Your Guide To Residential Floor Maintenance

A home maintenance guide for hardwood floors

Hardwood floors have been experiencing a resurgence of popularity in recent years.  Once thought to be difficult to care for, hardwood floors are now seen as an easy to maintain, beautiful alternative to tile, vinyl and even carpet.  This is largely a result of improvements in the technology of hardwood floor finishes.  These new finishes make keeping you hardwood floor looking like new an easy task.  Just follow these simple maintenance procedures...

Protect Your Floor
Place throw rugs in front of sinks in your kitchen and any doors leading to the outside where heavy traffic and tracking occurs.  However, do no do this until at least two weeks after the finish has been applies.  Chairs, and any other furniture that is moved frequently, should have floor glides attached to the bottom of each leg to help prevent scratching and wear.  Do not wax the bottom of chair legs.

Daily Dust Mopping Or Vacuuming
Regular dust mopping or vacuuming is an essential part of hardwood floor care.  A good quality dust mop or vacuum head is the most effective tool for cleaning dust and dirt off the floor.

To keep your floor looking its best, dust mop or vacuum at least twice a week.  Dust or vacuum more often on floors with heavy traffic.

Regular Cleaning
Spills and tracked in dirt can be cleaned by lightly damp mopping the floor with a household sponge mop.  Use clean water for regular sponge mopping.  DO NOT over-wet the mop.  Excessive water could damage the floor.  In addition to cleaning with water, it may be necessary to clean with a mild all-purpose cleaner at least once a week.

CLASSIC FLOORS, INC. recommends:
Woodwise Floor Cleaner                       

Window cleaners:
Windex, Glass Works, S.O.S., Glass Plus

DO NOT SPRAY DIRECTLY ON FLOOR (except for a heavily soiled area).
Spray glass cleaners on a water dampened sponge mop.

In Our Opinion
DO NOT USE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS OR PRODUCTS SIMILAR IN NATURE:

Fantastik
Formula 409
Dishwashing detergent
Powdered all purpose cleaners
Murphy’s Oil Soap
Paste wax
Endust, Pledge, or other dusting products
Future, Mop N Glow, Bright, or other floor polishes 

Do Not Wax Or Spray Buff!
Water base urethane finishes require little maintenance, so it is not necessary to wax or polish the floor.  Waxes or polishes will actually make the floor harder to clean and cause problems for future recoats.

Periodic Recoating
Following a regular maintenance program will preserve the life of your hardwood floor for years.  However, despite all of their advantages, Basic Coatings’ finishes will not last forever.  Eventually, your floor may need to be recoated.

A hardwood floor should be recoated when the original finish is showing signs of wear but before it has worn down to the bare wood.  Bare wood will be stained by dirt and grime and will need to be re-sanded.  A wood floor professional should be consulted when recoat questions arise.

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