Hardwood floors are gorgeous additions to any home. After all, they’re rich in aesthetic appeal, and they encapsulate natural beauty. Not to mention, hardwood flooring is built to last, and it even has the potential to add value to your home.
For these reasons, understanding how to properly maintain them and keep them beautiful is imperative. Fortunately, we’ve put together a list of our favorite strategies to maintain hardwood floors. Give it a read and keep your floors gorgeous and pristine for years to come.
Stay on Top of Spills
A cardinal rule of keeping hardwood floors in good shape is staying on top of spills. Perhaps you laugh a bit too hard with a glass of wine in your hand and it ends up in a puddle on the floor. Maybe your toddler spills their juice or your pet has an accident. Whatever may have caused the spill, make sure you clean it up right away. If you leave liquids to fester, they could damage your flooring.
Avoid using steam or wet mops to clean up. These tools will cause more damage in the long run because the moisture from a mop could seep into the wood and cause swelling, shrinking and other issues. Thus, if you have a spill, sop it up with a dry or slightly damp cloth. Doing so will protect your flooring and keep it beautiful longer.
Use Furniture Pads
Furniture pads are other tools that can help with hardwood floor maintenance. These are small pieces of padding that you can place under table, couch or chair legs. They’re often the most effective way to prevent furniture from scuffing, scratching or damaging your hardwood flooring, providing a layer of protection between the floor and the blunt posts of your furniture. Therefore, you won’t have to worry about damage if things slide around.
Sweep Floors Weekly
Of course, sweeping weekly is another essential part of maintaining those gorgeous floors. We know — weekly seems like a lot. But truthfully, this is one of the best methods for ensuring your flooring stays pristine. It keeps everything clean and tidy, appearance-wise, and prevents harmful contaminants such as mud and dirt from damaging your hardwood over time.
Refinish Every 3 to 5 Years
Finally, it’s always good to have your hardwood flooring refinished periodically. Doing so ensures that it stays beautiful and lustrous for as long as possible. This is incredibly beneficial if you notice your hardwood is starting to look a little dull or faded.
The process is pretty simple. It typically involves applying a new coat of hardwood flooring finish. In general, doing this every three to five years is best, but the frequency with which you do this will depend on your and your family’s lifestyles and how much wear your floors experience every year.
In any case, hardwood flooring is an attractive feature of any home. With the proper care and maintenance, yours will stay beautiful so that you can enjoy it for much longer.
