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Proper maintenance of hardwood, engineered hardwood or laminate flooring can prolong the life of the floor’s finish. The most important thing to do is keep your hardwood, engineered wood or laminate floor free of grit, sand, gravel, dirt and food particles that can scratch the surface when people walk on it. Here are some practical tips on how to do that:
– Keep a welcome mat outside all outside doors and another, softer rug just inside.
– Have everyone remove their shoes before walking in your home.
– Avoid wearing high heels inside your home.
– Sweep or dust mop every day, avoiding the use of bristle brooms. Use a vacuum only if it has a wood-floor feature.
– Quickly wipe up spills, including plain water, with a clean, soft terrycloth towel. Never allow anything wet, such as wet clothing, to stay on your floor.
– Damp mop with plain water or a cleaning product with a neutral pH. Do not use products that contain petroleum, waxes or vegetable oil soap. Never use abrasive cleaning materials.
– Never put houseplants directly on your floor. Either keep them in another area or ensure that they are in a watertight container.
– Shut windows in rainy weather to avoid raindrops pooling on the floor.
– Use drapes or even lightweight curtains to shield your floor from the harsh ultraviolet rays of the sun.
– Keep pets’ nails trimmed.
– Never drag furniture across your floor. Either lift the furniture or use a rug or dolly with non-metal wheels to pull it.
– Place protective felt pads under all furniture legs to protect your floor.
Lastly, have your floor professionally buffed every five years or whenever you notice signs of wear. If you keep it up, you will not have to have it sanded as often. As you may know, you can sand a floor only two or three times before it wears too thin and must be replaced, but you can buff and shine as often as you want. Look for bonded and insured sandless, dust-free floor refinishing professionals in your area. They will be able to restore your floor without the dust and hassle of sanding.
write by Wendy Carter