Hardwwood Floor Maintenance
EASY CARE STEPS FOR CLEANING HARDWOOD FLOORS
DO:
Following installation, clean with Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner.
Hardwood Floor Care Quick Fix Tips
Spills and Tracked-in Dirt
BRUCE DURA SATIN WAX FINISH FLOORS
Initial Hardwood Floor Care – Bruce Hardwood Floors
Recognizing that hardwood floor dimensions will be slightly affected by varying levels of humidity within your building, care should be taken to control humidity levels within the 35-55% range. To protect your investment and to assure that your floors provide lasting satisfaction, we have provided our recommendations below.
Heating Season (Dry)
Repair Tips on Bruce Dura Satin Wax Finish Floors
Wax Build-Up
Occasionally, wood floors become unsightly or lose their shine because of successive layers of old wax. To restore their natural beauty, strip old wax away with mineral spirits. Let dry and re-wax according to Armstrong’s recommendations. visit floor seattle to find the right wax for the floor.
Spots Caused by Food or Water
DO:
- Wipe up spills immediately.
- Vacuum, sweep or dust mop your hardwood floor once a week, or more, if needed. The vacuum head must be brush or felt, and a wand attachment is preferable.
- Use interior and exterior doormats at entrances to collect dirt and moisture and prevent it from being tracked onto the floor.
- Area rugs are recommended in front of kitchen sinks, at all pivot points and within high-traffic areas. The rugs must be made of a breathable material to prevent moisture entrapment.
- Place runners and area rugs (with slip-resistant backings) along high-traffic areas.
- Keep animal nails trimmed to prevent finish scratches.
- To prevent surface damage avoid rolling heavy appliances and furniture on the floor. Use plywood hardboard or appliance lifts, if necessary.
- Use Armstrong or Bruce furniture leg protector pads under all furniture legs.
- Replace hard, narrow furniture rollers with wide rubber rollers.
- Keep the relative humidity in your home between 35% and 55%.
- Protect your floor from direct sunlight.
- Use any of the following products (or products similar in nature) on your floor: ammonia based cleaners, acrylic finishes, wax based products, detergents, bleach, polishes and oil soaps, abrasive cleaning soaps or acidic materials such as vinegar.
- Allow water to stand on your floor for any length of time – wipe up immediately.
- Walk across your floor in poorly maintained shoes with heel taps, spike heels or with any sharp object protruding from your shoe.
- Allow furniture to rest on the floor on small metal tips or hard domes.
- Use rubber, foam back or plastic mats as they may trap moisture and possibly discolor your floor.
- Do not use vacuums with beater bars or hard heads.
Following installation, clean with Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner.
Hardwood Floor Care Quick Fix Tips
Spills and Tracked-in Dirt
- Clean immediately.
- Apply Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner lightly to the surface and wipe with a sponge mop or a soft cloth.
NOTE: DO NOT use on Bruce Dura Satin Wax finish floors. Refer to Bruce Dura Satin Wax Finish floor care. - Excess cleaner that does not evaporate immediately should be dried with a clean towel. No rinsing is necessary.
- Apply Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner to a clean soft cloth.
- Rub the area to remove the stain or spot.
- More stubborn spots may require additional cleaning with mineral spirits, followed by cleaning with Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner.
- Apply Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner to a clean soft cloth.
- Rub the area to remove the stain or spot.
- If stain remains, rub with a cloth dampened with mineral spirits and follow by cleaning the area with Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner.
- Apply a sealed plastic bag filled with ice on top of the deposit.
- Wait until deposit becomes brittle enough to crumble off.
- After deposit has been removed, clean entire area with Armstrong Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner or Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner.
- Use Armstrong Touch-Up Kit or Bruce Touch-Up Kit in smaller areas.
- Apply Armstrong Restore Hardwood Floor Finish or Bruce Fresh Finish™ or Bruce Fresh Finish™ Low Gloss when larger areas are reconditioned.
- Individual planks, strips or parquets that are heavily gouged or damaged can be replaced by a professional flooring installer.
- If needed, the entire floor can be refurbished by applying one or more coats of Armstrong Restore Hardwood Floor Finish or Bruce Fresh Finish™ or Bruce Fresh Finish™ Low Gloss.
BRUCE DURA SATIN WAX FINISH FLOORS
Initial Hardwood Floor Care – Bruce Hardwood Floors
- Your floors should be waxed following installation, but the product to use depends on the shade of the floor. Please contact Armstrong at 1-800-233-3823 for recommendations on the best product to use for your specific floor.
