Cleaning Wood Floors
- Dust mop or vacuum the floor on a regular basis to remove dirt and grit that may cause premature wear of the floor finish. This is the most important thing you can do to properly maintain your floors. Dirt and grit acts like sandpaper on your finished floors, gradually wearing it down over time.
- Clean your hardwood floors with a specific hardwood floor cleaner such as Glitsa Clean. Glitsa Clean is water-based, biodegradable, neutral pH solution designed to clean hardwood floors without dulling the finish or leaving a residue behind. Simply spray the cleaner on the floor and use a mop with a cloth or microfiber pad to damp mop the hardwood floor. Allow the floor to air dry.
- You can purchase Glitsa Clean floor cleaner from us or from McGuckin’s Hardware in Boulder.
- DO NOT wet mop a hardwood floor as it can dull the finish or even damage the wood over time.
- NO NOT use a steam cleaner mop on your hardwood floors. It forces steam into the joints of the wood and that can cause the finish to peel off the board edges and/or turn cloudy, and the floor is going to look worn out long before it should.
- DO NOT use diluted vinegar to clean your hardwood floors because vinegar is acidic and will dull the finish.
- DO NOT use any oil-based cleaners, household cleaners that contain ammonia, or cleaners such as Murphy’s Oil Soap – these will leave a residue on your floor that will build up over time and dull the finish. They will also inhibit the adhesion of a new finish coat if you have your floors screened and re-coated.
Preventative Maintenance
- Place throw rugs at outside entrances and other high traffic areas, such as in front of the kitchen sink. Avoid using rugs with rubber backs as these can discolor your floors.
- Place felt pads on the bottom of your furniture. Plastic protectors that often come pre-installed on wooden chair legs will severely scratch your hardwood floors. Berlin Flooring has felt pads available for purchase that can be tapped into wood furniture legs, as well as stick-on felt pads.
- Install urethane wheels for rolling office chairs to replace the stock plastic wheels. The plastic wheels often damage hardwood floors.
- Keep your dog’s nails trimmed.
- Place a protective mat under your pet’s water bowls.
- Don’t put potted plants directly on a hardwood floor, and be careful with over-watering plants.
- Be careful when wearing high heel shoes in your home. High heel shoes can easily dent hardwood floors.
- Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to keep wood movement and board shrinkage to a minimum. Hardwood floors perform best with an internal environment of 30-50% relative humidity.
- When the floors begin to lose their luster, contact Berlin Flooring regarding a screen and re-coat. Re-coating hardwood floors is recommended on average every 3-5 years.
- Screen and re-coat your hardwood floors before the finish has worn off. If you notice a grey or black color in the soft grain of the wood it means the finish is worn down and dirt has been ground into the grain of the wood. Have your floors re-coated before this happens to give your floors another layer of protection.