HOW TO CLEAN HARDWOOD FLOORS

Hardwood floors look great in any home. However, if a cleaning routine isn’t established, debris can mar and scratch the wood. Scratches are one mess that can’t be removed with a mop! Whether you have real hardwood floors, laminate wood floors or engineered wood floors, Virginia Housekeepers can help you make them look great.

Best Way to Clean Hardwood Floors

Before you begin, gather your supplies and create a plan. If you have pets, put them in the yard or a bedroom while you clean so they stay out of your way. Move any furniture and area rugs away from the areas you’ll need to clean. Take the rugs outside, and give them a good shake to remove loose dirt and dust.

Always Vacuum First

Begin by giving the floor a thorough vacuum. Pay attention to high-traffic areas like doorways and hallways. But don’t forget about hidden spots – small stones, pet hair and dirt often get kicked around and collect in low-traffic areas like the toe kick under the cabinet or under furniture. While you’re vacuuming, thoroughness is key!

Establish a weekly routine of vacuuming your floors.

Once a month, the floors should be mopped to deep-clean the wood and make it shine.

How to Mop Hardwood Floors

• Never mop a floor until you’ve swept and vacuumed it. Once that’s finished, grab your mop!
• Fill the sink or a bucket with hot water and your preferred wood-floor cleaning solution. Alternately, you can mix a tablespoon of dish soap or one cup of white vinegar in a gallon of hot water.
• Evaluate your floor. Are there any sticky substances? Use an ice cube to freeze stuck-on gunk; then scape it off with an old credit card or plastic putty knife. Establish a cleaning route; begin in one corner of the room and work backward so the floor has time to dry before you walk over it.
• Before mopping, rinse the mop in the sink with hot running water to loosen any debris from last time you used it. Work the mop in a “S” motion, leading with the same edge every time to capture debris instead of just spreading it around.
• You should never saturate wood floors with water, so wring the mop each time you dunk it in the solution. How often should you dunk the mop-head? Rinse it in the cleaning solution every time you finish a four-foot-square section of floor. Replace your mopping solution every time you move to a new room.
• Once the floors are clean, use a wax or floor polish to make them shine.

How to Keep Your Hardwood Floors Clean

• Enforce a no-shoes policy in your household to keep your floors clean. Make it easy for people to take their shoes off by placing a small bench by the door. To capture dirt before it’s tracked inside, place an interior and exterior floor mat at each entry point of your home. A good choice for an outdoor mat is a heavy-duty rubber one. Inside, you might go for a natural-fiber floor mat, which looks great and is also easy to occasionally shake out outside.
• If you have pets, keep a towel by the door to quickly wipe their paws before they enter the house. You may also invest in a paw-washing bottle, which makes it easy to quickly wash muddy dog paws.
• Is it mud season? Use a microfiber cloth and an all-purpose spray to “hand mop,” or wipe down, small areas on the floor before the dirt has time to spread around the house. This method will help you go even longer between deep cleans and only takes a minute or two.

Provide Additional Protection

Use floor protectors on chair and furniture legs to protect your floors. Window film treatments can prevent UV damage, slowing down fading or damage to your hardwood floors. And don’t forget to trim your pet’s nails regularly to avoid floor scratches.

How Do I Remove Red Wine from Carpet?

Spilling some tasty red wine on your carpet can put a damper on a relaxing evening. But Virginia Housekeepers says don’t fret—it’s easier to clean red wine spills than you think!

First, it’s important to act quickly. Don’t let the stain set for long before you spring into cleaning mode. A little bit of salt on the stain will help prevent the stain from setting into the carpet and prevent larger problems.

You have a few options for removing the stain—white wine, club soda, and commercial carpet cleaner products are the most popular. Simply pour your cleaning solution of choice onto the stain, and then gently blot up as much wine as possible. Remember—rubbing will force the stain into the carpet and make cleanup more difficult.