Hardwood Floor Care

Numerous times consumers are led to believe Murphy’s oil soap and wet swifter’s can be used on hardwood floors. Having seen the effects these products have on pre-finished as well as site finished floors I recommend you stay away from both.

Unfortunately wet swifter’s can cause damage to wood floors and Murphy’s oil soap and like products will leave a residue build up and dull any hard- wood floor surface appearance. Never use a product that claims to resurface the existing finish, these products are short term solutions that will end up costing you more when the time comes to refinish.

• Use cleaning products specifically formulated for polyurethane finished hardwood floors. I recommend Bona or Bruce wood floor cleaning products, which can be found at our pro-shop*, Home Depot or on line.
• Vacuum, sweep or dust-mop your floor once a week, or more if needed. The vacuum head must be soft brush or felt, and a wand attachment is preferable. A hardwood floor swivel head mop w/ terry cloth cover is highly recommended to eliminate finer particles of grit and dirt that can act like sandpaper on hardwood floors.
• Wipe up spills and tracked in dirt immediately. For spot cleaning use soft cloth with wood floor cleaning product.
• Mop floors w/ DAMP sponge mop and a non-abrasive, phosphate free cleaner. This mop should be designated to your wood floors only.
• Properly placed mats and throw rugs will help keep unwanted dirt and moisture off hardwood floors. Mats should be placed at entry doors. A throw rug or mat in front of kitchen sink will help prevent damage to your wood floor from moisture and excessive wear.
• Most carpet stores as well as Home Depot carry a rubber mesh fabric that can be cut to size and placed under throw rugs and mats. This prevents rugs from slipping and helps prevent moisture from building up under them.
• Put fabric faced glides under the legs of furniture to prevent scuffing and scratching.
• For large sofas, love seats, recliners etc. Home Depot sells Dura Grip a product that safely stops furniture from moving, as well as protects the floor.