What do I Need to Know about Hardwood Floor Cleaning?

It’s hard to deny the beauty of a nice hardwood floor, and these days, more and more homeowners are tearing out their carpet to expose the gorgeous hardwoods underneath.  Unfortunately, hardwood floors can be a bit more high-maintenance than carpets and they also require you to worry about issues like water damage, scratches, and damage to their delicate finish.  You even have to worry about these things when you’re cleaning hardwood floors!  If you’re interested in preserving the beauty of your hardwood floors, here are a few things to consider, straight from the professionals at JMS Enterprises.  While we’re well known in Bucks County and Montgomery County, PA for our outstanding carpet cleaning services, we can also help you with your hardwood floor cleaning needs as well!

Preventing Scratches

Many hardwood floor owners like to use dry cleaning methods like sweeping or using cleaning pads.  While these methods can certainly remove dirt and dust, they can actually leave your hardwood floors looking even worse than they did when you started.  That’s because tiny dirt particles like sand, small rocks, and bits of metal can act as abrasives, scouring your hardwood floor just like sandpaper.  If you don’t want to leave your hardwood floors all scratched up, it’s best to explore other cleaning methods.

Cleaning Solutions

While you may think any old cleaning solution will do, most are not designed for hardwood floors.  If you use the wrong cleaner, you won’t be happy with the results; it could damage your floor’s finish or the wood underneath.  For best results, you’ll want to use a gentle cleaning solution but you’re not a chemist, so how do you find one that works without damaging your floors?  Even the old standby – water and vinegar – has the potential to cause water damage and the acetic acid found in vinegar can slowly eat away at your floor’s finish.

Preventing Water Damage

Speaking of water damage, you probably already know that water and wood don’t mix.  Wet wood will eventually start to rot if you can’t get it dried out, plus even limited contact with water can cause a wood floor to swell and warp.  When water gets into a wood floor, it can also leave unsightly spots that will be difficult and expensive to fix.  That’s right, the tried-and-true mop and bucket won’t work here; it’s best to find a method that doesn’t involve so much water.

If you think cleaning hardwood floors is simple, think again; it takes a great deal of care and experience to know how to deep clean a hardwood floor without damaging it.  As you can see from the information above, it’s a task that’s best left to the professionals.  At JMS Enterprises, we’ve got more than 37 years of experience cleaning all types of floors, including hardwood floors, carpets, area rugs, and more!  If you live in Montgomery County or Bucks County, PA and you need help cleaning your hardwood floors or any other type of flooring, give us a call by dialing (215) 706-0188.  We also offer other services including air duct cleaning, tile & grout cleaning, drapery cleaning, water damage restoration, and upholstery cleaning!