Wood Flooring Tips & Maintenance

November 2010

Your hardwood floor cleaning schedule will depend on what type of flooring you have, whether it is factory finished or site finished is important to know for proper cleaning. For instance it is difficult to clean a wax floor with a water based cleaner.

Liquid or paste wax should be buffed on with a buffer or by hand with a hand towel for the best looking shine. Pre-finished floors have the new ceramic coating which should be cleaned with water based cleaners. Site finished floors with polyurethane or oil based finishes should be maintained with water base cleaners.

Older floors that have significant wear and not properly maintained require Murphy’s oil type cleaner or acrylic based enhancer’s. This will help blend the high traffic areas and reduce the appearance of wear. The enhanced conditioning properties of the cleaner will blend and keep the floors color and shine uniform.

Protecting

Good well-maintained entrance matting can dramatically reduce the need for cleaning. For commercial or residential buildings about 80 to 90% of the dirt is tracked in from outside. By placing a rubber matte at the entrance of your home or business this will catch most of the debris and dirt attached to the bottom of your shoe’s.

A rubber matte will make it possibly to capture moisture that may collect from rain or snow. Please remember to shake and clean your mattes regularly, this will keep the home free from outside contaminants.