Years of beauty in 8 easy steps

 

Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a microfibre mop once a day, vacuuming with a soft bristle floor attachment once a week, and cleaning your floor periodically with a quality wood floor cleaning product once or twice a month. The Loba cleaning system is recommended and can be purchased online. There are other steps you can take to help minimize wear and tear and maintain the beauty of your wood floor such as:

 

1. Your newly sanded floor has a 5 day cure time so you must take extra precautions during this time as the floor hardens. No wet cleaning products, no area rugs or carpets, and drop cloths for painting should not be left on the floor during these 5 days.

2. Keep grit off the floor! Dirt and grit are every floors worst enemy. Use quality dirt-trapping walk-off mats at all exterior doors to help prevent dirt, grit and sand from getting inside. Throw rugs or small carpets just inside the entrances are also recommended. Keep door mats clean and dry.

3. In kitchens, use an ergonomic mat at high spill zones. Natural rubber or Jute Fiber carpet backings are recommended. Mats with a smooth backing may trap moisture beneath causing damage to the floor.

4.  Natural chemicals in the wood cause discolouration over time from sunlight, causing the wood to change colour and develop a patina around area rugs and floor mats. To avoid uneven appearance, move area rugs occasionally and drape or shade large windows to avoid direct sunlight.

5. Put new fabric glides on the legs of your furniture; they allow furniture to be moved easily without scuffing the floor. Clean the glides regularly since grit can become embedded in them. Avoid casters made of hard materials like metals or hard plastics.

6. Vacuum regularly, as often as you would vacuum carpets; a soft brush attachment is recommended to prevent fine scratches. Sweep or use a dust mop daily, but do not use any household multipurpose cleaners or dust treatment (i.e. Rejuvenate, Swiffer Wet Jet, Zep, Murphys Oil, Pine-sol etc. ) as this will cause a film buildup on your floor making it slick. It will also dull the finish and could damage the floor.

7. Wipe up food and other spills promptly with a cloth or paper towel. Use a slightly moistened cloth for sticky spills if necessary. Then wipe the floor dry with another cloth or paper towel.

8. Overgrown nails are the real reason that dogs are a nightmare for you hardwood floors. If the dogs nails click on the floor as they walk, they are too long. Keep dog nails trimmed and filed to help prevent deep scratches as there is no such thing as scratch proof varnish.