Wood floor cleaning

The biggest selling points of hard wood floors are undoubtedly longevity and ease of care. Add to that its ecological benefits - wood is, after all, a renewable resource - and it seems that you can't go wrong with wood.

Once you've made the decision to go with wood flooring, prepare yourself by learning the abc's of proper wood floor cleaning, care and maintenance.

Protect your wood flooring from its natural enemies:

* Liquid: Liquids, including water, are bad for wood floors for several reasons. First of all, wood expands when it gets wet. If your hard wood floor gets wet and is allowed to stay that way, it will soak up the liquid and expand, warp or buckle. In extreme cases of over-wetting and neglect, it will begin to mold and deteriorate. Water and other liquids can also affect your wood floor's finish. Oils, waxes and other types of wood finishes guard against many types of damage, but also react poorly with water and other liquids.

* Dirt, dust and sand: Even the smallest, most innocent looking grain of sand mar the beauty of your floor - especially when it finds its way to your floor on the bottom of your shoe, turning the soles of your shoes into sandpaper that literally rubs away at the finish.

* Furniture: When you plop down on your favorite chair or sofa, or move it closer so you can have a more intimate conversation, make sure you pick it up completely rather than drag it on the floor. Furniture legs are the number one cause of wood floor scarring and scratching.

* Cleaning: Your wood floors must be cleaned regularly, but if you go about it the wrong way, you'll end up doing more harm than good. Be wary of vacuum cleaners with abrasive attachments, and stay away from hard bristle brooms.

Wood Floor Cleaning

Now that you know how to protect your wood floors, here are some tips from Bay Area Cleaning professionals for keeping them clean:

1. Sweep regularly using a soft broom with fine bristles that will trap grit, dirt and dust.
2. Vacuum using a hard wood floor attachment. If you don't have one and don't want to make the investment..
3. Mop regularly using a soft cloth or dust mop. Cotton heads are the best for hard wood floors. You can pre-spray with a special hard wood floor treatment, but don't overdo it.
4. Wipe up spills as soon as they happen to prevent the liquid from damaging the finish or staining the floor.

Call bay-area-cleaning.com at 888-397-8423 for free estimate and to learn more about wood floor cleaning service and other cleaning services you might need.