Tips to keep hard wood floors scratch-free
One of the main reasons that people choose hard wooden flooring is that it’s easy to keep clean. Spill some red wine on a carpet and you’re in for some heavy duty cleaning, but with hard wood floors, just simply wipe clean and you’re done. If you’re thinking about making the switch from carpeted floors to wood, check out the latest prices for wooden flooring at Wickes, where you can also buy some of the treatment products we’ll be using in our top tips.
While staining isn’t so much of an issue with real wood floors, scratches and nicks can diminish the aesthetic appeal of hard wood floors, but some basic TLC will keep your flooring in tip-top shape for decades to come.
1. Preventative Measures
One of the simplest ways to keep your flooring looking good, is to clean it regularly. Hoover up on a regular basis and you’ll prevent dirt and grime from embedding itself in the wood over time, saving yourself a lot of trouble in the long run.
2. Avoid Soap and Water
Mopping up your floors with regular soap and water can actually do damage to hard wood flooring in the long term. Hard wood will absorb water, and over time this can lead to swelling and staining. So use a hard wood cleaner instead, and choose your mop carefully! Look for a micofibre mop that doesn’t need a lot of liquid to clean efficiently – it’ll also give a nice streak-free finish.
3. Dealing with Spillages
Although hard wood won’t absorb nasty stains as quickly as carpeting, if you spill a strong liquid like grape juice, wine or cola and leave it to settle, it can stain. So it’s best to act quickly when spillages occur, as giving them time to set could mean having to refinish the floor in order to completely remove the stain.
4. Protect Against Scratches
One of the biggest causes of scratches to wooden flooring is furniture. To avoid this, you can buy adhesive felt padding that sticks to the bottom of table, chair and sofa legs. This added layer of protection can make all the difference.
5. Polish
If you have a hard wood floor with a wax finish, try to get into the habit of waxing and polishing your floors regularly. This will help to protect the wood against moisture, stains and discoloration. Polishing will also help to restore the natural lustre and keep your floors looking fresh, with a nice, smooth sheen.
