How to Care for Wooden Floors

Wooden flooring is one of the most beautiful additions to your home, especially if you're going for the rustic look. It also gives a lifetime of enduring beauty, unless you neglect to give it the loving care that it deserves. Here are a few nifty tips to maintain the healthy glow that will have your friends singing praises.  

Use floor protectors for all your furniture

This will help prevent any accidental scratches on your floor.  

Put rugs in areas where your children frequently play with toys

The rug will ensure that your children's toys won't leave marks on the floor.  

Dust often

Dusting your floors accomplishes 2 things: you'll feel more comfortable underfoot and it'll make it that much easier to deep clean after that. Use cleaning tools such as Magiclean wipers to pick up hair, dust and dirt.  

Deep Clean

Invest in cleaning products that allow you to clean your floors on a deeper level. Follow product instructions closely, but do not leave your floor wet even after cleaning. Wring your sponge or mop as dry as possible, because water left on the floor can be detrimental to its condition. If possible, use a ceiling fan to dry the floor after cleaning.  

Wipe up Spills Immediately

Never let any spillage sit on the floor for too long. Wipe it up immediately and save yourself the agony of removing the stains later. But accidents do happen and water stains can sometimes be removed so don't panic just yet. White rings indicate that the stain is located in the waxy surface layer of the floor, so it's still quite easy to remove it. Give it time to dry and disappear on its own. If it's still there after 2 days, you might want to try the following tips:

• place a dry cotton cloth over the stain and rub it gently with a hot iron (don't use steam)
• get a pad of very steel wool that has been drenched in lemon oil (it lubricates the steel wool so it won't scratch the wood) and rub out the stain gently
• use a dollop of real mayonnaise on the stain and rub it gently
• some people also advise using white toothpaste (the non-gel kind) or baking soda on the stain before cleaning it up with a soft cloth

What if it were black water stains? Well, this is a little more problematic since it means that the stain has penetrated into the floor finish. In this case, you might want to consider sanding off the finish and attacking the black stain with bleach. Such a solution will typically require you to do a re-finish of the floor so be very careful when it comes to your wooden floors!   These are just a few tips to taking care of your wooden flooring, but we're sure you have your own tips to share with us. So don't forget to give us a heads-up on our Facebook fan page!