One of the main questions we use to get from customers was advice on how to maintain their new hardwood floors. That was a few years back. We’ve smartened up now and provide all sand on site customers with a maintenance brochure as well as a free cleaning kit.
If you have not been on the receiving end of one of these kits or brochures fret not, we’ll walk you through caring for you hardwood floor.
Daily – Dust/Sweep
Use a microfibre sweeper or vacuum to dry sweep and keep your floors free of dust and other particles to help prevent against surface damage and scratches.
Weekly Schedule – Wash
You can do this step as needed. Simply remove any dust or debris with a vacuum or your microfibre sweeper. If using a vacuum be aware that beater bars and wheels can damage floors. Upright vacuums are the worst culprits for scratching hardwood floors! Once cleaned simply rinse your microfibre cloth with warm water and ring out to remove excess water. Place the microfibre cloth back on the sweeper and use it to wash your floors. Rinse and wring again as needed.
Every 2-3 months – De-grease
A professional quality cleaner is not recommended for daily usage. The one that we provide to our customers is an accompanying product to the finish that was used on their floors and has de-greasing agents.
Over time you will have a residue build up on your floor. Oils from your feet as well as cooking residue and whatever else makes it onto your floors can build up. Simply follow the weekly wash instructions but instead of just water lightly mist the floors with your floor cleaner before wiping them with your microfibre cloth.
BEWARE THE STEAM MOP
The concept of the steam mop is excellent, clean and disinfect without chemicals. The issue with the steam mop is if too much steam is applied it can steam the finish right off. We have had to repair a floor for this very purpose. The high temperature steam can also dull the finish on your floor. It’s best to avoid this device altogether for hardwood.
MIRACLE PRODUCTS – IF IT’S TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE…….
There are new products all the time at home shows or on promotion at Costco. You also have your original products like Murphy’s Oil soap. These products are either high in chemicals or are may not be formulated for the finish on your floor. Murphy’s Oil soap for example is a vegetable oil based soap that is meant to remove waxy build up. Wax has not been used on hardwood for a long time, in fact, this product will leave a residue on your floors.
Hardwood finishes change over time and the cleaners for them should change too. Almost all hardwood, pre-finished or site finished, have accompanying cleaners that are recommended for cleaning. If you are purchasing the floor you should inquire on cleaning products. If you have an existing hardwood floor and don’t know what to use you can’t go wrong with a Bona cleaning product, ideally purchased through a floor store.
TRADITIONAL MOPS
It is important to remember that hardwood is a natural product and over-saturation can cause your hardwood to cup. A damp microfibre mop is best
BUFF & RE-COAT
After years of use cleaning your hardwood will not feel like enough. If you have sustained lots of surface scratches you may want to try a buff & re-coat. This is a one day process where we abrade the surface of your floor and apply a fresh coat of finish. This will renew the lustre of your floor and minimize all of those little topical scratches. This will not help with deep scratches.
RE-OIL
UV oil finish offers a beautiful matte and natural look for hardwood floors. As the oil finish wears the floor is more susceptible to stains and wear. Applying more oil will both rejuvenate the floors depth and colour as well as bring back the protective qualities of the finish. Using either a manufacturer provided product or one of our in house products that are compatible with your floor we can re-oil and even add a coat of water based polyurethane on top for another protective layer.
RE-FINISH
If the wear on your floor is beyond cleaning or a buff and re-coat, or, if you want to change the colour and look of your hardwood a re-finish is in order. In this we sand a layer off the top of the hardwood to remove the finish and stain from your wood. From there you can customize the colour and texture of your hardwood. Proper cleaning and buff & re-coats in the future can maintain this floor for many years to come.