Wood flooring is expensive and the installation process more complicated than painting the walls of your home or replacing your bathroom fixtures. A wood floor is a natural product that becomes more beautiful with age, developing a patina that gives the room charm and character. But to achieve this beautiful effect, wood floors need to be cleaned regularly.

Things that you need to remove regularly to keep your wood floor in great condition:

1. Scratches. These can damage the surface and is more easily visible on floors that have a glossy finish. The greater the sheen, the plainer you can see the damage. Your floor can get scratch marks from
  • Sand, grit and dirt tracked into the house by its occupants or blown in by the wind.
  • Furniture.
  • Pets.
Regular sweeping and dusting with a broom will get rid of most of the loose dirt tracked into the house. If using a vacuum cleaner to remove dirt and grit from between the floor boards, you should turn off the beater bar because it can damage the wood, and use a bare floor attachment instead. Scratches from furniture can be minimized by attaching protector pads usually made of felt, to the legs of chairs, tables and other furniture that are in direct contact with the floor. To prevent scratches from pets, trim your pet’s nails regularly to prevent damage to your floor. Hardwood flooring is generally more difficult to scratch than waxed floors.

2. Debris accumulating along the beveled edges of pre-finished floors. Vacuuming is the best way of removing this.

3. Standing water. Water or moisture in any form is a great enemy of your wood floor. It will damage the wood, dull the finish and leave behind a residue that will discolor the floor. Any spills should be wiped up immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth. While mopping it is important to squeeze out the excess water so that it is just damp enough to clean the floor.

4. Stains made by your child or pet. While surface stains can be cleaned with a solution of vinegar and water, deeper stains that have penetrated to the wood need to be buffed with pumice stone or fine sandpaper.

5. Discoloration caused by direct sunlight falling on your floor. This can be prevented by using sheer curtains or blinds.

6. Wax build-up. An unsealed floor needs to be waxed, and over time may become dirty, giving your room a dingy look. The old wax should be stripped with a cloth soaked in white spirit. Wipe the floor with a crumpled newspaper to remove the wax completely, mop and apply a fresh coat of wax for a new-looking floor.

Preventive maintenance Since wooden floors suffer more wear and tear on high traffic areas, it will be prudent to use carpet runners with non-skid pads, rugs and mats in these areas to make it easier to keep them clean. Keeping door mats at all entrances will also cause less dirt to enter the house.

A wooden floor is something every owner is proud of, and this is why having a good hardwood floor vacuum cleaner is so important according to Hardwoodchamp.com. Cleaning wood floors regularly to keep it looking its best, along with some preventive maintenance, will go a long way toward making its upkeep less of a burden to you.