5 Tips to Extend the Life of Your Hard Floors

If you are the lucky owner of a hard floor, you already know how great it looks and wants it to do what it’s supposed to do – last forever! The good news is, they are supposed to last a very long time, and all you have to do is keep them clean and serviced to get every ounce of value out of them.

First and foremost, it’s important that your hard floors are installed correctly, but all considerations after that involve keeping them clean and serviced correctly. So how do you do that? Well, it depends on which hard floor option you have.

 
 

 Which Type of Hard Flooring Do You Have?

For more information on specifically how to keep your floors lasting forever, read up on

Quick Tips for Extending the Life of Hard Floors

Let’s take a look at some low-hanging fruit that will help you extend the life of your hard floors.

  • Always use a Neutral PH Floor Cleaner  

  • Use entrance floor mats to catch excess dirt from being tracked in 

  • Make sure the floor is dry in 10 minutes or less

  • Do not soak the floors when mopping  

  • Use protective materials underneath metal legs and items resting on the floors 

  • Avoid using aerosols and alcohol-based products around waxed floors  

  1. Choose the Right Cleaner

Yes, keeping your hard floors clean will extend their life for sure, but to do it best, you have to choose the correct cleaner for your specific flooring. Hard floors require a non-acidic solution, and there are tons to choose from.

Each cleaner comes with specific instructions, and some will work better than others for different types of hard floors.

Try to avoid abrasive scrubbers that can scratch and damage your floors above all else. This even goes for vacuuming your hard floors with the rotating brush turned off to prevent scuffing and scratch marks!

2. Avoid Excess Sun Exposure

Natural light is wonderful, but constant sun exposure can damage or change the color of your hard floors. One of the best ways to prevent UV damage is to invest in windows that offer UV blocking treatments.

Rugs are a great way to protect certain parts of your floor that receive constant UV bombardment. Blinds and sunshades are also a great way to mitigate excessive exposure to light from the sun.

3. Add Rugs to High Traffic Areas

Large welcome mats are a no-brainer for entryways to prevent excessive dirt and mud from being tracked into the area, but rugs can come in useful elsewhere.

If you have halls or work areas that are constantly experiencing high traffic, consider placing a rug there to prevent wear and tear to the hard floor. Remember to always add some carpet padding below any mat you place to avoid scratching and scuffing!

4. Always Clean Messes Quickly

You chose hard floors because spills and messes aren’t such a big deal, but that doesn’t mean they are impervious. If you clean spills and messes right away, the chances of staining or damaging your floors are reduced tremendously.

5. Deep Clean at Least Once a Year

Having Night Owl Floor Services clean your hard floors is not only the easiest way to keep your floors clean, it’s the most essential part. We are able to remove all the caked-on and deeply embedded dirt and soil from every inch of your floors.

Not only that, we treat them and finish them, leaving them looking absolutely gorgeous! Just give us a call at 503-723-8466, and we will be there ASAP!