5 Tips for caring your hardwood floors
Hardwood floorings are so adorable in appearance. Though they are comparatively pricier than other flooring options, the elegance it brings into your house makes it really worth. However, a proper and timely maintenance is required for hardwood to retain that charm inside your interiors.
Homemade Hardwood Floor Polish
There are many hardwood polishes available in the market. But, you can easily make a Homemade Hardwood Floor polish. And here are few tips for you.
- Vinegar and Water to Clean: Of course you have vinegar in your kitchen and you are already aware that it’s good for cleaning kitchen sink. You can also use vinegar to polish hardwood. Dilute half cup of vinegar with about 3 liters of warm water. You can use this simple solution to clean your wooden floor. All you need to do is to just dip a piece of sponge into the solution, squeeze it and apply it on the floor.
- Vinegar and vegetable oil: Another version of this is mixing a cup of vinegar with exactly equal amount of vegetable oil. Using a clean rag, you can wipe the floor with this solution. In between, dip rag into a bucket of water and you can repeat it exercise until your floor starts shining! If it happens to be excess on your floor (it can happen when you do first time, you can wipe it off with a clean and dry cloth.
- Vinegar for laminated floors: If your floor is laminated, here’s another method. Mix 2 cups of water with 2 cups of white vinegar. Add a cup of fresh lemon juice and one-forth cup of perfumed dish-washing soap. Mix the solutions in a small bucket and apply it over the floor using a sponge. You can wipe off the excess wetness on the floor using a clean and dry cloth.
- Natural wax: Regular waxing helps to protect your floor and long-lasting shine. If you prefer to make Homemade wax for your floor, then take equal amount of grated beeswax and turpentine into a bowl (say ¼ cup each). Double boil this mixture until the wax gets melted. Stir continuously and then let it cool. You can add some perfumes or fruit extracts to make it sweet smelling. After cleaning the floor, you can use this as a natural wax to make the floor shining.
Other simple techniques
- Dip few tea bags in hot water and apply this water to the floor. This is a good way to make your floor shine.
- Treat your floor like a baby. Mix some baby-shampoo with baby-oil mixed and then dilute the solution with warm water. This is also a good homemade floor polishing solution.
5 Tips for caring your hardwood floors
- Always dust away the floor using vacuum cleaner: Vacuum cleaning is the most effective way to remove the dust that can scruff the hardwood flooring. Before you apply the floor polish, ensure that the surface is free from dust and grime.
- Always use hardwood flooring polish in the morning: The polish need time to dry. Use the polish during the early hours of the day so that you need not bother about having a damp surface. While direct sunlight may bring an uneven finish, curtained exposure ensures that the surface is dried evenly. Ensure that you have not missed the corners of the wall.
- Commercial disinfectants versus home-made polish: Most people make the mistake of using concentrated commercial floor cleaners to polish the flooring. It is important to go easy on the hardwood floorings. Use home-made natural hardwood flooring polish.
- Read the label: Red alert at Ammonia, and Acid: If you are buying any polishes from shops, always read the label before buying. Ingredients like ammonia and hard acids can stain your flooring leaving a lifetime impression on the surface.
- Use linen cloth or sponge for wiping: Treat your Hardwood floors just like mirrors and glass surface. Experts recommend using linen cloth or sponge to wipe hardwood floorings. While they absorb the extra water from the surface, the smooth cloth leaves the flooring shiny and glossy.
