Hardwood floors have become the flooring of choice for many homes in the past decade. How to clean hardwood floors and the best method that should be used is an often debated topic. Depending on your specific type of hardwood flooring and the condition of your flooring there are several different ways that are believed to be the best way to clean them.

For flooring that is true hardwood and not a man-made manufactured flooring, the key in cleaning hinges on the type of finish that is on the floor. Cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar and water is a good rule of thumb rather than spend time trying to determine your finish on an older floor. Most other cleaners will leave a residue that builds up and will cause dulling of the finish. A major problem when refinishing old floors is a result of the previous cleaning methods leaving a residue that, when refinishing, will cause the new finish to be unable to adhere to the floor. To avoid this problem most old floors will have to be completely re-sanded down to bare, new wood before you can be confident that the new finish will adhere correctly.

Another major issue when cleaning hardwood floors is that water causes wood to expand. This expansion process will crush the wood fibers as they expand and once they dry out there will be gaps in the flooring. Address this possibility by using the least amount of liquid as possible and dry the floor thoroughly as you are cleaning it.

Newer wood floors that have a factory applied finish can be cleaned with fewer concerns than older wood floors.  The best cleaning option with laminate or factory sealed flooring is to clean them following guidelines from the manufacturer. As with original hardwood flooring, be sure to dry your flooring as quickly as possible.

An effective cleaner for your flooring is Windex.  The alcohol helps the floor to dry more quickly and Windex is very efficient in removing buildup from previously used cleaners.  Never use wax on your wood flooring unless you know for fact that it is approved from the manufacturer of your flooring.  Wax is very difficult to remove and leaves a heavy buildup on your floor.  The best way to know how to clean hardwood floors is to contact the manufacturer if at all possible.

For wood floors that have dulled with age, or with chemical buildup, it is best to buff the floors back to a glossy finish with a floor buffer.  To prolong the reflective finish on any hardwood floor it is necessary to sweep and use a dust mop very frequently.  Tiny particles of dirt covering the floor are the main cause of your floor developing scratches and appearing scuffed.

Some homeowners may overlook dark hardwoods due to the many myths and misconceptions surrounding this flooring option. Some designers may imply it can make spaces appear smaller, and will show nicks, dings, scrapes and normal wear and tear more easily. Also, you may feel that dark solid wood flooring options are limited compared to the [...]

Wood flooring adds warmth to a room as well as giving it an elegant attractive appearance. Some people consider hardwood floors the ultimate type of flooring made from the hardest wood available and finished in a range of stunning shades. Flooring such as solid oak flooring may be the desirable but it is also expensive, [...]

If you’ve been spending a huge amount of time thinking about what the best type of lacquer finish should be for your home’s solid oak flooring, here are a couple of facts to help you reach the correct decision. The Different Types of Lacquer Finishes Like all types of wood plank flooring finishes, lacquer finishes [...]

If you are looking for an excellent floor for your home, American Cherry Hardwood will be the right decision. This wood is a real beauty with soft texture and amazing lines. It makes you want to touch it, and it will be the best floor for your house. This hardwood is from North America. It [...]

Nothing can beat the good looks of walnut floors. Walnut trees are grown abundantly in many areas of the upper US and Canada. One of the most beautiful features with this type of wood is its great contrast in color. The outside part of the wood takes on an almost whitish color while the inside [...]

Trees could be considered nature’s gift to people as they are used to build houses and furniture as well as other wood crafts. Of the many different types of wood, pine is a perfect wood for building houses, as well as use for floors and furniture. People choose this wood because it is durable and [...]

If you want a floor that will last as long as your home does, consider installing solid oak flooring. Many solid oak floors that were installed in Colonial homes are still in place offering the beauty and style that is only available with a solid oak flooring. Oak flooring is milled with a tongue and [...]

Oak is becoming more and more popular as a construction material particularly for floors since it is considered among the most durable and beautiful types of wood.  One of the options that home owners gravitate toward these days is engineered oak flooring as it has most of the great qualities of oak with added reinforcements [...]

Hardwood floors are becoming more popular among homeowners because they can be kept clean easily, they are free from allergens and look simple and attractive with their natural beauty. You can find different varieties of the bamboo flooring these days which makes it easy to find a pattern suitable to your personal choice and home [...]

Hardwood floors are a favorite among house owners due to their elegant and charming appeal. The more appealing a hardwood floor looks the more care and maintenance it needs to stay in shape. Hardwood is known for its timeless beauty and if you want to know how to maintain this beauty read on for some [...]

The oak is a very important tree in the national psyche of many countries. Oak trees used to predominate in the great forests of Europe until the rise in population caused massive deforestation to make room for more agriculture and human settlement. Yet still the oak endures as a potent symbol for people. The oak [...]

No one seems to have a very good grasp on the current state of the economy. Is it improving? Will it still get worse before it gets better? Ask a dozen different experts and you will get a dozen different expert opinions. One thing that we can feel fairly certain about, however, is that people [...]

Have you ever wanted an old world feel in your house?  Well, if you also want hardwood floors then you might want to try hand scraped flooring.  Hand scraped flooring is made from scratch, scraped by hand from logs to make it as natural as possible. There are a lot of different varieties of hand [...]

Home DIY projects with diverse flooring decors can be a way to save money and enjoy seeing the results of your own hard work. You can do simple everyday repairs, or you can learn to install even complicated home floor renovations. Do-it-yourself projects are a good way to spend some of your free time learning [...]

If you are like many homeowners these days, you are looking to get the most out of every inch of space in your home, and one great way to do that is to use the space in your attic and turn it into a loft.  You can use this space as a home office, as [...]

When updating or remodeling a home, many homeowners are installing laminate flooring in place of other types of flooring. Laminate is very beautiful and comes in a wide range of wood grains, tile or stone. In fact, when making laminate flooring, a picture is taken of real wood or stone, and then transferred onto the [...]

If you’ve decided that you want to improve the look and value of your home by adding wood flooring, you’ve made a good decision.  Few home improvement projects give you so much bang for your buck like installing new floors.  But you still have to decide which kind of wood flooring to have installed or [...]

There are many practical reasons for installing laminate flooring in your home though most people do not know it. They are simply following a popular trend in the country that started fifteen years ago and seems to be gaining speed every year. I get a lot of people coming into my Santa Rosa flooring store [...]

Everyone is concerned about using green products and saving our natural resources even in home building and furniture. On average, it takes about 100 years for a hard wood tree to fully mature into the wood that is seen in those beautiful hardwood floors. On the other hand, it only takes 3 to 5 years [...]