Different types of flooring are used by home builders these days. Floor materials include wooden flooring, laminated wood, ceramic tile, stone, terrazzo and various chemical floor coatings. There is a wide range of flooring that suit your needs and budget. And their maintenance varies.

Given the wide array of flooring options available, if wooden flooring fits your lifestyle, you should know how to take care of it and retain its beauty. Wooden floor requires proper maintenance.

Tips on how to maintain your wooden floors

1. Use humidifiers

During hot and humid months, use humidifiers to prevent shrinkage of wood. Wooden floors tend to expand in winter season. Humidifiers are useful to minimise these gaps.

2. Avoid spike-heels

Be careful not to walk on hardwood flooring with spiked or damaged-heeled shoes. They can dent the wooden surface.

3. Trim the nails of your pets

If you have pets, keep their nails trimmed and paws clean to avoid scratches and stains on the floor.

4. Rugs at the doorways

Use throw rugs at entries and other areas to help prevent dirt and debris that get onto your floor and hence you can avoid scratching as well.

5. Avoid liquid cleaners

To clean wooden floors, avoid using wet-mop, steam-mop, water, vinyl or tile cleaning product or other liquids. Oil soaps, paste wax, products containing lemon, citrus or silicon can dull the finish and even damage the floor. Don’t use these products on hard wood floor. Dust the floor properly with a microfiber mop or cloth every day. Microfiber cleaning pads often use static electricity to trap dirt and dust or other allergens effectively.

6. Vacuum the floor

Vacuum or clean wooden floor with a tightly squeezed mop once a week to get dirt out of troubled areas like gaps between pieces of hardwood and corners. If you are using vacuum, be careful that its wheels or beater bar doesn’t damage the floor. When you are using a mop, make sure that it doesn’t contain excess water.

7. Wipe the spills

Wipe dry water or tea spills immediately with a soft and slightly dampened cloth. Don’t leave it on for long. It may leave behind stain marks.

8. Polish the floor

Polishing renews and refreshes the finish of hardwood flooring. It should be done once every few months to fill in microscopic scratches and even out floor’s protective surface. This process requires minimal amount of effort. Use buffing instead of using acrylic waxes on wooden floor. Wax causes a floor look dull and become slippery.

9. Use sand finish

Sand and refinish your wooden floor every three to five years to replace the old protective finish. It can repair the damages leaving you with immaculately clean hardwood flooring.

10. Avoid sliding things on the floor

While moving anything on the floor, avoid sliding it. Pick it up and place it on your desired location to prevent scratches.

11. Use stick-on felt protectors

Place stick-on felt protectors under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching of the floor. Replace them often to maintain your hardwood floor nicely.

12. Remove sticky stuff with ice

If something sticky like chewing gum or wax falls on wooden floor, don’t scratch it. Instead, use ice to harden them and then gently scrape with plastic scraper.

Wooden flooring gives a pleasing appearance to any house, enhancing its value. It is a combination of beauty and durability. Ignoring it can lead to its darkening and scratching with age or usage and shrinkage and expansion with weather. Remember that maintaining your wooden flooring will take some of your time and patience, but it is worth the while.