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Hardwood floors are a great addition to any home. It is hard to beat the look and feel of natural wood in your home. This type of flooring tends to feel warmer than artificial wood or tiles and will generally last much longer.

However, you do need to take care of your hardwood flooring and that starts with effectively cleaning it regularly. 

It should be noted that it doesn’t matter what style of hardwood flooring you have, whether it's the latest herringbone flooring or simple planks, the cleaning routine is the same.

Vacuum Regularly

The first thing you should be doing is vacuuming your hardwood flooring regularly. Ideally, you should do this every day but in lower-traffic areas, 2-3 times a week will suffice.

You will need a hardwood flooring attachment for your vacuum. This is effectively a soft nozzle that won’t leave light scratches on the wood as you clean. Make sure the nozzle is clean and not worn before you use it. 

Using the power of a vacuum you’ll be able to get into all the crevices between the wooden pieces.

Sweep Often

Alongside vacuuming, you can sweep the hardwood floor. This can be done to deal with specific spills or instead of vacuuming some days. You will need to use a soft-headed brush as you don’t want to scratch the floor.

An angles broom will also help you to sweep the floor faster, reducing the amount of time spent looking after your hardwood floor.

The Cleaner

Your next step is to invest in a quality hardwood cleaner. You can get this in spray form, allowing you to lightly spray the floor and then wipe it clean. It’s best to use a clean cloth that attracts the dirt and dust when doing this. 

Spray cleaner is an effective approach to dealing with spills and other localized issues.

If you wish to clean the entire hardwood floor you’re better off adding a little of the cleaner to a bucket of warm water and using a mop. It should be noted that hardwood flooring doesn’t like getting wet. 

In other words, wring the mop out so that it is only damp when it comes into contact with the floor. Work your way methodically across the room to ensure every part of the floor has been lightly mopped.

Sealing the Floor

The best approach is to purchase a hardwood floor polish. This can then be applied to the floor in accordance with the instructions on the container. 

For most, this means rubbing a little into the floor with one cloth and polishing it with another. You will need to work your way across the entire room but the good news is that this only needs doing a couple of times a year.

The polish adds shine to the floor, it fills light scratches and helps to protect the floor against dirt and spills. With a little love and care your hardwood flooring will last for years!

partnered post • cc-licensed image by Boa-Franc