Hardwood Flooring Care
Regular
Maintenance
Preventative Maintenance
Renewal & Repairs
*This
is a general recommendation. Individuals are responsible for finding
information from specific product manufacturer.
Regular
Maintenance
With today’s advances in wood flooring stains and finishes,
cleaning your wood floors has never been easier. Regular maintenance
requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom, and
vacuuming with a soft floor attachment if your wood floor includes
a beveled edge that could collect debris. You also should clean your
floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product
recommended by a wood flooring professional.
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Preventive
Maintenance
There are other steps you can take to minimize maintenance and maintain
the beauty of your wood floors as well.
| 1. |
Do
not use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors.
Self-polishing acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and
appear dull quickly. |
| 2. |
Use
throw rugs both inside and outside doorways to help prevent
grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood
floors. This will prevent scratching. |
| 3. |
Do
not wet-mop a wood floor. Standing water can dull the finish,
damage the wood and leave a discoloring residue. |
| 4. |
Wipe
up spills immediately with a slightly dampened towel. |
| 5. |
Do
not over-wax a wood floor. If the floor dulls, try buffing instead.
Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other light traffic areas
by applying wax in these spots every other waxing session. |
| 6. |
Put
soft plastic or fabric-faced glides under the legs of furniture
to prevent scuffing and scratching. |
| 7. |
Avoid
walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high
heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact
of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert
up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can
dent any floor surface. |
| 8. |
When
moving heavy furniture, do not slide it on wood flooring. It
is best to pick up the furniture completely to protect the wood
flooring. |
| 9. |
For
wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug in front of
the kitchen sink. |
| 10. |
Use
a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement
and shrinkage to a minimum. |
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Renewal
& Repairs
Unlike most other floor covering options, wood is very
forgiving. Most problems can be prevented with proper maintenance,
but when problems do occur, renewal and repair usually is possible.
For renewing and repairing stains and scratches on any wood floor,
always begin at the outer edge of the stain or scratch and work
toward the middle.
To renew or repair a wood floor, you first will need to determine
which kind of finish is on your floor.
Wax
Floors
If the stain or scratch has penetrated the surface and is in the
wood, you are dealing with a wax-finished floor.
Stains
How you tackle renewing and repairing stains depends on the type of
stain.
| • |
Chewing
Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax |
 |
|
Apply
a plastic bag filled with ice until the deposit is brittle enough
to crumble off. Crayon or candle wax can be removed by placing
an ink blotter on the area and applying a hot pressing iron
to the top of the blotter. Solvent-based wax also can be applied
around the area to loosen the deposit. |
| • |
Cigarette
Burns |
| |
|
If
the burn is not very deep, rub the area with fine sandpaper
or steel wool. Moisten the steel wool with wax for better results.
If the burn is deep, scrape the area with a penknife to remove
charred fibers. Rub the area with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax
and hand buff. |
| • |
Dark
Spots, Dog Spots, Ink Stains |
| |
|
Rub
spot with #000 steel wool. Wax the affected area. If this fails,
lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, and clean it using
#00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner .
Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff. If the spot
remains, apply a household bleach or vinegar and allow it to
soak for an hour. Rinse with a damp cloth, wipe dry and smooth
with fine sandpaper. Stain, wax and hand buff. |
| • |
Dried
Milk, Food Stains |
| |
|
Gently
rub the stain with a damp cloth. Rub the area dry and wax. |
| • |
Mold |
| |
|
Rub
with a wood cleaner. |
| • |
Oil,
Grease Stains |
| |
|
First
rub the area with kitchen soap having a high lye content, or
saturate cotton with hydrogen peroxide and place over the stain.
Then saturate a second layer of cotton with ammonia and place
over the first layer. Repeat until stain is removed. Let the
area dry and then hand buff. |
| • |
Water
Stains, White Spots |
| |
|
Rub
spot with #000 steel wool. Wax the affected area. If this fails,
lightly sand the area with fine sandpaper, and clean it using
#00 steel wool and mineral spirits or a wood floor cleaner .
Allow the floor to dry. Stain, wax and hand buff. |
| • |
Wax
Build Up |
| |
|
Strip
the old wax away with odorless mineral spirits or a wood floor
product made for stripping wax. Use cloths and fine steel wool
to remove all residue. After the floor is dry, wax and buff.
|
Scratches
To renew and repair scratches, wax the area thoroughly.
| • |
Heel
Marks |
|
|
Rub
in a small amount of wax with fine steel wool and hand buff
to a shine. |
Surface
Finished Floors
If the stain or scratch has penetrated the finish only and is not
in the wood, you are dealing with a surface finished floor.
Stains
| • |
Chewing
Gum, Crayon, Candle Wax |
|
|
Apply
a plastic bag filled with ice on top of the stain until it is
brittle enough to crumble off. Clean the area with a product
made for urethane finishes. |
| • |
Cigarette
Burns |
| |
|
Most
common burns can be treated with a touch-up kit made for urethane
finishes. Rub with sandpaper, stain and refinish. For burns
that reach deep into the wood, individual plank or parquet boards
may need to be replaced. |
| • |
Food,
Water, Dark Spots, Dog Spots |
| |
|
Use
a cleaner developed specifically for urethane finishes to remove
the spot or stain. More stubborn spots may require additional
scrubbing with the cleaner and a wood flooring scrub pad made
for urethane floors. |
| • |
Oil,
Grease Stains |
| |
|
Rub
the area with a cleaner developed for urethane. |
Scratches
| • |
Repair
with a touch-up kit made for urethane finishes available from
any wood flooring retailer. |
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Excerpts
used from National
Wood Flooring Association
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© 2003 National Wood Flooring Association, All Rights Reserved.
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