Must know

Before a person can best take care of their hardwood floors it is essential that they find out just what type of hardwood floor they have. Different types of hardwood floors require different types of care. Some woods are softer than others and need to be taken care of in specific ways. Also, the sealer that is applied to hardwood floors needs to be treated in specific ways. So, it is important that a person knows what type of sealing treatment is on their hardwood floor as well.

Prevent

One of the best things that a person can do to care for their hardwood floor is to prevent bad things from happening to it. Prevention of things such as scratches, dents, and dulling is a great way to care for a hardwood floor. A person can do several things to prevent scratches and dents on their hardwood floors. Using mats by each door is a great way to prevent scratches and dulling. Door mats can help catch dirt and other debris that people bring in from the outside. If all of that dirt were to get on the hardwood floor it can create a lot of tiny scratches which dull the hardwood and can create bigger scratches.

Another thing that people can do is to clean up the dirt that does make it in the house. Using a cloth on a dust mop or a soft bristled broom is a great way for a person to clean off any dirt from the hardwood floor without scratching the floor.

A "no shoes in the house" policy might be a good idea if a person has hardwood floors. This is an especially good rule if a person has softer wood (such as cherry) for their hardwood floor. Shoes such as high heeled shoes or other hard soled shoes can make dents in the softer hardwood floors.

Furniture can dent and scratch hardwood floors. It is a good idea for furniture to have felt on the bottom of the legs when it is used on a hardwood floor. A person should also be careful any time they are moving furniture on wood. Nothing should ever be dragged on a hardwood floor, it should be picked up and carried.

Keep it clean

It is very important to keep a hardwood floor clean. A person can clean their hardwood floor by using a vacuum. It is recommended that a person use a brush attachment or a bare floor attachment when vacuuming a hardwood floor. Vacuums that have beater bars are best not used on hardwood floors and a person should make sure that the wheels of their vacuum are not scratching their hardwood floor.

Depending on the type of hardwood floor, a person may want to use a damp mop to ensure that their floor is clean. It is important that a person does not leave puddles of water on their wood floor. And if they decide to use some sort of chemical they should make sure that it is safe to use on their hardwood floor before they end up damaging their entire floor.

Polishing hardwood

A great way to make a hardwood floor look like new is to polish it with floor polish or wax. But there is a great debate about whether or not waxing hardwood floors is a good idea. It is thought that waxing a hardwood floor will make it harder to refinish late on. However, many people find that waxing their hardwood floor helps them to keep it clean and help it look like new.

Stains

Hardwood, just as with any type of flooring, is bound to get stains. There are different ways to remove stains form hardwood depending on the type of wood and the finish on the wood. If a person's hardwood floor has a wax finish on it they can work on the stain with steel wool. They will want to work on the outside of the stain first and then move inward. Sometimes a person may need to use fine sandpaper or a type of floor cleaner to get the stain off. When the stain has been removed from the hardwood, a person will then need to reapply the wax and polish the floor. They should also remember to wash the floor before waxing if they have used some type of floor cleaner to help them remove the stain.

When a person is trying to remove a stain from a hardwood floor that has a surface finish they will have to treat the entire board (or boards) that contain the stain. This way they will be able to keep the entire board the same color. Using steel wool or sandpaper a person will need to remove the finish from their hardwood. Then they should remove the dust that they have created. After the stain and dust is gone they can then apply the finish.