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By: Adam L Jackson
Anyone who has hardwood floors in their homes will want them to look as good as the day when they first had them installed. Although you can use special cleaning products to help ensure that they retain their look, these are not only expensive, but contain chemicals that can be harmful to wooden floors also. Below we look at some other ways in which to clean hardwood floors to ensure that they retain the same look and condition. However even before you decide which is the best way for you to care and clean your hardwood floors you need to find out what finish they have to them. In fact what finish is on your wooden floors will be what will determine the way in which they are cleaned. Most new wooden floors including bamboo and oak ones will have been sealed so just sweeping with a broom and wiping with a damp mop is sufficient. However, floors that have been penetrated sealed or treated using oils will need to be cleaned using either a liquid or a paste wax. The same also goes for floors, which have not been treated or have been varnished, shellacked or lacquered. One of the most effective and cheapest ways of cleaning any hardwood floor is by diluting some vinegar into warm water. It is best if you use white vinegar as this works at helping to remove any build up of grease on the floors surface and helps to remove odors. Plus this type of cleaning solution also removes mildew, various different kinds of stains and any buildup of wax on the floors surface as well. Even though vinegar is effective at cleaning various different kinds of hardwood floors if you have oak floors or bamboo floors there are other cleaning methods that you may want to consider using instead. Certainly, of all the different types of hardwood floors that can be installed in your home today, oak ones when finished properly are the easiest to maintain. If you do have an oak floor and would like it to retain the same look as when it was first installed then it should be cleaned on a regular basis. Each week you should vacuum and then wipe over the surface of the floor with a damp mop using a very mild soap solution. But if your floor has been waxed then in order to help bring back the shine and remove scuff marks from the surface you will need to have it either buffed, by hand or arranging to hire a machine to do it. If you have had bamboo floors in your home these actually need to be cared for in a different way from other wooden floors. Although you can vacuum them and then wipe over the surface with a damp mop as you would with an oak floor. But it is important that the cleaning solution you use does not contain any kinds of ingredients which have acid or are caustic or which are made using oils. So although you can use vinegar on oak and other kinds of hardwood floors it should not be used on a bamboo one. Another kind of cleaning product which many people use and which a lot of hardwood manufacturers will recommend is Murphy's oil soap. Of all the products now available, which can help you to maintain and care for your hardwood floors this, is one of the most effective and will help your floor to retain its shine. Above we have looked at a number of different ways in which one can clean hardwood floors. But which method you use will depend on not just the type of hardwood floor but the way in which the floor has also been finished. Therefore, it is important that you take your time and carry out some research if you want your floor to retain the look it had when first installed.
Article Source: http://www.articlenorth.com
Are you interested in finding out about other methods to clean hardwood floors in order to protect and preserve them? Then please visit Clean Hardwood Floors by clicking on the link that is shown here.
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