How to Maintain Your Wood Floor Refinishing
Refinishing wood floors revives any living space in a major way. Yet the pride and luxury of having a refinished floor by Mystique Hardwood Floors also comes with the simple task of keeping it spotless and eye-catching.
When you first had your hardwood floor finishing done, you probably noticed how elegant and lustrous the floor appeared. But usually, after about three to five years, the flooring starts to lose its luster.
Here are some tried and true ways to maintain your wood floor refinishing, extending its life while avoiding a wood floor’s most common detriments.
Daily Upkeep for Hardwood
While sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming might not be the most fun activity you can do, keeping your hardwood floor in ship-shape will ultimately protect your long-term investment of having an elegant space.
The best way to care for your refinished hardwood floor starts with replacing your every-day cleaning tools with the ones that work best on wood finish without scratching the grains or dulling the shine.
Brooms
When using a broom on newly refinished wood floors, the types of bristles you use are crucial. As brooms are ancient inventions that come in all shapes and sizes, picking the right one depends squarely on the surface you aim to clean.
For delicate wood floors, the best brooms in the business are either rubber or synthetic (or a combination of both) bristles. Straw brooms, on the other hand, can fall apart over time and scratch surfaces more easily.
For hair or stringy particles, rubber bristle brooms are the best choice for pet owners who find themselves tasked with cleaning up cat or dog hair. Without compromising their flooring’s lifespan and appearance, rubber bristles have a way of sliding along the floor without scuffing, all the while grabbing and clumping hair together.
For dust, synthetic bristle brooms are your best bet, since rubber bristles are too spaced to sweep smaller particulates. The softer the bristles, the longer your refinished flooring will last.
Tip: Take off your shoes before sweeping. Do this so you don’t track dirt around while you sweep. Think as if you’re entering a temple and your floor is the shrine.
Microfiber Dust Mops
Sometimes sweeping with an old, stiff-bristled broom can do more harm than good to your hardwood floor. Generic dust mops also have the potential to scratch and fade your refinished hardwood’s sheen.
That’s why it’s best to go with a microfiber dust mop. Unlike traditional mops and brooms that just push particles into neat piles, microfibers trap dust into their dense braids of chenille. They’re engineered to use static electricity to attract and snatch up negatively charged dust particles as you run the mop along the grain.
After using your microfiber mop, be sure to wash and dry it before using it again. Throwing the mop the dryer can recharge the microfibers and their static-electric power.
Tip: Dust tends to build up especially around stationary furniture like desks, couches, and chairs. Develop the habit of moving your furniture out of the way to sweep or mop the surface. By doing this, dust bunnies won’t get ingrained in your flooring, making it easier to clean week after week.
Bare Floor Setting on Your Vacuum
While sweeping is more energy efficient and less time consuming, vacuuming is a great way to touch up the floors once a week. Make sure to use a vacuum with a bare floor setting (most vacuums will have one).
When a vacuum activates bare floor mode, there’s clearance between the floor and vacuum bristles. The benefit of vacuuming is also to reach hard-to-get places between furniture.
Tip: Notice areas that collect a lot of dust, like drapes, doors that lead to the outside, spaces underneath electronics, or other heavy furniture. Try to keep these areas dust free as a preemptive measure to keep floors spotless and lustrous.
Avoiding Scuffs and Scratches on Wood Floors
For getting the most out of your hardwood floor refinishing, cleaning is essential. However, there are some blemishes and marks that no amount of sweeping or vacuuming can fix.
UV Rays
Sunlight can age a floor the way it can age a painting hanging on your wall next to your window, yet a refinished floor’s appeal is to reflect light in a dazzling way. In that case, invest in drapes that will let in enough ambient light while blocking UV Rays.
Pets
Be sure to trim the nails on your cat, dog, or any other pet you let roam around the house. Doing so will reduce the minuscule scratches that, over time, become worn-out areas in your refinished floor.
Footwear
Maybe you have kids who like to run across your hardwood floor in soccer cleats. Or maybe you’re running to the garage in high-heels because you’re late for work. Or maybe your most comfortable work shoes leave hard-to-scrub scuff marks in your wake.
A well-traveled floor under rough footwear can wear down a new finish more than anything. If bare-footing your way around the house isn’t your style, here are at least some types of footwear to avoid that will better maintain your flooring:
- Soccer, golf, or baseball cleats
- Boots
- High-heels
- Shoes with black rubber soles
Other Protective Measures
Establish a buffer between your wood or metal legs of furniture by adding a rug into the mix. A small- or medium-sized rug goes a long way in protecting the wood floor without stealing the show. Furniture sliders, which often have felt-tipped bottoms, can ease the movement of a piece of furniture from one corner of the room to the next, without causing abrasions or tread marks.
If refinishing your wood floor is next on your list of honey-do’s, be sure to consult Mystique Hardwood Floors for your next project. We offer high-quality and long-lasting refinished floors to set your home apart from the rest.
