You’ve just installed your beautiful new hardwood flooring, or you’re considering adding hardwood flooring to your home Wood Floors is an best option and you’re concerned about the maintenance and protection. With flooring that adds such warmth and timeless beauty to any home interior, you’re going to want to keep them in tip-top shape in order to prolong their lifetime – which can actually be a truly long time.

While it does take just a little extra time and effort to properly care for hardwood flooring in your home, it’s well worth it. Taking action on the maintenance and precautions we mention in this article below will help you to better prolong the health of your flooring so you can enjoy for years to come. If you’ve considered all of the factors of installing hardwood and you’ve decided on hardwood flooring, learning how to protect it is the next step.

Here are 14 ways to Protect your Wood Floors from Damage:

1. Vacuum the Right Way

It’s important to vacuum your flooring, but almost even more important to be sure that you’re doing it properly. If you don’t, you may end up scratching your wood flooring and defeating the purpose of protecting them. While sweeping might do the trick, you will want to pull out the vacuum sometimes. When you do, be sure that you’re using the correct attachment that’s made for wood flooring. Use the best vacuum too.

If you use the standard carpet setup, you may be hurting your flooring more than you’re caring for it. The hardwood attachment was designed not to damage your floors and provide you with a clean and scratch-free result. It will pull all of the dirt and dust up and won’t leave a single mark.

2. Sweep Regularly

The best way to keep your floors in great shape is to be sure you’re sweeping them regularly to pick up any dirt, dust, gravel, or other small particles that can actually end up damaging your floors. While little, these particles can scratch the hardwood if you end up dragging them around on your shoes or underneath furniture. If you sweep regularly, you can significantly decrease the chances of this happening and have beautiful, slick floors at all times.

3. Clean Up Spills Right Away

The number one rule of hardwood flooring is to never let any liquid sit on the surface – ever. Liquid can penetrate the surface layer of the wood and damage the panels so that they need to be replaced. Use a soft cloth and be sure to completely dry the area of the spill when cleaning. If you need to use a cleaner, opt for a hardwood friendly type.

Spills can cause your hardwood flooring to begin warping if not properly cleaned up, so it’s important to get it taken care of as soon as possible. While a small scratch can be resurfaced out, water damage can not be reversed.

4. Do Not Mop your Hardwood Flooring

You absolutely do not want to mop your hardwood flooring. While some people may say that it’s ok to do so, they are actually putting their floors in danger. The water can seep into the fibers because of the amount of saturation. This can cause the hardwood to begin swelling, twisting, or warping, causing irreversible damage to your beautiful investment.

When you do need to do a deeper clean on your hardwood, use just a lightly damp rag and then be sure to completely dry the cleaned up area as soon as you’re done. Never let the liquid sit. You also do not want to use hot water when you’re working with your hardwood. Simply opt for room temperature or lukewarm.

5. Adopt a Plan for Care

As we mentioned before, wood floors require consistent cleaning in order to keep them looking as beautiful as they looked when you purchased them. If not properly cared for, they can begin to lose their appealing qualities much quicker than you expected. They will begin to lose their shine and also their durability. In addition to cleaning your hardwood, there are a couple other items to keep in mind.

Every 5 years or so, you will want to lightly sand the whole floor and then recoat with finish. If they have a wax coating as a protective layer, once a year this may need a new layer of wax. Both of these will keep the shine and impressive quality in your flooring.

6. Use the Right Cleaners

You want to be super careful about the cleaners that you choose to use when it comes to hardwood flooring. Using the wrong one can cause irreversible damage to the wood boards if used over and over. The finish will begin to strip away and you will lose the shine pretty quick. There are great products on the market that were specifically made for hardwood floor cleaning and won’t cause damage when used properly. Use the right cleaners for your hardwood and you’ll be happy with the results.

When Healthy Home Flooring installs your floors, you will want to talk to them to find out what cleaning product will be the best option. You can also directly contact the manufacturer to see what they suggest. Do your research and be sure to pick one that’s going to get the job done without defeating the purpose. You will want to avoid any cleaning products that have ammonia or vinegar on the ingredient list. These are acidic and will not do well in adding to the life of your flooring. You may also want to stay away from oil-based products as they can cause a buildup over time. As long as you’re consulting the proper sources, you can easily pick a cleaner that’s appropriate for the flooring type you have in your home.

