Cleaning and Restoring Hardwood Floors

Hardwood flooring is not only a beautiful option, but also a popular choice of flooring material due to the fact that it is durable and can be restored fairly easily. As homeowners, we know that any flooring is subject to regular wear and tear, so today we are outlining basic cleaning and maintenance tips. In most cases, hardwood requires regular vacuuming, sweeping, and damp mopping to maintain the appearance and cleanliness of the floors. The best option to make your cleaning routine more efficient is with smart preventive maintenance.

Setting Yourself Up For Success

It is always a good idea to make sure that your floor is properly finished and maintained to avoid accumulating hidden soil or odorous compounds. Having mats both outside and inside exterior doors decreases the amount of dirt, mud, or snow being tracked inside. Include a boot removal area for wet conditions like rain and snow to avoid damage from water, salt, and de-icers. For more seasonal protection tips, our guide on protecting your floors this spring covers additional preventive measures.

Another important factor in the floor care and maintenance of your hardwood flooring is the prevention of scratches and dents. Using floor protectors under furniture will help to prevent marks, and having rugs in children’s play areas will ensure toys do not scratch the floor. Be careful when using a rug to protect your wood floor, as dyes on certain cheaper rugs have been known to stain floors. If you have pets at home, our tips on pets and hardwood floors cover how to minimize scratches and accidents. Call us or come in and see us so we can recommend an under-pad as a safeguard, depending on your flooring and your style.

Regular Cleaning

As we all know, it is important to stay on top of cleaning duties at home to avoid damage. Always wipe up spills, mud, and slush immediately; avoid using oil soaps for cleaning as they leave a residue; and before you grab a mop and bucket, it’s best to establish if and how your hardwood floor is sealed. It will actually be the finish, and not the wood type, that will determine how you clean and care for your floors. To quickly detect the finish of your floor, simply rub your finger across it. If you don’t leave a smudge, the floor is surface sealed. If a smudge does appear, it means the floor has been treated with a penetrating seal, oil finish, shellac, varnish or lacquer, and then waxed.

For an everyday clean, or to speed up the deep cleaning process, dust the floor with a broom or a mop that has been treated with a dusting agent to pick up dust, dirt, and pet hair that could lead to scratches on the surface of the floor. If you prefer to vacuum, avoid using one with a beater bar attachment, as it can also scratch the finish of a wood floor. Do not damp-mop waxed floors. All you have to do is vacuum and sweep the surface on a regular basis. Once or twice a year, you should get the old wax stripped to apply a fresh new coat. Our hardwood floor refinishing experts employ a variety of products, techniques, and technologies to inject new life into existing hardwood floors that will keep them looking beautiful for many years to come.

Deep Cleaning

Eventually, dirt, oil, and grime build up and aren’t completely removed by a weekly dust mopping. For an extensive list of proper cleaning techniques for each flooring finish, check out this great list from Today.com

Keep in mind that too much water is a wood floor’s worst enemy, so do not use a soaking wet mop. Use a damp mop instead and wipe away excess liquid. If moisture has already caused warping or buckling, understanding hardwood moisture problems can help you identify the root cause before it gets worse. For occasional deep cleaning, use a wood-cleaning solution diluted according to the label instructions, and avoid using straight ammonia, alkaline products or abrasive cleaners, as they can dull or scratch the finish on certain floors.

Removing Marks

The most difficult part of cleaning and maintaining your flooring is repairing or removing marks, scratches, stains, and dents from every day wear and tear. We’ll make it easier for you with a few tips, but before you try to restore your floors, consider the type of finish. If the stain is on the surface, your floor likely has a hard finish, such as urethane. Stains that have penetrated through to the wood are a sign that your floor probably has a soft oiled finish, which is common in older homes whose floors have not been refinished and resealed.

For a severely damaged floor or to allow a complete colour change, we at Continental start by sanding right down to the wood surface, then apply multiple coats of varnish to create an incredibly durable and long-lasting finish. Our floor repair team handles everything from minor touch-ups to full restorations. If the damage is beyond refinishing, it may be time to explore replacement options such as engineered hardwood flooring for improved moisture resistance, or vinyl flooring for high-traffic areas prone to spills.

Here are a few quick tips for fixing marks in hardwood floors:

• Wipe surface stains from a hard finish with a soft, clean cloth. Avoid using steel wool, sandpaper, or harsh chemicals on this type of surface, as they can permanently damage the finish.
• When removing any stain, work from the outside edge in toward the center.
• Scuff marks: Use a bit of baking soda on a damp sponge to erase them.
• Heel marks: Use extra-fine steel wool to rub in floor wax.
• Food stains: Wipe the surface with a damp cloth, rub dry and wax.
• Water marks or white stains: Gently rub the spot with extra-fine steel wool and floor wax or a small amount of mineral spirits. Keep the area well ventilated as you work.

Contact us to request more information and arrange for a free in-home consultation, or visit our flooring showroom to speak with our team in person.