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Tools for Hardwood FloorCare:
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Quickie Dust N' Shine
O-Cedar Wood Floor Duster
Ace® Janitor Broom
Casabella Magnet Mop |
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Hardwood Floor Maintenance
Basic Care |
Cleaning No-no's |
Recoating |
Types of Coatings
The following information is provided by Terryl and Angelo, our Home Repair Referral Service hardwood floor specialists.
To protect the beauty of hardwood flooring in your home, proper maintenance is essential. Good maintenance practices will preserve the shine of the floor's finish as well as help the topcoat protect the wood beneath. By observing some simple suggestions, you will be able to continue to enjoy the warmth and beauty that hardwood floors will add to your home for years to come.
Basic Care
- Keep grit off the floor -- fine particles of grit and dirt that act like sandpaper and abrade the floor finish. Vacuum at least once a week. Dust mop or sweep in between weekly cleanings.
- Match the appropriate cleaner to the type of finish on your floor, and do not overclean your floors. Overcleaning will abrade the finish, causing it to wear faster.
- Immediately wipe up spills and tracked-on dirt with a lightly dampened cloth, and wipe dry with a soft cloth.
- Use protective mats and area rugs. Mats at all exterior doors help prevent dirt and grit from entering your home. Use area rugs or runners in high traffic areas (e.g., in the kitchen, in front of the sink and stove). Mats and rugs trap a lot of dirt, so shake them out often and clean them regularly.
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Protect Your Hardwood Floors:
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E-Z Glide Surface Protectors
Ace® Swivel Glides
Ace® Low Friction Slide Glides
Ace® Nail-On Glides
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- Movement of chairs and tables can cause excessive wear on your floor finish. Felt protectors minimize this wear. Install felt or fabric-covered floor glides on all furniture at floor contact points, and clean/replace them periodically. Replace narrow furniture glides with wider substitutes. When moving furniture that does not yet have furniture glides, either pick it up off the floor, or slip a cloth or heavy sock under each leg to avoid damaging the floor.
- Avoid walking on floors with high heels or with any sharp objects protruding from shoes (e.g., small rocks caught in shoe treads).
- To avoid cracking or buckling, keep the relative humidity in your home between 45% and 55%. Excessive humidity can cause wood fibers to swell, creating cracks in the finish. Excessively dry conditions can cause cracks between the floorboards. Depending on which problem you encounter, install a humidifier or dehumidifier.
Cleaning No-no's
All types of finishes
- Do not use any product on your hardwood floor until you have read the label! If it is not formulated for hardwood floors, don't use it.
- Do not use "self-polishing" waxes, vinyl or tile floor care products on your hardwood floors. After application, the water evaporates and leaves a glossy coat of finish which will discolor over time, requires repeat applications, and is not compatible when future recoating of your floor is required.
- Never pour water or allow water to puddle on your hardwood floor. Water and wood are not a good combination. Water is particularly incompatible with wax finishes (see below).
- Overuse of soaps and detergents in water can damage your floor and possibly the finish, making refinishing problematic.
Sealed (e.g., polyurethane) hardwood floors
- When necessary, use clear vinegar and hot water to clean sealed floors. Completely wring out your applicator. Use of Murphy's Oil Soap is not recommended -- it can interfere with adhesion of re-coats of polyurethane in the future.
- Do not wax sealed wood floors. Wax can interfere with future re-coating of the floors, and often results in a slippery surface.
Waxed hardwood floors
- Do not overwax a wax floor.
- Decide between buffable and non-buffable wax, and stay with the same type and brand of wax (incompatibility between waxes may cause a dull or streaky finish). Buffable wax works well on medium to high traffic floors -- rebuff regularly between waxings to restore luster (when using a buffing machine, use fiber bristle attachment only). Non-buffable wax (contains acrylics) works well on low traffic floors or floors protected by rugs.
- Never clean a waxed floor with soap and water or any other cleaning product that includes or requires the addition of water. Carefully read the label of any cleaning product -- make sure it is compatible with the type of wax you use on your floors.
- Never wax over dirt.
- Do not apply Urethane over an existing wax finish.
Recoating
Sealed hardwood floors
When is it time to recoat your sealed hardwood floors? If you have treated your floors as above, and have not used any wax-related products or Murphy's Oil Soap, you can recoat with polyurethane. It is time to recoat when the sheen becomes dull in high-traffic areas. For most floors, this will be in three to five years.
Waxed hardwood floors
Waxed wood floors usually require waxing twice yearly. Apply more wax only in worn areas.
What type of coating is on your floor?
Know what type of coating is on your floor so you can give it proper care:
- Sealed hardwood floors are coated with a protective finish, such as polyurethane, or are impregnated with acrylic.
- Oiled hardwood floors are treated with linseed, tung, Danish or other vegetable oil.
- Waxed hardwood floors are coated with butcher, paste or liquid wax.
- Hardware Hotline July, 2003
Click on item numbers to order these products:
| Tools for Hardwood Floor Care: |
| 1142173 |
Quickie Dust N' Shine 078 |
| 10509 |
O-Cedar 0257-4 Wood Floor Duster |
| 1206564 |
The Magnet Mop™ 80500 by Casabella® |
| 10523 |
Ace® Janitor Broom |
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| Protect Your Hardwood Floors: |
| 500200 |
E-Z Glide Surface Protectors 225, 12-pack peel & stick circles |
| 500408 |
E-Z Glide Surface Protectors 231, 6-pack peel & stick strips |
| 51228 |
Ace® Swivel Glides, 4-pack |
| 51219 |
Ace® Nail-On Glides, 4-pack |
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