Cleaning and Restoring Hardwood Floors
September 30, 2014
As we slowly begin the transition from winter to spring, now is the time to prepare your home for next season’s challenges. While spring typically brings about relief and excitement, it can be extremely rough on your floors. Slush, rain, and mud are major culprits when it comes to damaging your carpet flooring, hardwood flooring, and just about any other type of flooring. The saying goes an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and we say it is easier to prevent a mess than clean one up. If you would rather not spend your spring trying to find ways to repair stained or damaged floors, we suggest implementing some of these floor-protecting ideas now.
Do you have a “no shoes” policy in your home? We highly recommend making it a habit to remove any footwear at the door. It may take a few days, or weeks, but it should be fairly easy to implement this rule with members of your household. To help the process along, make sure to have a mat for everyone to wipe their feet as well as a designated place to put shoes once they have been taken off. It is also helpful to have a boot tray as it collects any water and mud that may soak through a thin mat.
The biggest challenge many homeowners face when it comes to protecting their floors from messy boots is asking guests to remove their shoes without making them feel uncomfortable. There are a few things you can do to avoid any awkward situations when welcoming guests to your home. We love the idea of using a nice sign near the door to let guests know of your request as they enter. Try polite phrasing like, “Welcome friends! Please take your shoes off and stay awhile!” or if humour is more your style, “Life is full of choices… take your shoes off or scrub the floor!” Some people also like to leave a basket full of slippers near the door to offer to guests as a warm and cozy alternative to their outside shoes.
Even in the most careful households, messes will happen occasionally, especially when pets and children are involved. The important thing is not to procrastinate cleaning up when things don’t go as planned. If it is ice, snow or rain water that ends up on your floor simply dry it up with a clean rag or paper towels as soon as possible. Keeping some basic cleaning supplies in a convenient location will make this easier.
For mud or other more difficult stains, treatment may vary depending on your type of floor, but it is always crucial to get started right away. On hardwood floors, prompt cleaning prevents moisture from seeping into the wood grain. For carpet stains specifically, our guide on common carpet stains and how to remove them offers practical solutions. We recommend you test out any cleaning method in an inconspicuous place first. You can also take a look at our Cleaning Tips board on Pinterest for more solutions.
Proper floor care and maintenance throughout the season will keep your floors in great shape. If spring moisture has caused warping or damage, professional floor refinishing can restore your floors to their original condition. For more serious issues like buckling or water damage, our floor repair team can assess whether restoration or replacement is the best option.
Spring is also a great time to consider upgrading high-traffic areas to more water-resistant materials. Vinyl flooring and laminate flooring both handle moisture and muddy footprints far better than traditional hardwood in entryways and mudrooms.
If you are looking for advice or protective treatments for your specific type of flooring, visit our flooring showroom or give us a call at 613-274-7977.
