Hardwood flooring is an oft-coveted feature for homebuyers. It is a beautiful, versatile and long-lasting feature in any home. As wood flooring ages, it requires cleaning and maintenance regularly. When they get old and the sheen starts to wear off, a proper clean and shine can bring them back to their former glory.
Try your best to keep hardwood floors clean in the first place. Old hardwood floors can still shine with the best of them if they are cared for properly. This involves avoiding prolonged contact with moisture, keeping to a regular cleaning schedule, and wiping up spills as soon as possible. Old hardwood floors will separate and crack over time, so it is imperative to maintain cleanliness to avoid accelerated damage.
Here are some effective ways on how to clean your old hardwood floors:
Sweeping
Sweeping every day will remove tiny particles that contribute to removing your hardwood’s finish over time. It is the first step to take when doing a big clean on your hardwood floors, but don’t forego it the rest of the time either. It is a great preventative measure to take to protect your feet.
Mopping
Mopping is probably the easiest way to clean wood floors. You don’t want to do this too frequently, as moisture is not a friend of hardwood flooring. However, it should be performed on occasion to remove debris that will damage the flooring over time.
On a once-monthly basis, give the floor a quick scrub with a lightly dampened mop – check out these reviews for cleaning products like mops with scrubbers. For old flooring, it is crucial to keep the moisture to an absolute minimum. Moisture accelerates the damage and deterioration of the floors, making them vulnerable to damage.
Hire a professional
Hiring someone to maintain your old hardwood floors ensure they are getting proper care. By shelling out a bit of extra money, you can save yourself a lot of time. Furthermore, professional companies like Relative Space will use the right products on your floors to not damage them further.
Cleaning products
Many cleaning products will damage hardwood floors. When choosing floor-cleaning products, select only those that are specifically safe for hardwood floors. Products with vinegar and ammonia will eat away at the floor’s finish over time, decreasing its longevity.
If you’re dealing with old floors, you’re likely also dealing with the years of abuse they have endured. There might be severe damage to the flooring, like stains and marks. If so, wipe the flooring down with mineral spirits to restore it.
Buffing
Buffing is a gentle way to restore some shine to old hardwood floors. This method allows you to tackle the spots that need it most. It will help to eliminate minor imperfections like nicks and scratches.
There are two ways to buff your hardwood floors. For small areas and spot-buffing, use brass wool to smooth the damaged area by hand until it is even, and the imperfection is no longer visible. For larger areas, get a buffing machine. These can be rented from your local home and hardware store.
Refinishing
It is incredible what magic refinishing can do to a hardwood floor. Old hardwood floors get damaged over time, and at some point, regular cleaning won’t be enough. Depending on many factors, including traffic volume, pets and children, and how bad of a beating the floors have taken, hardwood floors can be refinished every seven to 10 years, or as needed. Doing it yourself can be time-consuming and tedious.
Waxing
A fresh coat of wax is sometimes all that’s needed to spruce up those old floors. Waxing is easy to do. All you need are some mineral spirits or a wax stripper to remove the old wax, a mop, and wax. You will also need either a sponge mop or a putty knife and a lint-free cloth.
No sanding
When it comes to old hardwood floors, one of the things you want to try to avoid, if at all possible, is sanding. Sanding an old hardwood floor unnecessarily could cause further damage. Try all other methods first. These should work unless you have severe stains and marks that require sanding. In this case, sand as lightly as possible.
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