Wooden floors have remained a staple in interior design for centuries, and their popularity shows no signs of dwindling. Known for its warmth, durability, and versatility, solid wood flooring adds a sense of elegance that complements almost any decor.
To keep a solid wood floor looking its best for decades to come, a little bit of maintenance really does go a long way. In this blog post, we’ve got some expert tips on keeping your floors looking as stunning as the day they were installed.
Keep on top of Cleaning
Regular cleaning is essential to caring for wooden floors, and it couldn’t be easier!
We would always recommend you sweep the floor on a daily basis to remove any dust or loose dirt – using a microfibre cloth or mop is most effective but a soft-bristle broom can also be used.
The floor should be mopped on a weekly basis using a specifically developed cleaner and a spray mop. Every day cleaners and homemade solutions can leave residue on the surface, and the build up over time can make the floor dull and cloudy. By choosing a PH neutral cleaner, specifically created for wood floors like our Marldon Cleancare Concentrate or Marldon Multicleaner, you’ll get the best clean every time.
If you Spill it, Clean it up
Wooden floors are very durable but can be susceptible to spills and staining, which is why it is important to ensure they are cleaned up quickly. If a spillage is left on the surface, it can seep into the wood making it difficult to clean off and can even cause warping of the wood if too much liquid is absorbed.
Whether it’s water, sauce, alcohol or grease, all liquids can leave a stain on a wood floor if left long enough. If this happens, you may find yourself having to have the surface sanded and refinished to remove the stain.
Lift, and Slide
Scratches to solid wood floors can be a real annoyance but can be easily avoided. One of the most common causes of scratches on the surface of the wood is moving heavy furniture around such as sofas or dining tables.
We would always recommend lifting anything off the floor rather than dragging but if that isn’t possible, adding felt feet to large pieces of furniture can prevent any damage
Ditch the Dust
Dust on the surface of the floor may not seem like a big deal, but if the floor is oiled or isn’t sealed, dust can penetrate the grain leaving you with a dull-looking surface. Preventing this from happening is simple – give your floor a quick dust every day with a microfibre pad or soft brush to keep the dust away.
Don’t Saturate
Solid wood floors are tolerant to a small amount of water on the surface but don’t like too much. If an excessive amount of water is left sitting on the surface of the boards, it will seep through and start to cause real issues such as cupping or warping.
We would always recommend using a spray mop to regularly clean a solid wood floor. Releasing a controlled amount of cleaning solution, the spray mop ensures you never use too much. Our Marldon Advanced Cleaning Kit contains our spray mop, a bottle of Marldon Multicleaner and a spare mop head, everything you need to effectively clean your floor without too much water.
Make sure you Maintain
Regular cleaning is very important when looking after a solid wood floor, but we would also recommend carrying out regular maintenance, particularly on a UV oiled floor. No matter how much cleaning you do, the floor is going to start to lose its edge over time, but carrying out regular maintenance can stop this from happening.
For example, if you have an oiled or waxed solid wood floor, we would recommend applying our Marldon Liquidwax Care periodically to remove any stubborn marks with ease. This also enhances the water resistant protective layer as well as regenerates and replenishes the finish all in one super simple application.
Protect Against Sunlight
Something that can often be overlooked when having a solid wood floor installed is the impact that direct sunlight can have on the surface of the floor. Depending on the species of wood, exposure to direct sunlight can cause some bleaching and discolouration.
There are a number of things you can do to reduce the impact of UV rays on floor’s surface, but ultimately, the only way to stop it happening completely is if it is installed in a room with no windows.
By moving furniture and rugs around periodically you can balance out the effects of UV exposure and keep the colouration consistent.
If the floor has faded over time, it can be sanded and refinished to bring it back to its former glory.
Refinish, don’t replace
No matter how much you look after your floor, to keep it looking really fresh, you may need to completely refinish it every couple of years. By sanding off the top layer and resealing with a finish of your choice, you’ll be amazed at what can be achieved. Your floor will be left looking brand new once again!
If you need any advice on cleaning and maintaining your solid wood floor, give us a call today on 01772 696600 or email us at [email protected].
You can shop our full range of cleaning and maintenance products at www.floorbase.co.uk.