Maintaining hard surfaces like cleaning wood floors is a task that can really enhance the appearance and value of your home.

While most hard floors respond well to routine cleaning and maintenance, there are still challenges inherent with natural wood flooring materials that require your special attention.

The first area of special attention when cleaning wood floors is a  gritty one.  Any type of soil on a surface acts as a natural “sandpaper” and slowly but surely damages the surface as it is walked on. Especially in Florida, where we have a lot of sand. This can happen to carpet and hard floors, but it’s the appearance of hard floors that will show the damage. Think about taking some sand on plexiglass and rubbing it over the surface for a long period of time. It is going to get scratched badly, and it will be highly visible. This is true of hard floors. Carpet can hide the issue to some degree, but your  wood floors do not.

The best way to protect your wonderful wood floors is daily maintenance. Sweep them every day using a dust mop or Swiffer mop on the floor.  Or even better, a vacuum with an attachment for hard floors.  Keeping that gritty soil off the floor will protect it, and it only takes a few minutes. Choose a quality dust mop wide enough to make quick work of the chore, but not too wide that you can’t get into tight areas or corners.

Vacuuming Wood Floors

There are special vacuum cleaners for hard surfaces that work great as well.

At least once a week, completely clean your wood floors. After sweeping or vacuuming,  deep clean the floor with warm neutral detergent solution. Choose a neutral detergent, which should be a pH of 7 and be made for your hard surface floors. Neutral Cleaning Solution   Keep moisture to a minimum but enough to dampen the floor as you clean it, removing soils and contaminants as you work. Rinse out your mop and repeat several times until you are confident your wood floors are “squeaky clean.” Then use a slightly damp microfiber mop as the final step. Do not use acidic products like vinegar.

When you come across specks or soils that stick to the floor, scrape them off with your fingernail or a sharp blade, but be careful not to scratch the floor.

Of course, the best way to care for your wood floors is to use experts who know exactly how to maintain them. Contact Accent American Inc , your favorite wood floor cleaning company today.