If you’ve got hardwood on your home’s flooring already then you may already be aware of the benefits that it brings. Hardwood flooring is great for those that have a lot of accidents and spillages in the home as it can simply get swept away in one fluid motion.
It’s important that you’re also being conscious of how well you look after hardwood flooring and any other flooring for that matter in the home. Whether it’s vinyl or carpet, the way you approach maintaining and cleaning the flooring will influence how long or how short of a shelf life it has.
With that being said, here are some top tips for looking after your home’s flooring so that it lasts for years to come.
Invest in the best hardwood flooring available
Firstly, when it comes to hardwood flooring, you really want to invest in the best types of hardwood in order to get the most value out of them. There are some cheaper options that aren’t going to perform as well, which is why it’s important to do some shopping around in order to find the best options.
Take a look at all of the available options both online and in-store. Do your research to understand what types of wood and material make them the strongest and most durable. This is particularly important when you’re using the wood in high-traffic areas of the home like your kitchen or bathrooms.
Investing in your hardwood flooring will mean that you’re less likely to spend the money on it in the future to either replace it or have it fixed in parts where it’s no longer looking or performing the same.
Use the right cleaning sprays on a weekly basis
The right cleaning sprays and materials are important to factor in when it comes to any type of surface you’re cleaning. Any flooring of any type will require a specific spray, so always do a patch test before you cover the entirety of your flooring.
For some carpets, you may use a spray foam to clean the carpet after vacuuming or you may lay down some power that freshens the carpet and needs vacuuming up.
For some spill-friendly surfaces like wooden flooring and vinyl, it’s good to test any products you’ve not used for the first time before you go spraying or laying them everywhere.
Don’t leave spills for long
While the spill-friendly surfaces make it easier to wipe up any accidents, it doesn’t mean you should leave them for long, especially if they are highly likely to stain. The first thing you want to do is attend to the spill immediately. Try not to leave it for any longer than a minute.
This is particularly important for absorbent materials like carpets. You want to draw as much moisture out of the carpet as possible before you go in with the carpet cleaning appliance.
If you leave the spills for too long, it could impact the material itself and that’s never good when you’re looking to improve the lifespan of the flooring itself.
Invest in a buffing machine or service to restore that wooden shine
If you’ve got wooden flooring that needs a little shine or has a few scratches and scuffs that need buffing out, then it may be worth investing in a buffing machine. They’re more expensive to purchase but you can also hire them yourself if you think you can do a good enough job yourself.
Alternatively, there are plenty of hardwood services available where professionals can come in to restore any wooden flooring that’s seen better days. While buffing your floor yourself might not incur too much damage, it can do if you don’t know what you’re doing.
As much as you may want to use your DIY skills, be sure it’s not at the expense of your flooring.
Try to cover any furniture legs that could scratch the surface
Furniture legs are a problem for those who have wooden flooring and other types of flooring for that matter. They can be fairly abrasive on the surface of the flooring, which is where you want to cover them up, particularly any that don’t already have a protective cover on the bottom.
There are little tabs you can get that stick on the bottom of the legs, raising them very slightly but keeping the rough edges of a table or chair leg, from scuffing your flooring.
Keep it clean by vacuuming or brushing daily
Cleaning is an important part of maintaining your carpets and flooring in general. You want to make sure that you’re doing every you possibly can to keep it in good condition.
With that being said, be aware of how often you’re vacuuming or brushing the surfaces. Make sure you’re doing this daily where you can and if you’re struggling to do it daily, then it might be worth investing a robot vacuum. These are great for when you want to keep your flooring clean without needing to do much in the way of manual labor yourself.
Consider getting more maintenance in the rooms where there’s high traffic
There are always going to be rooms in the home that get more traffic and footfall than others. These are particular areas like the bathroom, kitchen, and your main bedroom. These areas might require a bit of extra maintenance to stay on top of the health of the flooring materials.
Be sure to pay attention to any areas that might become damaged or particularly worn. It might be that you have to move around certain bits of furniture or do some extra cleaning to keep on top of its appearance and quality.
Only replace it when it becomes too worn
If your home’s flooring has become too worn, then it’s worth replacing it before it becomes a tripping hazard for your family. Hopefully, this won’t be needed for many years but it’s definitely something you want to get sorted once it becomes a bit of an eyesore.
Hopefully, with these tips, you’ll be able to keep on top of your home’s flooring so that it lasts for many years to come.
