Spring Cleaning Advice for Minneapolis and St. Paul Homes

2/1/2017 (Permalink)

Spring Cleaning is Inevitable

How To Clean and Treat Hardwood Floor Right!

SERVPRO of Bloomington/Richfield not only takes care of water damage, fire damage and mold remediation, we can also handle any size cleaning needs whether it be residential or commercial! We can take care of whatever comes our way including that spring cleaning that nobody likes to do. 

Spring cleaning is here and everyone loves the glowing warmth of beautiful wood floors, but as our friends at Homes.com point out, unfortunately very few people know how to take care of their wood floors correctly and never really get to experience what they could look like at their best and brightest.

Cleaning and maintaining your wood floors isn’t terribly complicated or difficult. In fact, it’s more about what you should not do than it is about a mandatory minimum maintenance. Spring is here. What better time could there be to learn how to clean and maintain your wood floors? 

Let’s start things off easy. Sweep, dust-mop, or vacuum your floors on a weekly basis, especially in high foot traffic areas. Built up dirt and grime can grind into the finish of your floors, dulling the surface shine that you’re looking for. If you’re going to use a vacuum to keep your floors clean, then make sure you are using a soft-bristled attachment. Do not use a vacuum with a rotating brush or beater bar and if your wood floors are new, forget what we told you and follow your manufacturer’s cleaning instructions instead!

If your floors are older and it’s been some time since they were finished, then a simple cleaning may not do much to get them to shine. If the wax on your floors has become discolored or has accumulated a build-up of dirt, you will need to reach for a liquid cleanser and wax that was made specifically for your type of wood flooring. Make sure that you are using the correct product for your floors. Products meant for tile or linoleum floors may actually hurt the finish of your wood floors. Cleaning products should be solvent, not water, based. Apply the cleaner/wax with a cloth and rub it gently to remove old wax and surface accumulations of dirt. Wipe it clean, let it dry, and then buff it to a shine.

Light, dirt, fluids, and excessive heat can all damage the finish on your floors. In order to minimize damage from dirt and fluids, don’t let them accumulate or sit on the surface. In order to protect your floors from the heat and light of the sun, use protective window treatments. Keep your pets’ nails trimmed, avoid walking on your floors in high heels and cleats, use furniture pads when possible, and rearrange your furniture as often as feasible to avoid establishing wear patterns and damaging your floors.

There are many things that can be done to protect and maintain your hardwood floors. On top of that, there are many things that need to be done in general to take care of all of your spring cleaning correctly. Click here to check out a spring cleaning checklist that might help you during this crazy time after all the snow has left us!

As a locally owned and operated business, SERVPRO of Bloomington/Richfield is ready to help whenever we are needed. When there are cleaning needs, we have the resources and personnel to help. Call us today! (952) 854-2000