How To Care For Hardwood Floors

Worried you aren't cleaning hardwood floors right? Check out how to care for hardwood floors. Caring for hardwood floors is easy and simple with these tips.

Do you have new hardwood floors that you want to keep looking great? Or maybe you have hardwood floors that are a few years old and they just don't look like they should. Caring for hardwood floors can be confusing.

There are so many products out there for cleaning and caring for hardwood floors. There are products to steam them, vacuum them, shine them, even robots that will care for them.

When we moved into our house 10 years ago I wasn't really sure how to care for hardwood floors.

After a few years, I found a routine that works well and keeps my floors looking great. Check out how to care for hardwood floors like a pro.

Sweep Often

One of the most important things you can do to care for your hardwood floors is to sweep often.

All the little tiny pieces of dirt and rocks that we track in on our shoes will scratch and tear up the hardwood floor.

By sweeping often you help to cut down on scratches on the hardwood floor.

To sweep your hardwood floor you can either use a vacuum or a hardwood floor dusting mop.

I use a dusting mop very similar to this one on Amazon. It helps to pick up all of the dirt and grime on your floor.

If you wear shoes in the house or have pets I recommend sweeping once a day.

It only takes about 3-5 minutes to push the dusting mop through the house and clean up any dirt.

Mop Occasionally

Mopping isn't something you need to do all the time. The less water on your hardwood floors the better!

About once a week (or less if it is a low-traffic area) mop your hardwood floors.

I have used plenty of different sprays like Bona or Method but personally, I just prefer just plain water.

I use the same dusting mop as above with the microfiber pad dampened with water. It does a great job of cleaning the floors without them getting too wet.

You can also use a spin mop and just make sure you wring it out really well to keep down the amount of moisture. Just remember less moisture is better.

Disinfect Hardwoods Only When Needed

If you have hardwood floors in areas like your bathroom you will want to disinfect them when needed.

You can add a little bit of vinegar to some water to help disinfect your hardwood floors.

Use a gallon of warm water with one cup of vinegar to clean the hardwood floors.

Again when you are disinfecting them make sure you keep as much water as you can off the floors.

I like to use a spin mop that is really rung out when I am disinfecting with vinegar.

Remove Scuff Marks

Shoes can leave scuff marks on hardwood floors but they are usually very easy to remove.

Just grab a tennis ball and gently rub the scuff mark until it disappears.

Make sure you use a new tennis ball so you aren't rubbing dirt and grime into the floor and scratch it.

Prevent Scratches In Your Hardwood Floors

Make sure you are preventing scratches on your hardwood floor. Use furniture pads on chairs and other furniture that gets moved around.

If you have pets you will want to keep their nails trimmed so they don't scratch the furniture.

Also, avoid wearing shoes that might scratch the floor. High heels or stilettos can cause scratch marks easily on hardwood floors.

Add Shine To Your Floors

I love adding some shine to my hardwood floors.

The floors I have some natural shine to them and had gotten dull in some places when we bought the house. To help with that I use Holloway House Quick Shine.

If you like having a shiny hardwood floor I highly recommend trying some Holloway House. I have been using it since we bought our house and haven't had any problems. If you want to try, but are nervous I recommend trying it in a small area that isn't usually seen. You could try it in a small pantry or under some furniture.

Although adding shine to your floor isn't for everyone I personally love the way it makes my floors look. You can see all the details on how I apply it here.

With just a little time and these tips on how to care for hardwood floors, you can keep them looking great! Want some other cleaning tips? Check out how to clean your grout like a pro!