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

Hardwood Floor Cleaning Tips Part 1

Hardwood floor cleaning tips help to keep up your floor between visits. Part one of our series explores some basic tips.

How to Avoid Scratching a Hardwood Floor

Hardwood Floor Refinishing | (310) 545-8750

If you have children, they most likely have toys of some sort.  Plush toys aren't anything to worry about, but what about hard plastic or metal ones with wheels.  Racing one car across a hardwood floor can leave a very expensive scratch that you'll have to call in a professional hardwood floor refinishing service to get out.  Solution:  Have a play area, or make sure that there are soft rugs around.  Any dirt or mud that is tracked in by your kids or your pets should be cleaned up immediately.

Here's one of our  hardwood floor cleaning tips.  Never wet mop your hardwood floor.  Instead, damp mop, or spray a mop with a dusting agent to pull the dust and dirt up.  You can vacuum your floor, just make sure that there aren't any metal attachments lowered that can scratch up your floor.  You can also use electrostatic wipes that you can get at a grocery store.  Whichever method you use, make sure you remove dirt and grit. If you don't, you could end up with scratches

Hardwood Floors and Entry Points

Grit is the worst for your floor.  You can't help to track it in, but it is a good idea to have rugs at each entry point and make it a household rule to wipe one's feet on the welcome mat.  A foyer closet is a good place to put shoes and boots that can track mud or dirt in.  Make sure that you clean all of your rugs too at least once a month.  Another good policy to follow is to make sure that you clean up any liquid spills immediately.  You may even wish to seal your hardwood floor.  Call your hardwood floor cleaning service to see if this is an option.

Hardwood floor adds warm tones to any room that it is installed in.  So take care of your hardwood floor.  Never let puddles stand on a hardwood floor.  Wipe them up immediately.  If you have pets, particularly dogs, sealing your floor will help to protect it.  And if you need help, get on the phone to the right people, a hardwood floor cleaning service in Los Angeles.

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

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