Hardwood Floor Cleaning Tips Part 3

Part three of our series on hardwood floor cleaning tips explores the importance of knowing your floor before you begin.

Hardwood Floor Cleaning:  First Off Know Your Floor

Hardwood Floor Refinishing | (310) 545-8750

It is important that you know what type of hardwood floor that you have.  Why?  Well, different types of hardwood floors require different types of care.  Do you have hickory flooring or teak parquet?  Is it heart of pine, or do you have oak?  Is it a solid hardwood floor, or a veneer?  The answers to these questions help you to narrow down what you're going to need to do where hardwood floor cleaning is concerned.  However it isn't just knowing your floor type, you also have to know what type of finish your hardwood floor has.

Hardwood floor finishes fit into two categories.  Your hardwood floor either has a surface finish, or a penetrating one.  A lot of times, hardwood floor comes from the manufacturer with a surface finish as a rule.  Usually made of polyurethane, the finish fan be damaged if you use the wrong product or cleaning method.  If your floor is glossy, it is most likely a surface finish.  If the finish is more matte level, it is probably a penetrating finish.    No matter what type of floor you have, there are certain no no's to avoid at all costs.

How to Clean Your Hardwood Floor and Not Wreck It

For one thing, water is one of your hardwood floor's biggest threats, so never ever wet mop it.  Damp mopping is okay sometimes, but again, use caution.  Another thing you want to avoid is any harsh chemicals.  You could strip off your floor's finish, which if you want to do hardwood floor refinishing isn't a problem, however, it is a problem when you just want to do a bit of cleaning.

So remember, know what you're doing.  Avoid water on your hardwood floor.  Make sure people take off their shoes, particularly ones like high heels or boots that can scratch the floor up, and make sure that there are mats at every doorway.  And above all else, if you don't know what you're doing, call someone in who does, such as a hardwood floor refinishing service in Los Angeles.

This concludes part two of our series on hardwood floor cleaning.  Be sure to read part one and part two  as well.

Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750
http://www.morriscarpetcleaning.com

Hardwood Floor Cleaning Tips Part 2

Part two of our series on hardwood floor cleaning tips explores products to use and products to avoid.

Should I Use a Store Bought Product to Clean a Hardwood Floor?

Hardwood Floor Refinishing | (310) 545-8750

Should you use a store-bought product to clean your hardwood floor?  First off, you have to a bit of homework.  Check out the product online, plus any reviews.  Read the ingredients carefully before you use it.  Anything that is wax-based should be avoided.  For one, it will likely make y our floor extremely slippery.  For another, while wax can make your floor look wonderful at first, after a while the wax will accumulate dirt and end up looking dingy.  Then you'll have to put more and more of this sort of product on, ultimately forcing you to call a hardwood floor cleaning service.

Another thing to think about is the fact that a lot of hardwood floor cleaning products have one thing in common.  They are full of toxic chemicals, a great many of which are carcinogens.  And sometimes going green is harder than you might think.  Some environmentally-friendly hardwood floor cleaning products are all but useless, and others are effective, but are vinegar based, leaving your rooms smelling rather like salad dressing.  Or as this article excerpt from Green Living shows: "If you use conventional cleaning products on your floor, well, think of it as swishing and swashing potentially toxic chemicals across the largest surface area of your home. And then consider the Environmental Protection Agency study showing indoor levels of pollutants (like formaldehyde, chloroform, and styrene) ranging from two to 50 times higher than outdoor levels—much of it from conventional cleaning supplies. Some floor cleaners include a surprisingly toxic ingredient list—people exposed to the heavy-duty cleaners often experience eye irritation, dizziness, loss of concentration, fatigue, wheezing, coughing, asthma attacks, respiratory infections, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Floor cleaners that give you shine also give you off-gassing of petroleum-based polymers. In addition, most of the fragrance that accompanies conventional floor cleaners are either indoor air pollutants on their own, or are inert on their own but mix with ozone to create formaldehyde and other toxic air contaminates [READ MORE]

Hardwood Floor Cleaning Products: Final Thoughts

So remember, you don't want to make your problem worse.  Do some research and know what you're doing.  Follow some best practices such as floor mats at the doorways, and making people take off their shoes.

Above all else, if you're out of your league, don't try to bluff your way through it.  Get on the phone and call a professional hardwood floor cleaning service in your area.   

This concludes part two of our series on hardwood floor cleaning.  Be sure to read part one and part three  as well.

Morris Cleaning & Restoration
1007 N.Sepulveda Blvd. #1204
Manhattan Beach, CA 90267
(310) 545-8750
http://www.morriscarpetcleaning.com