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Hardwood floors are becoming more popular again these days. There are still many that have the old tried and true paste wax finishes, as well as the newer floors with more modern finishes. This article is for all hardwood floor owners, regardless of the finish on the floor. After over three decades of caring for all sorts of floors, these are my
HARDWOOD FLOOR CARE TIPS

The first and easiest care is dust mopping.
Using a dust mop treatment is optional. If you do:
Do not spray "Endust" type chemicals directly on floors.
Do not spray such chemicals on dust mops for immediate use; instead,
Do allow the mop treatment to dry on the mop about 24 hours before using it on the floor.

Do not oil a waxed or polyurethaned floor. Do not wax a polyurethaned floor.

Do not use Murphy's Oil Soap on your floor. If you're going to damp mop, see below.

Never wet mop your hardwood floor. Instead:
If your floor has been waxed, pick up spills with a damp cloth followed by a dry cloth buff. If it hasn't been waxed, and has a polyurethane finish in very good shape, no scratches or worn areas, you may lightly damp mop the floor.

If you must damp mop a waxed floor, buff it when dry.
If you must damp mop a polyurethaned floor, use a neutral pH cleaner sparingly in the water. Better, with polyurethane finished floors, use the Bona Kemi Hardwood Floor cleaning system (or equivalent) available at most hardware stores.

If waxing a floor yourself, use paste wax in solid or liquid form (never acrylic waxes), apply sparingly and buff in five minutes. If it's too difficult to buff, you have too much wax down. Handle with buffing with fine (OO or OOO) steel wool to remove the excess.

Waxed floors that scuff easily have too much wax on them.

If waxing a formerly unwaxed polyurethaned floor, use a soft cloth to apply the wax.
OO-fine steel wool is good for applying paste wax to a polyurethaned floor that has already been waxed at least once.

Important: If your polyurethaned floor has never been waxed, and is five years old or more, it may be good to get another coat of polyurethane put on. This should be done by an experienced floor care company or hardwood floor refinisher.

Use the "fish net" type non-skid pads under area rugs rather than the close-woven "doily" type to leave fewer marks on the floor over the long term.

Use carpet or felt bottomed glides on the feet of chairs and other furniture that sit on hardwood floors or any smooth floor. This can add years to the life of the floor and floor finish.


David Holt
Holt Maintenance Co.

Labels: Hardwood Floor Care Tips