Your current cleaning routine might be damaging your hardwood floors.
Find out how often you should clean them to maintain their beauty and longevity.
The key words in that sentence are properly cared for.
Credit: Stacy Zarin Goldberg
The goal is to decrease the number of times the floors get wet.
Vacuuming and sweeping should comprise 80 percent of your hardwood floor cleaning routine, rather than wet mopping.
Here are a few tips to integrate into your cleaning schedule toprolong the life of your hardwood floors.
Credit:Edmund Barr
This prevents a large buildup and prevents the dirt from scratching your floor.
A broom or dust mop should be the backbone of your cleaning routine for hardwoods.
If you allow wet spills to dry on the floor, theyll dull the finish and attract more dirt.
If you have an upright vacuum, be sure to turn off the rotating brush.
Once the wood gets wet, floors can swell, buckle, and warp.
To best preserve your hardwoods, wet mop high-traffic areas only twice a month.
Areas that get less traffic can be cleaned monthly.
Hardwood floors ina guest bedroomthat’s rarely used could even go multiple months without wet mopping.
With this protocol, your hardwood floors will last much longer and youll have less time-consuming mopping to do.
