Wood is beautiful and comes alive when cared for properly. Caring for wood and laminate flooring is quite simple and can add value to your house.
The main thing you should remember is that moisture and wood don’t mix – period. Since our floors are made with wood, avoiding its exposure to moisture is a must.
Here, we’re going to give you the crash course on how to care for your Wood & Laminate flooring and keep it looking great for years to come.
LOOKING AFTER YOUR WOOD OR LAMINATE FLOOR
- Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar), especially in high-traffic areas. This prevents gritty dirt and particle buildup that can scratch and dull the woods surface.
- Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent or any other liquid cleaning product. This could cause swelling, warping and joint-line separation.
- Avoid using steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners.
- Use a damp cloth to blot up spills as soon as they happen. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor.
- For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink or tar, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth. Then wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue.
- For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
- Periodically clean the floor with cleaning products made specifically for wood or laminate floor care.
- Avoid walking on wood & Laminate floors with high heeled shoes.
- Keep pets nails trimmed so that they do not scratch your wood or Laminate floor.
- Invest in high quality floor mats and protective pads to go underneath heavy furniture for an extra layer of protection for your wood & Laminate floors.
- Entry mats will help collect the dirt, sand, grit and other substances such as oil, asphalt or driveway sealer that might otherwise be tracked onto your floor.
- To prevent slippage of area rugs, use an approved vinyl rug underlayment.
- Never try to slide heavy objects across the floor.