A Clean House Is a Healthy HouseA Clean House Is a Healthy House

Keeping the floors in your home clean, appealing, and in good condition are most likely a priority. Therefore, you may sweep, dry mop, vacuum, and wet mop periodically depending on what type of floors are in your home. Hardwood is an excellent flooring material to use if you want your floors to stand the test of time. However, proper cleaning and care are essential for maintaining the look and value of these floors. This guide will teach you a few common mistakes made while cleaning hardwood floors, so you can your own floors with ease.

Not Sweeping/Dust Mopping

One of the most common mistakes you may make is not sweeping or dust mopping before wet mopping the hardwoods.

A broom, dust mop, or even your hardfloor vacuum should be used to remove light dirt, dust, hair, food particles, and other debris from your wood floors BEFORE wet mopping. If left to linger on the wood floors, a few problems may occur.

The debris will be moved and shifted across the wood floor's surface while your wet mop, which can lead to scratches and other damage to the floor's surface. Also, the dirt, dust, and other debris can build up in between each wood board, eventually causing the wood boards to loosen in areas, affecting the look and quality of your hardwood floors.

Using a Traditional Vacuum

If you do not use the right vacuum, you could be damaging your hardwood floors as well.

Today, there are many vacuums designed for cleaning hard flooring surfaces. These vacuums are capable of removing dirt, dust, and other debris from carpet and rugs, but they have an option to switch to hardfloor cleaning, which ensures the bottom of the vacuum does not scratch, ding, or dent your wood floor's surface.

Make sure to always use the right vacuum set to the hardfloor cleaning option when focusing on your hardwood floors.

Using the Wrong Cleaning Solution

Finally, avoid using the wrong cleaning solution when mopping your wood floors.

Even though there are many products on the market, certain cleaners designed for wood floors are not actually safe for your hardwood floors for various reasons or another.

Check the label of the cleaning solution to determine if it is an oil-based product. Oil-based cleaners, polishes, and even waxes can strip the wood finish, dulling the color, look, and overall protection over time.

Cleaning your hardwood floors does not have to be a confusing or overwhelming project. This guide will get you started and help you avoid a few common cleaning mistakes. For more information, reach out to companies like Leo's Holland Floor Maintenance.