15
Jun
Flooring is one of the basic and most important components of a home, and its interior décor. You can’t have an eye-catching décor if your floor isn’t in perfect shape. Yes, even with the perfect and most luxurious furnishing and art pieces. Despite the many options of flooring, we can all agree wood is the all-time classic. But, same as with any other type of flooring, wood requires particular care and cleaning to be able to be in proper shape for a longer period. We might as well say, a little care goes a long way, so you have to make time to include floor cleaning in your daily chores.
First and foremost, if you want to clean the wood floor planks without risking damaging them, remember that hot water and too much water are the enemies, and the microfibre mop is the preferable choice. When a mop is all drenched in water, you risk making way for water through the floor planks which is bound to result in expansion. So, when you must use a mop to clean, always make sure you wring it well so that it’s only slightly wet.
Along with using shampoo, baby shampoo preferably for extra care, or soap, you can use the power of vinegar for squeaky clean flooring (a cup of vinegar in a litre of mild water more specifically). Just dilute it in warm water, and wipe the planks. Have in mind chemical cleaners wouldn’t just damage the floor, but have a bad effect on your well-being too.
Then again, it’s also in the way you wipe. For outstanding results, be sure to mop along in the direction of the grain, so you effectively and easily remove all dirt. Don’t forget to protect the wood floor planks by covering them up with an adequate rug, because exposure to sunlight for a prolonged period is sure to cause fading and change of colour shades, as damaging as heavy furniture can be, and the solution to the latter is to avoid dragging and pushing furniture around, but if you have toddlers then you’re better off getting the necessary furniture pads.
Great news however is that even if you end up getting scratches, you can eventually have it refinished. When you take preventive measures, you can rest assured your floor is all well taken care of. Such is the case with cleaning up spills as soon as they occur, and placing a mat to wipe out shoes – something that’s of essence particularly when there’s rain or snow, to avoid damage from water. Hopefully these bits of advice help you get in the habit to clean and maintain the beauty of your wood floor as often as necessary.
