appeal of your house in the most spectacular ways. However, you can only hope to maintain the lovely aesthetics of the floors by cleaning them regularly using the recommended items and techniques.
Proper cleaning can greatly enhance the life span of your floor.
Avoid using tools and methods that may scratch or chip away the surface leading to gross distortion of its elegance.
Getting Started Today
Here are some of the healthy ways to start cleaning your wood floors today:
1. Dust it Regularly
Dusting is a simple cleaning exercise that should be performed on a daily basis to keep your wood floor looking new and beautiful. The procedure is important because it helps to remove both large and miniature dust particles that usually compromise the glamour of your floor.
Besides, dusting helps to remove the allergens that usually accumulate on the surface over time. Using a microfiber mop or a dry rug should help you achieve great results. Dusting at least twice a day will maintain its shine and freshness all through.
2. Use Black Tea to Remove Grease and Dirt
You have to look beyond the traditional cleaning agents to understand why black tea is such a marvelous solution for cleaning hardwood. The secret lies in the fact that black tea contains the natural tannic acid, which is widely regarded for its effectiveness in eliminating grease and dirt.
All you have to do is make about 1 or 2 cups of this special tea and scout around the floor looking for traces of grease and tough dirt. You can wet a small rug in the tea and rub against the grease or dirt until it is removed. You can continue with your normal dusting routine after this procedure is complete.
3. Damp Mop it For Perfect Results
This idea is particularly recommended for prefinished wood floors. The method entails dipping the mop inside the bucket of clean water and wringing it until it feels almost dry. You should then proceed to mop the floor in even patterns until you have covered the whole of it, and there are no traces of dirt.
Make sure that all the guck is removed before you consider buffing the floor with a dry rug. Wood floors should be buffed thoroughly in order to enhance their longevity. Ensure that the buffing reaches the corners where the floor meets the wall.
4. Use Vinegar to Rinse
Vinegar is commonly used for a wide range of cleaning tasks around the home. Professional floor cleaners will tell you that it is also an excellent solution for cleaning wood floors. However, you should know that vinegar works better as a rinsing agent than a primary cleaner.
Vinegar is not highly effective for removing stubborn dirt and stains. But, it helps to give the floor an exceptional shine that will please you and your guests, while leaving behind a pleasant scent of freshness.
5. Pay Extra Attention to Tight Corners
In order to achieve top quality results while cleaning, you should pay extra attention to the corners and other hard-to-reach spots. Such places are more likely to accumulate wide patches of dust because they receive lesser attention than the commonly used areas.
Microscopic dust particles may escape your notice, but they tend to compromise the appearance of your wood floor after some period. The best approach is to map out your entire floor so that you develop a cleaning process that covers it in its entirety.
6. Vacuum Regularly to Enhance its Beauty
Although dusting helps to remove dust particles, you should also vacuum it regularly to give it the extra cleanliness that will improve its overall value. You should consider using a suitable vacuum with powerful suction so that you achieve the thoroughness needed to maintain the aesthetic appeal.
If you want to get rid of all the hidden dirt in corners and other difficult areas, you should look for vacuums that are especially designed to reach such places. Watch out for certain areas that are notorious for pet hair, grime, food stains, and spills that subtract from the overall appeal of your floor.
7. Polish Your Floor to Improve its Appearance
Apart from improving the appearance, polishing also helps to improve the level of cleanliness in very profound ways. It is important to inquire about the right polish for your floor because some polishes are uniquely intended for particular types of floors.
An interval of 2 to 3 months is recommended for polishing. One advantage of polishing is that it helps to maintain the luster of your floor and make it more visually attractive. Besides, it is generally easier to dust and mop a polished vs non-polished floor.
8. Sanding and Refinishing
You can protect your wood floor from falling into disrepair by sanding and refinishing. Always consider carrying out this procedure every 1 or 2 years if you wish to maintain its lavish appearance. Sanding and refinishing usually entails the removal of the old finish so that you can cover it with a new finish. There are many benefits of hiring a professional to help you in doing this.
It is necessary to polish your floor to fill the small scratches and marks that usually compromise its aesthetic quality. If you want to upgrade the value of your house, you have to think of polishing as one of the crucial ways of improving its appearance.
9. Fill In The Crevices
Regular maintenance should include filling the crevices that often accumulate dirt, debris, and pet hair. Crevices develop because of various factors. Whatever the causative factor, you should carry out regular inspection of the floor and fill up all the crevices.
Remember that crevices can hold allergens that cause sneezing and affect the freshness of the house. Moreover, the crevices are likely to reduce the quality of your floor and scale down its market value. Therefore, you should find a home maintenance expert to help you fill up the crevices after vacuuming if you do not want to do it yourself.
10. Use Natural Pesticides and Disinfectants
Over some period, the microscopic food particles on your floor may attract germs and pests. You should look for natural pesticides and disinfectants to spray on the floor to keep it clean and safe. You can check for the available selection from various online stores with manufacturers’ specifications about their effectiveness and safety.
Ensure that the chemicals in the pesticides are not toxic and pose no danger to your pets, children, or anyone else in the household. Modern products are sweetly scented and designed to kill germs and pests while improving the overall freshness of your house. It is also recommended to carry out regular fumigation to rid your floor of pests and germs.
Other Floor Cleaning Tips to Consider:
- Do not use a wet mop unless it is extremely messy.
- If you must wet mop, ensure that you buff it dry afterwards.
- You may use a few drops of mild dish-washing liquid to clean.
- Use vacuum attachments to remove cobwebs in hidden places.
- Use floor mats and area rugs to cover the floor in high traffic areas around the house.
Conclusion
Cleaning wood floors requires various considerations that include the type of cleaning agents to be used and best approaches to achieve optimum thoroughness. Removing stains and grease, dusting, vacuuming, damp mopping, and fumigation are some of the methods that can be used collectively to keep your wood floor clean, shiny, and long-lasting.
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