Has your home got beautiful hardwood flooring throughout? Do you want to know how to keep your hardwood floors sparkling and in mint condition? Then why not read on, as I’ve got some helpful hints on cleaning those wooden planks to give your floor that wow factor and help eliminate the appearance of dirt, stains and scratches! The truth is there is no one way to clean your hardwood floors, but there is one fundamental fact at work… you need to take extra care when cleaning your wooden floorboards.

First and foremost, before getting down to a good and thorough clean, you need to find out the age of your floors and the type of finish that’s been used. Once you’ve done that you can get on with that home cleaning and give your hardwood floors the attention and care such a beautiful and unique feature in your home deserves!

Some basic and general tips for keeping your floors looking their best is to always place floor mats close to the front and back doors. This way you’ll reduce the amount of dirt or mud dragged inside. Dirt is the main enemy of hardwood floors, as the small particles can really scratch your wood. Encourage your family and guests to always wipe their feet well, or if you have the power of persuasion, get everyone to take off their shoes before entering your home. A good idea is to keep some slippers close to the door to give guests who may not want to walk around barefoot! This comes in particularly handy if it’s been raining outside… which it so often does!

The absolutely best way to clean your hardwood floor as part of your regular domestic cleaning process is to use a broom and sweep any dust. Using a vacuum could easily scratch the wood! Or if you do want to use a vacuum, you can buy attachments that are specifically tailored to pick up dust from hardwood floors!

Using the right cleaning products is imperative! When shopping for house cleaning products at your local supermarket, make sure the product is compatible with your hardwood floor! If you’re not sure what product you need, why not contact a cleaning company you’ve used in the past and enquire as to what cleaning product they used on your floor! Now in the event you’ve never had professional cleaners in your home then get in touch with the flooring manufacturer! If after going down these avenues, you’re still no closer to finding out what cleaner you need to use, then why not buy a generic hardwood floor cleaning product? Remember before lathering the product all over your floor; choose a corner to test the cleaning material on first!

It’s important to never use a wax or petroleum based cleaning product, unless you’re certain your floor has a wax finish, because wax based products only serve to bind the dirt into your floor and can contribute to scratching your wood, which is a big no-no!

If you’re not used to cleaning hardwood floors, then you may be accustomed to using a regular mop to wash your floors. Well, now is the time to get rid of that mop, which traps dirt and simply moves it across your floor. You need to invest in a mop with a removable flat mop head or a microfiber mop! Also make sure your mop is not soaking wet or full of soapy suds, but well wrung! If you soak the floor you could trigger permanent damage by causing the wood to expand! Finally if you spill anything on your hardwood floor, mop it up immediately using a damp cloth!