Nothing beats the look, feel and smell of a hardwood floor. Whether it’s oak or walnut, real wood flooring is as stylish as it is comforting. But this stunning beauty comes with a catch. Unless you care for your hardwood floor from day one, it won’t stand the test of time. It will deteriorate quickly, and deprive you of several years of service.
The good news is that the destiny of your wooden flooring lies in your own hands. If you’re prepared to clean it regularly and perform regular preventative maintenance, your wood flooring should deliver a lifetime of service.
But it’s not enough to simply clean and care for your floor — you need to go about it in the right way. The wrong cleaning agent or method can spell doom for oak, walnut, chestnut, teak and all the other hardwood floors on the market right now. Not only do you need to abide by the manufacturers care instructions, you need to know a few professional tricks of the trade.
We’ve compiled some advice and tips on how to prolong the life of your hardwood flooring. Stick to the basics, and you shouldn’t run into too many problems.
Keep your hardwood floors clear of debris
Although hardwood floors are relatively durable when they’re sealed properly, they aren’t indestructible. In fact, they are far more fragile than the likes of ceramic tile, laminate and linoleum. For example, a tiny stone or speck of grit might be invisible to the naked eye, but it can do untold damage if it’s trodden into wooden flooring.
The most important aspect of caring for real wood floors is keeping them free from debris. And to do this you’ll need a soft-bristled brush and a dustpan. Even if you think your floor is clear of debris, it’s a good idea to sweep it at least once a day.
Alternatively, try to find the best vacuum cleaner for hardwood floors. This will give you a hard floor setting that will protect the surface of the wood from scratches and scrapes during the vacuuming process. A handheld or stick vacuum is probably best, as they’re both lightweight and relatively gentle on real wood.
Keep your hardwood floors dry
Hardwood floors should be sealed — usually on site. This provides a protective barrier against water and other liquids. But just because a floor is sealed doesn’t make it completely impervious to moisture. The tiniest of areas not covered by sealant can allow moisture in. And even the slightest of scratches can have the same disastrous effect.
Always try to keep your floor completely dry, even if it’s in the kitchen. Clean up spillages immediately, with a clean and damp microfibre cloth. Never use cleaning chemicals, as some can degrade sealant and make the wood underneath vulnerable to moisture.
It’s also important to use water sparingly when cleaning your real wood floors. When you absolutely have to, use a wrung-out mop that is almost dry to the touch. Alternatively, there are some very efficient steam mops that work with a minimal amount of water. Just make sure you check the manufacturer’s care instructions before proceeding.
Provide protection from furniture
An item of furniture doesn’t have to move all that much to cause serious damage to a hardwood floor. Scuffs, scratches and scrapes from furniture legs in particular can lead to serious problems down the line. They also happen to look terrible.
When you have to move furniture, always lift it — never drag it. For chair legs (which will inevitably move from time to time) it’s best to fit them with protective feet. Choose a non-slip rubber or fabric “shoe” on every leg in the room.
Another way to protect your real wood floors is with the use of rugs, runners and mats. For example, you could place an entire kitchen dining table and all of its chairs on a stylish rug. And the same goes for sofas and armchairs in your living room.
Provide protection from footfall
Despite your best efforts, real wood floors will degrade over time if they’re subjected to heavy traffic. Hard shoes, and the dirt and stones they drag in, gradually wear away sealant. And when this happens, moisture has a way inside. Not only that, the tiniest of stones trodden into a wooden floor can cause a serious gouge or scratch.
The simplest way to protect your floors is to impose a no-shoe rule in your home. Failing that, make sure there are robust mats at every entrance to your home — and make everyone wipe their feet on arrival.
In hallways and thoroughfares, think about adding runners and mats to add a layer of protection between feet and your real wood floors. Just make sure you stop them from slipping around with the use of grip strips.
Provide protection from sunlight
We all like to allow natural light to flood into our home, but you should be careful in a room with real wood floors. Excessive exposure to sunlight can cause wood to fade — and become permanently discoloured. The simplest and cheapest way to slow down this process is by fitting blinds and lined curtains. Close them when the room is not in use, or whenever sunlight is at its most fierce.
If you don’t want to restrict the flow of natural light into your home, you can have your flooring treated with a special UV coating. Or if the sunlight is hitting localised areas of flooring, a simple mat or rug can deliver the protection you’re looking for.
Cleaning and caring for oiled wood flooring
For real wood floors that have been treated with an oil-based sealant, make sure you clean dirt with a pH-neutral wood cleaner. Where necessary, re-apply oil to areas of the floor that require further protection. If you notice damage, you should sand down the area to expose the real wood underneath. You can then re-apply the oil-based sealant. However, you only need to sand your floor when there’s damage. If you think the sealant is looking a little thin, just use a “top-up” oil.
Cleaning and caring for varnished wood flooring
Again, you should use a pH-neutral wood cleaner if necessary. However, in many cases just a slightly damp cloth is all you need to wipe up everyday messes. Whatever course of action you take, keep water to a minimum. Never soak the floor with a drenched mop, and never use commercial floor and all-purpose cleaners.
If you have to repair a varnished floor, you’ll find the process a little more complex than the process involved with an oiled floor. For this reason, you might want to leave the work to professionals. If you repair a small section of varnished wood flooring, you’ll probably end up with a patch that’s a different colour to the rest of the floor. This means that even a small amount of damage often requires the entire floor to be sanded and re-sealed.
If you take care of your real wood floors, there’s no reason why they can’t deliver up to 10 years of service before requiring significant attention. But this means ensuring you have the best vacuum cleaner for real wood. Remain vigilant against spills, scratches and debris. And ensure that you’re using appropriate cleaning tools and agents. If you do all this, your flooring should retain its showroom sparkle for many years.
