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It is hard to find a floor that offers more natural beauty than hardwood flooring. Proper care and maintenance will help ensure your hardwood floor always looks its best. The following maintenance and prevention steps are recommended.
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE
Vacuum, sweep or dust-mop your hardwood floor at least once a week. Do not use a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar. The vacuum head must be brush or felt, and a wand attachment is preferable. A hardwood floor swivel-head mop with terry cloth cover or microfiber pad is also highly recommended to eliminate finer particles of grit and dirt that can act like sandpaper on hardwood floors.
Wipe up spills and tracked-in dirt immediately. For spot cleaning, apply floor cleaner onto a clean cloth and rub onto the spot.
As necessary, thoroughly clean the floor with floor cleaner using a hardwood floor swivel-head mop with terry cloth-cover. Spray the floor cleaner directly onto the floor or dampen the swivel-head mop and apply.
Use interior and exterior doormats at all entrances to collect dirt and moisture and prevent it from being tracked onto the floor.
Place area rugs in front of kitchen sinks, at all pivot points and within high-traffic areas. Do not use rugs with solid rubber or vinyl backings. The rugs must be made of a breathable material to prevent moisture entrapment.
Use furniture leg protector pads under all furniture and make certain to keep them clean and well maintained.
Replace hard, narrow furniture rollers with wide rubber rollers.
Keep animal nails trimmed to minimize finish scratches.
Keep the relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55%. This will minimize any cupping or crowning of the boards.
Don’t clean or wet mop your floor with water. Water may permanently damage the floor.
Don’t use any of the following products (or products similar in nature) on your floor: ammonia-based cleaners, acrylic finishes, wax-based products, detergents, bleach, polishes, oil soap, abrasive cleaning soaps, or acidic materials such as vinegar. Many of these products can pit or etch the finish of your flooring or prevent the proper use of recommended maintenance materials.
Do not damage your floor with shoes having heeltaps or sharp objects protruding from the sole such as rocks, exposed nails and gravel. Be careful with high heel shoes. A light weight women can generate a lot of pressure per square inch on the heel that can cause permanent indentations in the floor. Do not walk on wood floors with spike- or stiletto-heeled shoes.
Don’t roll or slide heavy objects directly upon the floor. When moving appliances or heavy furniture, ay a solid protective covering on your floor and gently walk the item across it. Carpet or cardboard is not adequate to prevent surface compression scratches.
PROTECTING YOUR HARDWOOD FLOOR
Protect your floor from direct sunlight. Direct sunlight can cause the finish to yellow or blister. Use curtains and UV resistant film on large glass doors and windows.
Never apply wax treatments to your urethane-coated floor.
DO NOT allow excess floor cleaner to remain on the floor’s surface. Excess liquid may damage the fiber of the wood.
STAIN REMOVAL
Remove spots caused by food, water or animals with a clean soft cloth.
Rub the area to remove the stain or spot.
More stubborn stains such as grease/lipstick/crayon/ink spots/rubber heel marks may require additional rubbing followed by cleaning with a floor cleaner.
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