Caring For Your Wooden Floor In Winter Weather
As the temperature drops and the weather continues to blast us with cold air and snow, it made me think about how we protect our beautiful wooden floors from all the wet, sludge and grit we carry in on our feet.
Caring for our floor is important so as to maintain it, protect it, and preserve its beauty.
Keep it clean
It is perhaps a good idea to use mats or rugs (with moisture-free backings) at your entrances to reduce dirt and abrasive materials such as grit, salt and gravel being brought into your house and scratching your floor.
- Wood and water don’t mix very well, so it’s not a good idea to clean your floor with a mop and bucket.
- If you have underfloor heating, you should have it turned off as the heat generated through the floor will dry it too quickly and leave streaks.
- Don’t use steam cleaners as this also uses heat and water on your floor leading to possible long term damage.
- Avoid using vinegar and soap-based cleaners as they can dull your floors finish, and leave residues.
A light mist of hardwood floor cleaner should be enough – we like, and stock, Bona floor cleaning kits in our showroom.
Using a vacuum cleaner is a great way to remove dirt from areas such as corners and cracks, however, use caution as hard edges on the heads and wheels may damage your floor.
You should try and give your floors a good dust or sweep daily, preferably using a machine-washable microfiber mop as this is your best defence against dirt causing possible scratches, and the electrostatic action will attract dirt and common household allergens rather than just pushing them around.
With any luck before long we won’t be worrying about grit and cold, but brushing away freshly fallen cherry blossoms from our neighbours’ trees and dust particles glistening in the spring sunbeams. In the meantime, keep the heating turned up and feet well wiped!
