Flooring How To’s: Preparing Your Hardwood Floors for the New Year

In 2021, hardwood floors ranked first over other flooring options for their overall durability and longevity. While this wooden flooring lasts an average of three decades, the key to keeping them last ages is in their upkeep. Preparing your hardwood floors for another year is essential to ensure they remain sturdy and appealing. Learn how you can prep your hardwood flooring for the new year ahead with these doable steps. 

Hardwood Cleaning Preparations

Cleaning your hardwood floors to get them ready for another year is different from your routine maintenance. While having professional deep cleaning services do it for you is the safest option, it’s also costly, and not everyone can afford it. DIY cleaning preps are a budget-friendly alternative, but homeowners need to use the proper techniques, tools, and products to ensure their floors’ safety.

Unlike other wooden floorings, hardwood floors are susceptible to damage once exposed to abrasive cleaning chemicals. In addition, the improper use of floor equipment can create dents and scratches that can become irreparable. Instead of having clean floors for the new year, you may end up with damaged hardwood needing replacement.

Check with your trusted hardwood flooring specialist on what brands and products you can use for your floors depending on their specie, type, and age. Some hardwood floors are more durable and resistant than others, while others have adverse reactions to usual wood cleaning chemicals.

Preparing Hardwood Floors with Oil-Based Finishes

Holiday parties, events, and snow day escapades can leave your hardwood floors with spills, stains, and scratches. Cleaning and prepping your floors for the year ahead can be troublesome if you use other finishes besides oil-based polyurethane.

Unless you have worn or damaged hardwood floors, polyurethane-coated floorings don’t allow moisture to seep through them. While it makes cleaning easier, the wrong ways of cleaning oil-based finished hardwood can affect its protective properties.

Here is a step-by-step procedure to deal with them.

1. Removing Build-Up Dirt and Dust

Dust and debris can build up fast from the holiday festivities and events, causing your floors to go dull. Getting rid of them is essential before you start other forms of cleaning on your hardwood flooring. Uncleaned dirt can smear across the floorboards and leave shallow to deep scratches and dents. It will also make the rest of your preparations faster to complete.

Using a vacuum is okay if you find the equipment more comfortable. Cleaning your floors is also a breeze but only use a suitable brush attachment. Other vacuum attachments can scratch or damage the hardwood surface when their metal parts touch and drag over the floor.

Electrostatic brooms are another effective cleaning tool to remove dirt from your floors. The dust and debris cling to the bristles and eliminate the need to sweep the same area twice. In addition, these types of brooms can pick up dirt from tricky corners and hard-to-reach spaces.

2. Mopping the Hardwood Flooring with a Mild Cleanser

Specialized cleaning products for hardwood floors are readily available in your nearest flooring shops. But homemade cleaning solutions like baking soda and warm water can work well for regular mopping. Soiled and stained floors may need alkaline water-based cleaning solutions to remove them from your wooden flooring.

Although these cleaning solutions are safe for polyurethane-finished hardwood, diluting them into a mild cleanser is better before mopping. Microfiber mops are the most recommended choice, but you can use any type if they’re unavailable. Remember to wring the mop before swiping it over your floors to keep the wetness to a minimum.

3. Buffing Your Hardwood Flooring

Letting your floors dry after mopping and cleaning them can already get you well-prepared hardwood flooring. But you can get better results by buffing them to achieve lustrous and professional-looking hardwood flooring. Buffing your floor with a rented buffing machine will make the process easier. However, doing them by hand is also possible.

You can create your buffing solution by mixing a cup of white vinegar in a gallon of warm water. Dampen a soft cloth or your microfiber mop into the mixture and wring off the excess liquid. With your mop or cloth, buff it over your hardwood flooring in circular motions. Wait until the floor dries up, and you’ll have shiny, new-looking wooden floorboards in time for the new year.

Welcoming 2023 With Well-Prepped Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood floorings are significant house additions and property investments requiring attentive care. Although they’re durable and long-lasting, their annual upkeep is essential to protect their unique features. Prepping your hardwood floors in time to welcome another year can prevent them from dulling due to the dirt and grime from the holiday festivities. With this floor know-how, your flooring can be ready for another year of service.

Find out more about hardwood floors by visiting Kelly Hardwood Floors today!