Start with Prevention You will exert lesser efforts and time to clean wood floors when you have taken steps to maintain and preserve your flooring in the first place.
Scratches may be prevented by trimming the nails of your pets and placing rugs in doorways to prevent dust from and other debris from tracking in.
Instituting a house rule of leaving shoes by the door will also help avoid scratches.
Immediate attention should also be placed on stains and spills, to avoid further damage.
Avoid moving furniture around, and use felt contacts under legs.
Whenever you vacuum, use only brush attachment.
Everyday Care When it comes to everyday cleaning, sweeping and vacuuming you floor will suffice.
Just remember to use soft-bristled broom that will effectively trap dirt yet is easy on the on your wood floor.
When vacuuming, try using a canister vacuum with attachment especially designed for wood floors.
You can also clean wood floors using dust mops with cotton heads.
One good tip is to spray cleaning solution on the mop head a day before you plan on mopping to get effective results.
Color Do Matter Be aware that when you choose to install a dark colored wood floor, dust will show easily and you need to sweep or vacuum as often as you can.
On the other hand, dirt is easily seen on light-colored flooring, necessitating the use of a mop more often that you'd care to.
The best bet is to go for a wood floor that is of intermediate hue.
Go Natural Here are some tips to clean wood floors without having to put the members of your family, especially the children, at health risk.
You can use items found around the house to clean water marks left by spills on your floor like rubbing some mayonnaise or toothpaste on the watermarks and buffing the floor with a clean rag.
When dealing with molds and mildew, use cleaners that are specifically non-toxic.
Your floor may require refinishing afterwards and this time use a mold-resistant varnish.
Another common household item found to be effective in cleaning wood flooring is tea.
Brew around twenty bags of tea in two quarts of water and damp mop them on the floor to bring out the shine and the wood grain.
Murphy Oil One popular product used to clean wood floors is Murphy Oil.
All you have to do is dilute this substance in water according to instructions found in the label.
This particular brand of wood cleaner is also flexible and can be used on hardwood and laminate flooring, as well as on wood furniture.
Murphy Oil can be also applied on different types of stains, such as blood, grease, ink, and others.