Floor
Care
Hardwood
floors have been experiencing a resurgence of popularity in recent
years. Once thought to be difficult to care for, hardwood floors
are now seen as an easy to maintain, beautiful alternative to
tile, vinyl and even carpet. This is largely a result of improvements
in the technology of hardwood floor finishes. These new finishes
make keeping your hardwood floor looking like new an easy task.
Just follow these simple maintenance procedures…
Heads
Up Flooring Residential Floor Care Guide:
Protect
Your Floor
Place
throw rugs in front of sinks in your kitchen and any doors leading
to the outside where heavy traffic and outside when heavy traffic
and tracking occurs. However, do not do this until at least two
weeks after the finish has been applied. Chairs, and any other
furniture that is moved frequently should have floor glide attached
to the bottom of each leg to help to prevent scratching and wear.
Do not wax the bottom of chair legs.
 Regular
Dust Mopping Or Vacuuming
Regular dust
mopping or vacuuming is an essential part of hardwood floor care.
A good quality dust mop or vacuum with bristle head is the most
effective tool for cleaning dust and dirt off the floor.
To keep your
floor looking its best, dust mop or vacuum at least twice a week.
Try to dust or vacuum more often on floors with heavy traffic.
When using a dust mop, it is acceptable to use Endust on the mop.
Occasional
Cleaning
Spills
and tracked in dirt can build up and will require more than just
dust mopping to remove. When this happens, lightly sponge mop
with a mild cleaner solution diluted with luke warm water. After
sponge mopping, run a dry towel wrapped around a broom over the
floor. The cleaner solution will loosen the dirt and the towel
will pick it up. These solutions can also be used on a rag for
spot cleaning.
Heads
Up recommends the following:
Product
Amount to Add per Gallon of Water
Glass
Cleaners ¼ Cup
(Windex Works Best)
Powdered Dish
2 Tablespoons
Wash Detergent
Do Not Use
More Cleaner Than The Recommended Amounts
More cleaner does not mean better performance.
Do Not Use
The Following Products On Your Floor:
· Murphy’s Oil Soap or any other Oil Soap
· Paste Wax
· Pledge of any other wax-or silicone based polishes
· Fantastik, Formula 409 or other solvent containing cleaners
· Pine based cleaners like Pine Sol
· Vinegar
· Ammonia
Do
Not Wax or Spray Buff
 Urethane
finishes require little maintenance, so it is not necessary to
wax or polishes will actually make the floor harder to clean and
cause problems for future recoats.
Periodic
Recoating
Following
a regular maintenance program will preserve the life of your hardwood
floor for years. However, despite all of their advantages, Basic
Coatings’ finishes will not last forever. Eventually your
floor may need to be recoated.
A hardwood
floor should be recoated when the original finish is showing signs
of wear but before it has worn down to the bare wood. Bare wood
will be stained by dirt and grime and will need to be re-sanded.
A wood floor professional should be consulted when recoat questions
arise.
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