The secret to beautiful floors is proper maintenance and the one key procedure common to all types of hardwood floors and finishes is Preventive Maintenance.

Preventive Maintenance includes the following:
Use protective walk-off mats at the exterior doors to help prevent sand and grit from walking onto the floor. Also, if your kitchen has wood floors, you may want to place a throw rug in front of the sink to catch spills and splashes.

Install proper floor protectors on furniture legs used on hardwood floors. Protectors will allow chairs to move easily over the floor without scratching. Clean the protectors on a regular basis to remove any grit that may have become embedded. 

Vacuum regularly. A soft bristle brush attachment works beautifully. Do not use a household dust treatment as they contain oils that can harm the floor. Simply sweep the floor as needed.

Never wet mop a hardwood floor. Excessive water causes wood to expand, possibly damaging the flooring. Finishes are to protect the stain and face of the wood. They are not bonding or waterproofing products.

Keep high heel shoes in good repair. Heels that have lost their protective cap, thus exposing the fastening nail, will exert over 8,000 pounds per square inch of pressure on a floor. That’s high enough to damage any type of floor covering.

MAINTENANCE FOR SPECIFIC FINISHES:

Waterborne and oil-modified finishes:
BonaKemi makes a cleaner specifically for waterborne and oil-modified finishes. Just spray and wipe clean. We do not recommend the use of furniture dusting products, oil soaps or other harsh cleaning products. Waxing is not necessary or recommended on waterborne and oil modified finished floors.

OSMO hardwax finished floors:
Properly maintained, a hardwax oil finish will last indefinitely. We recommend vacuuming regularly using a soft bristle brush. Wipe away sticky spills and dirt with a cloth or mop dampened with OSMO Wash and Care diluted in water. Be sure to wipe the floor dry and don’t let water stand on the floor. Over time, high traffic areas such as kitchen, main entries and stairways will show wear. We recommend purchasing a floor buffer to keep the look of your floors in top condition.  In Portland, you can purchase buffers from Starks Vacuums. Their website address is: Starks.com and their telephone number in Portland is: 503-232-4101.

WOCA finished floors:
You can clean your WOCA finished floors with WOCA Soap. We recommend purchasing a floor buffer to keep the look of your floors in top condition. In Portland, you can purchase buffers from Starks Vacuums. Their website address is: Starks.com and their telephone number in Portland is: 503-232-4101.