fbpx

Solid Hardwood Flooring Care and Repair Tips in Bay Shore, Brookhaven, Selden, Smithtown, Stony Brook, Suffolk County, NY & Suffolk County, Long Island

Cleaning wood floors is easy. Regular maintenance includes sweeping with a soft bristle broom or dusting with a dry microfiber mop. If the floor has beveled edges, vacuum it (with the beater bar turned off) to remove dust from between the individual floor boards. Clean the floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product. Ask us and we can recommend a product suitable for your floors. First Class Wood Flooring, Inc. has the products you need.

There are other steps that you can take to help maintain the beauty of your wood floors.

Daily                                      Sweep or dust mop

Weekly
                                   Vacuum using the bare floor setting

Monthly                                 Clean with recommended wood flooring cleaner

Every 3 – 5 Years                   Maintenance coat

Every Few Decades               Sand and refinish

To keep your solid hardwood flooring or engineered hardwood flooring looking their best for generations to come, we recommend these easy use and care tips. Remember, higher traffic calls for a little more diligence, but you’ll find your wood floors retain their beauty for years with minimal maintenance.

DO:

  • Use walk-off rugs at doorways to help prevent dirt, grit, and other debris which can get tracked in and scratch the floor.
  • Immediately wipe up any spills with a slightly dampened cloth. You may want to place an area rug near kitchen sinks to avoid water on the floor.
  • Use a wood-cleaning product to remove dirt and oil buildup. If the wax finish on your wood floor is discolored or has a heavy dirt build-up, use a combination liquid cleaner/wax specifically made for wood floors.
  • Follow the instructions on the bottle to avoid damaging the surface.
  • Avoid wax buildup under furniture and other low traffic areas by applying wax in these spots only every other waxing session.
  • Put stick-on felt protectors under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching. Replace these often as dirt and debris embedded in the pads act like sand paper on the floor surface.
  • Use a humidifier to minimize gaps during the winter months when you are running heating throughout your home.
  • Use blinds or curtains year-round to prevent harmful UV rays from discoloring your floors.

DON’T:

  • Do not use vinyl or tile cleaning products on wood floors.  Similarly, never use self-polishing acrylic waxes on wood floors.
  • Do not wet-mop or steam mop your wood floors.  For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug at the kitchen sink.
  • Do not over-wax a wood floor. If a waxed floor dulls, try buffing instead.  If buffing no longer restores shine, you may need to rewax. If so, apply a cleaner and liquid wax specifically for wood floors. Apply the wax evenly, allow the floor to dry, and buff to the desired luster.
  • To avoid scratches when moving heavy furniture or other objects, do not slide it on wood flooring.

For polyurethane finished floors

  • Dustmop, sweep, or vacuum regularly.
  • When cleaning no longer restores shine, recoat the floor with a surface finish. The frequency of recoating depends on the amount of traffic.
  • Never wax a surface-finished floor.

Looking to buy wood care products?

We offer a wide assortment of professional-grade products for wood floors, and we have a complete system of products to maintain your hardwood floors after they’ve been finished using any of polyurethane finishes. Ask us about the right product for your needs.