If you have hardwood floors, you are likely to want to keep them looking at their best at all times. By the sounds of things, perhaps that you have heard from others or from your own experience, this can seem daunting and complex. In actual fact, keeping your wood floors in great condition is much easier than one might think.

Here at Cawarden Brick & Tile Company Limited, we have been working for decades with real wood products, earning a developed understanding of the dos and don’ts, and we also stock a range of wood floor care products. We have, therefore, put together a comprehensive guide to wood floor care below.

Cleaning

There are a few key steps in keeping your wooden floors in the condition they were laid in, and one of the simplest and most accessible is to simply keep them clean in the right way. This doesn't mean you are going to need to cordon off any exposed wood in your home, or even purchase any expensive cleaning products, it just means getting into a gentle routine.

Daily

You should sweep your wood floor daily with a soft-bristle brush in order to remove the major deposits of dust and debris. This is a quick, five-minute job, but can play a large part in keeping your floor pristine as dirt and debris buildup can make high-traffic areas much more susceptible to scratches and marks as these contaminants interact with the floor.

Weekly

You should also endeavour to clean your hardwood floors weekly. For this, you are going to want to make the most of some wood floor cleaning spray - ensuring it’s compatible with your flooring specifically - and microfibre mop. This is doing a similar job as the daily sweep, but at a more intensive scale and will also help to wipe away tougher grime that builds up from high traffic etc.

That is all the general cleaning and upkeep that a wooden floor really needs. As aforementioned, it’s not extensive and it won’t break the bank, but the incremental consideration will help keep your wooden floor fresh day to day.

Damage Control

While cleaning is vital, it is only one string of your wood floor care bow. One other is damage control. Again, this is nothing groundbreaking, but simple and manageable changes that can help you maintain the condition of your wooden floors by making informed choices as to how you treat them. Here are a few tips to follow:

External and internal doormats are great for keeping the contaminants from outside from interfering with the condition of your wooden floors. Implore guests and inhabitants of your home alike to make the most of these and wipe their feet properly before entering. This should help reduce any external dirt, debris, and moisture to enter your home.

Following on from this, it’s definitely best practice to remove your shoes before walking on a hardwood floor. This goes a long way to ensuring the coarse and rough surface of the sole of your shoe stays away from your wooden floors. This should help prevent scratches and dirt further.

Anti-scratch and felt protector pads are a great idea for any areas of hardwood flooring that may come into contact with furniture. Especially when it comes to chairs and sofas, you should make the most of these adhesives to cushion the contact between the furniture and the floor, therefore helping prevent any denting and scratching as people sit down or the furniture is moved around.

Finally, endeavour to wipe away and clean up any liquid spillages onto your wooden floor. This is one of the key pillars to wood floor care as liquid damage is one of the most poignant problems with wooden flooring. The finish on the top layer of your wooden floor will help to prevent and repel some of the liquid, but if not dealt with immediately, spillages can lead to permanent staining and can be especially tricky to deal with removing.

Refinishing

Regardless of how well you treat your floor, how often you clean it, and the extent of your damage control, the final step in the wood floor care cycle is to refinish the wood. This usually takes place every few years and will be different for each floor depending on previous treatments and the type of wood.

Oiled?

If your floor is treated with wood oil, you should look into re-oiling every few years in order to maintain the sheen it had when it was new. This will not only help to keep your floor fresh and pristine, but also maintain the outer-layer of protection that oil provides, which includes some slight water resistance.

Lacquered?

Again, you are likely to be looking at a re-lacquer every few years if you intend to keep your floor looking as good as the day it was fitted. With lacquered wood floors, however, you also have the option to polish to maintain sheen and shine. This polish is not the same as general wooden furniture polish though, as that would make the floor slippery, so make sure to seek out a specially designed floor polish to maintain sheen without the layer of grease that can be dangerous - especially for young children.

Floor Pas

While we have managed to get through a lot in this guide to wood floor care, there are a couple of faux pas - or “floor pas” - that you should keep in mind when attempting to keep your wooden floor in tip-top shape.

When cleaning, ensure not to ‘flood’ the floor with excessive water as this can lead to warping, swelling and staining. You should aim for a damp mop when performing your intermittent cleans to prevent this occurrence.

Steam mops will also cause your wooden floor to lose its intended shape as the additional heat and moisture can cause distortion and discolouring. For this reason, steer clear of steam mops with your wood floor care routine.

You should also maintain the use of the hardwood floor attachment of your vacuum cleaner if you decide to use one on your wooden floor. Most attachments will scratch and dent your floor, so look for something with soft bristles around the outside of the hose.

We also recommend that you also refrain from using products that are abrasive, acidic, or contain ammonia as they can cause serious damage to your flooring.

Finally, to develop and reiterate two key previously mentioned points, two of the biggest considerations for wood floor care are to prevent damage from furniture and feet. Namely, refrain as much as possible from moving heavy furniture - especially do not drag it - and keep shoes off the floor - especially if they are high heels or football boots. The general rule of thumb here, then, is not to allow contact for any small points of pressure that hold large weight (e.g. the foot of a sofa or the stud of a football boot being worn).

Attention and Consideration

In essence, the key to wood floor care is sustained attention and a considered approach to the products you use on your hardwood floor, with these products generally being specifically designed for your type of wood and neutral (omitting any chemicals that could harm the flooring).

Cawarden Brick & Tile Company Limited

If you’re looking to learn more about the wood floor care products we stock here at Cawarden Brick & Tile Company Limited, please visit our stains and finishing products page to view our wood floor care range.

If you would like to reach out to our professional team, please call on 01889 574066 or fill out our simple contact form.