Hardwood is a material that is common for many flooring choices for several reasons.
It provides an aesthetic that matches and compliments many interior design choices. The choice itself is timeless and classic, providing a great feel on your feet, especially when clean. It also provides great resiliency with long-lasting durability. The big issue can come for those trying to maintain such flooring and keeping it clean to uphold that look. For those that are unsure of the proper techniques and practices, here are some tips to educate you on the right way to clean a hardwood floor according to experts.
Dust Mop
There are a variety of ways to clean a hardwood floor. One of the easiest ways to clean your floor is with a dust mop. A dust mop is a large mop that has a head that is about two feet wide. It is made with fiber materials, possibly microfiber for some while others incorporate other fiber types. The significance of using a dust mop is the ease and efficiency that comes with it. The material that it is made out of makes cleaning the floors easy as it glides over the flooring. The size of the head makes cleaning rooms of any size quick and easy. Unlike brooms that have unique and independent bristles, the uniformity of this dust mop ensures that you are not leaving small traces or amounts of debris behind when cleaning. Dust mops also tend to have a swivel head as well, which makes cleaning under furniture and in small crevices much easier. Once you are complete in your cleaning job, you will then collect the dirt, after shaking off your mop as well, and use a brush or broom to sweep it in a dustpan to be thrown away.
Vacuuming
An alternative to sweeping is vacuum cleaning. This provides the benefit of skipping the step of collecting your dirt pile and disposing of it. It is important to note that for hardwood flooring, you need to ensure that you have the right vacuum. You can determine what vacuum is right for the job depending on the wheels and the vacuum head accessories. The wheels are important to note because plastic wheels tend to be manufactured and made with the intent of using them on carpeted flooring or without hardwood in mind. Additionally, if you have designed for hardwood floors, it likely comes with attachments that are conducive to cleaning hardwood with a crevice piece that allows you to reach corners and beneath furniture in hard to reach places.
Chemicals
Once you have dry cleaned your hardwood flooring, mopping is the next step to ensure that you have a deep clean.
Many people wonder what type of solution you need for your flooring, and that will vary in preference from person to person. When you are selecting the cleaning formula or chemicals for your wood, you need to be careful about which cleaning formula you select as the chemicals will impact and potentially harm your flooring. This is because when your floors were installed, the wood had a coat to protect it and uphold the quality.
In addition to protecting, different coating polishes are key to maintaining your floors and are beneficial after any cleaning job. For restoring purposes, check out this review for information about different ways to bring life back to your wood. Remember that using different chemicals can dull the finish of your floors, and that is wear polishing comes into play. It is best to find a solution that has as few chemicals as possible and incorporates more natural ingredients.
Choosing a Mop
When selecting a mop, this boils down to personal preference as many options have come out over the years, from string mops to microfiber mops, with different features like the ability to wring out the water to only be damp, and perfect for cleaning. This is important to note, as you want to reduce as much water is used because a wet floor is terrible for wood. After all, it can cause warping if it is absorbed. Other alternatives to consider are steam mops, which are great for cleaning different floor surfaces, and even paper towels for convenience towards small messes.
Keeping your hardwood floor clean is important to extend its life and durability. Not providing the proper maintenance risks damage to your floor will require even more energy and effort to restore than it would if you simply take the time to properly care for it.
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