Timber Floor Maintenance and Cleaning from Ironwood

Follow these tips and your wooden floorboards will be in top condition for many years to come.

Tips

• A lustrous polished wooden floor won't stay that way for long unless it is looked after. Maintaining that lustre is less troublesome than the ongoing cleaning and maintenance of carpets and most other floor coverings.
• Your hardwood floor does cope with high traffic usage, does not wear unevenly and is cheap to maintain. If can be re-polished if damaged and requires minimal maintenance if looked after.

Maintenance:

• Dirt and grit are a timber floor's worst enemy! It doesn't just hide the gleam of polished floorboards; its abrasiveness actually harms floorboards too. Use dirt-trapping mats at each entrance to help prevent sand, dust and grit from being trodden getting inside. Small rugs, or carpet squares just inside the door can also help to remove extra dirt from shoes. Dust daily, if possible, with an electrostatic broom.
• Strong light, particularly direct sunlight can cause a chemical reaction in wood causing it to change colour (aging or weathering). Move rugs occasionally and use curtains or blinds to protect the floor from direct sunlight.
• High heel shoes, especially worn ones, will dent any hard floor surface, even concrete! Encourage your visitors to take off their high heels on arrival.
• With furniture, it is not so much their weight but movement that damages floorboards. Fit protective pads to the legs of tables and chairs so that they can be moved easily without the risk of scuffing the floor.

Cleaning:

• Keep dirt off the floor. Dust, mop or vacuum regularly & keep doormats clean. (If using a vacuum, make sure that the vacuum doesn't scratch the floorboards.)
• Use only top quality floor mops and thoroughly wash new mops to remove any lint remaining from the manufacturing process.
• Do not wet mop a timber floor or use water-based cleaners. Water can change the moisture balance within timbers and cause floorboards to ridge or buckle so it should be used sparingly and remain on the floor for the shortest time possible.
• Wipe up spills promptly with a dry cloth or dry paper towel. For sticky substances, moisten the cloth slightly. For hard to remove fatty or greasy spills, use a neutral pH degreasing cleanser from specialist cleaning or floor shops.
• Sweep with a clean electrostatic sweep mop (vacuuming is fine too, as long as the vacuum cleaner doesn't scratch the floorboards)
• Wash the floor with an almost dry sponge mop using a mixture of a 1/2 cup of white vinegar or methylated spirits to a half a bucket of cold water - they help cut through floor waxes without harming the finish.
• Wipe the floor dry as you go so that water remains on the floor for as little time as possible.

NB: Under no circumstances should you use household detergents on your floor! If required, specialty floor finishing companies manufacture and distribute timber floor cleaning products which when used to the manufacturers' recommendations, excellent results may be obtained.