7. Don’t Use Polyurethane or Wax Polishes

Don’t use these polishes that promise to clean and restore your flooring. These actually damage your floor because the chemicals in them end up causing stains and streaks. Once you use these, any finish that you try to apply on top to protect the shine of your floors in the future will not adhere properly. Stay away from these two polishes and follow the other cleaning methods mentioned in this list and you’ll be good to go.

8. Implement a No Shoe Policy

Any type of shoe that has a hard sole or a heel, you will definitely not want to walk on your hardwood with. If you wear high heels especially, check them at the door so you don’t greatly damage your floors. If you have kids who spend a lot of time outdoors and maybe play sports requiring cleats, have them kick them off before they come inside. Aside from the dirt and mud that can be tracked in, the cleats can cause damage by themselves. If you implement a no shoe policy on the hardwood, you’ll decrease the chance of dents, dings, and scuffs on your shiny, clean floors. Make a little spot by the front door for your shoes and you’ll be good to go.

9. Rugs and Carpets Help a Ton

If you have high traffic spots in your home, adding a rug or carpet can do wonders. Hallways and entryways are great spots to do this. With so many people walking through these areas each day, it’s hard to keep it super clean. A rug will catch the small debris that are dropped of and will protect from any hard shoes that do make it onto the floor. You should also consider a doormat outside and inside as an extra layer of protection from dirt and dust.

If you have heavy furniture, it’s also a good idea to add a rug or carpet underneath so it protects the flooring from the legs. You don’t want the furniture to end up scratching the floors if it shifts slightly from day to day use.

10. Scratch Prevention

It doesn’t hurt to take extra scratch prevention measures when you have hardwood flooring. If you are a pet owner, long nails can definitely cause scratches. Keep your pet’s nails groomed and trimmed so they don’t end up causing a ding or two. This is especially important if your pet is on the larger and heavier side.

Felt pads under furniture are also a good way to keep your furniture from scratching and denting your floors. You can place these on the bottom of tables, couches, chairs, and other furniture items. Even if the felt pads make it easier to push furniture around in your home, you will want to lift it to be extra careful not to cause any damage. Felt pads are super affordable and they go a long way in protecting your investment.

11. Keep Pet Bowls Off of the Hardwood

If you have a pet, be sure to have their bowls on a mat or other protection so that they’re not sitting directly on the hardwood floor. Pets don’t necessarily know how to keep the water off the floor, nor can they clean up when they make a mess. If they spill water everywhere and you don’t notice it, you could end up with some serious water damage that will need a replacement to fix. Wood flooring is not known to be the most pet resistant flooring option.

12. Choose a High-Quality Wood

While installing hardwood flooring is one of the most expensive options when it comes to choosing the type of flooring for your home, it’s a great investment if you choose a high-quality wood material. You may think that going the cheapest route is a good idea because it’s within your budget, but you really should consider spending the extra amount to get a better return in the long run. Higher quality flooring is more durable, more scratch resistant, and sometimes even a little more water resistant. With these being the top three most important considerations of purchasing hardwood flooring, it makes sense to go with the higher quality option. A great hardwood brand is the best choice.

If you choose cheaper, lower quality option, the life of your flooring may end up being a lot shorter than you expected, depending on the maintenance and care that you put into it. A better floor will last you a much longer time and help you to avoid making costly repairs any time soon.

13. Get a Great Installation

Choosing a company that’s well experienced in providing and installing the best quality woods, is going to be key to protecting your hardwood flooring in the long run. It’s important that your flooring is installed correctly and carefully so that you can enjoy it for many years to come. Installing hardwood flooring is not a DIY project that you’re going to want to take on. An expert team can help you in making sure that everything is done right and efficiently. Healthy Home Flooring in Arizona offers free installation when you purchase your hardwood flooring directly from them.

14. When in Doubt, Ask Healthy Home Flooring

As a leading expert in flooring here in Arizona, anytime you have a question about how to keep your flooring clean, Healthy Home Flooring can help. They can give you tips and care instructions from the manufacturer of your particular floors. It not worth it to not care for your floors or to use products that will hurt them. In order to protect your investment and enjoy your hardwood flooring for the future years to come, protecting them is the first step that should never go away.

If you take all of these measures seriously when it comes to caring for your hardwood flooring, you will certainly enjoy the benefits. You never know how long you’re going to end up living in your home, or if you’re going to end up selling it. Either way, if you properly care for your flooring, you won’t need to fork over the money to prepare for the sale or make a pesky repair that could have been avoided. Keeping your flooring looking shiny and new will keep both you and your wallet happy.