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How You’re Hurting Your Hardwood Floors
With proper care, hardwood floors can last for years and bear up under a lot of use. There are plenty of pieces online about how to take care of your wood floor, and whoever installed yours may have given you some pointers too. But today, we’re going to focus on things that damage your floor over time.
The wrong cleaner
Not everything that is appropriate for tile, vinyl, etc. is appropriate for hardwood. Depending on the active ingredients, some cleaners may degrade the finish, leaving the actual wood vulnerable to the wear and tear that the finish was supposed to protect from. There are places on the internet to get recommendations, and if you know who manufactured the floor you can ask them directly.
No doormat
Whether you have a written message on it or not, a doormat functions as the first line of defense for your hardwood floor. Even if it doesn’t get everything off people’s shoes, it makes a big difference compared to people tracking everything further into the house. Grit and water from outside can act like sandpaper on your floor.
Too long without sweeping
On the same note as above, any kind of sand, grit, or even salt from the table can grind into your floor, if it’s left there long enough and people walk on it. That’s why it’s important to sweep regularly. People’s rubber-soled shoes won’t do any damage if the floor is clean as a whistle.
Pet nails
Pets may not always like getting their nails trimmed, but it’s not only better for them, it’s also important for your floor. It’s usually time for a clipping if you can hear them clicking on the floor whenever they walk. If you habitually leave them with long nails for a while, it can start scratching up your floors.
Furniture
Furniture legs on wood floors should generally have some kind of protection at all points of contact with the floor. The most common kind is a sort of tough, rubber- or foam-like material with the bottom side like imitation wool. Furniture that doesn’t have these protective pads, especially chairs, tables, and things that get moved a lot, can grind away at certain areas of the floor.
Heels
It’s unfortunate that an important part of many wardrobes should also be a danger to hardwood floors, but depending on proportions, high heels can cause damage as well. Thinner heels will do more damage and wider ones less. If you or guests wear heels inside, try to have carpets to absorb the wear and tear.
Vacuum attachments
The beater bar on your vacuum cleaner is designed to get down deep into your carpet pile to free up dirt and dust. It serves no purpose on other kinds of floor and can damage them by scratching.
Letting liquid sit there
When you have a liquid spill on any kind of floor, it’s safest to clean it immediately, so no one will slip. But with wood floors, it’s also best to clean it up right away. The longer any liquid sits there, to more of it can seep into the wood – yes, even getting past the finish, if it has enough time. This is especially true for pet stains, which can do more damage than water or soft drinks.
Steam mop
Steam and hot water are two of the worst things you can use on a hardwood floor. The steam mops available at local floor care places may be great for tile, stone, or some other floors, but routine cleaning of a hardwood floor only involves a damp mop and some wood-friendly cleaning solution.
Too much sun
Exposure to sunlight, day in and day out, over years discolors pretty much anything carbon-based. You can sometimes see the difference if you pick up a carpet that has been in the same place for years – the hardwood under it might be a different shade from the rest of the floor. If you want to minimize the sun’s effect on your floors, keep blinds or curtains drawn when the sun is at its strongest.
We hope these tips will help you prolong the beauty and function of your hardwood floors for many years. Unique Carpet & Floor in Manassas is here to help with all of your flooring needs, including cleaning, maintenance, repair, and installation. If you’d like professional help or recommendations about your wood floors, call us at (703) 369-1600 or get in touch on our website.