- Sweep, vacuum or dust mop the floor to remove loose dirt before it can scratch or be ground into the floor’s surface.
- Wax the floor once or twice a year, about as often as you would shampoo your carpet.
- DO NOT use Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner on wax finish floors.
- NEVER clean or wet mop with water. Water may dull the finish and permanently damage the floor.
- DO NOT use and wax or cleaner that must be mixed with water such as oil soap, as this may ruin your floor and result in a loss of warranty.
- DO NOT use Bruce® Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner.
- Buffing your hardwood floor between waxing will restore the original sheen. Large, heavy weight buffing machines impart a much higher sheen to wax finish than small, lightweight machines. Use a fiber bristle brush attachment only.
- It may be desirable to wax the floor slightly more often in drier climates, during the winter, and in heavy traffic areas.
Recognizing that hardwood floor dimensions will be slightly affected by varying levels of humidity within your building, care should be taken to control humidity levels within the 35-55% range. To protect your investment and to assure that your floors provide lasting satisfaction, we have provided our recommendations below.
Heating Season (Dry)
- A humidifier is recommended to prevent excessive shrinkage in hardwood floors due to low-humidity levels.
- Wood stoves and electric heat tend to create very dry conditions.
- Proper humidity levels can be maintained by use of an air conditioner, dehumidifier, or by turning on your heating system periodically during the summer months.
- Avoid excessive exposure to water from tracking during periods of inclement weather.
- DO NOT obstruct in any way the expansion joint around the perimeter of your floor.
NOTE: Final inspection by the end-user should occur from a standing position.
Repair Tips on Bruce Dura Satin Wax Finish Floors
Wax Build-Up
Occasionally, wood floors become unsightly or lose their shine because of successive layers of old wax. To restore their natural beauty, strip old wax away with mineral spirits. Let dry and re-wax according to Armstrong’s recommendations. visit floor seattle to find the right wax for the floor.
Spots Caused by Food or Water
- Rub lightly with a Bruce Scrub Pad dampened with the appropriate wax for the floor’s shade. Call 1-800-233-3823 for recommendations for the best wax product to use.
- Wipe dry and rub on a little wax.
- Then buff with a clean cloth, or the dry end of a Bruce Scrub Pad.
How to Clean Your wood floors
20/02/13 09:16
How To Clean Hardwood Floors
Natural wood can be protected against this kind of damage by giving it a coat of polyurethane clear finish, but it’s still best to keep liquids off the floor. Only when a floor is properly sealed in this way should you consider following up vacuuming with damp mopping the entire floor. If you don’t like the shiny finish of polyurethane, use a penetrating seal, which consists of wax or oil finishes that penetrate the wood and protect from within. Applying a floor wax is one more possibility to protect the surface.
Shoes Off
A high percentage of grime found on floors is carried in from outside on shoes. So a good way to limit the amount of cleaning you need to do is limit the amount of grunge that finds its way to the floor. Use area rugs, throw rugs, and runners over high traffic areas. You might also consider adopting the Asian habit of having people remove their shoes before stepping inside. Of course, the considerate host provides slippers and an area by the door where shoes are stashed.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning And Care
No matter what preventive measures you take, however, or how often you vacuum, there are times when a damp mop just won’t do the job; cutting through grease, removing odors, mildew, or wax buildup. On those occasions, add some white vinegar to the mop water.
The most common and difficult to solve problem regarding hard wood floors is accidental staining with substances like coffee, wine, juice, or ink. Here again, if the floor has been sealed, cleaning up the stain may entail nothing more than picking it up with a dampened rag or paper towel. But you may have to rub the area with a nylon rubbing pad to remove scuff marks and use mineral spirits to remove crayon smears. Commercial products will help in removing paint spills and chewing gum.
Stains
Stains that go deep into the finish must be attacked more aggressively. Cleaning suggestions for various types of deep stains:
It’s recommended a professional floor finisher be called to handle rust stains, dark spots, or stains that cover an extensive area. Sometimes the best response to a stain is to refinish the entire floor.
Natural wood can be protected against this kind of damage by giving it a coat of polyurethane clear finish, but it’s still best to keep liquids off the floor. Only when a floor is properly sealed in this way should you consider following up vacuuming with damp mopping the entire floor. If you don’t like the shiny finish of polyurethane, use a penetrating seal, which consists of wax or oil finishes that penetrate the wood and protect from within. Applying a floor wax is one more possibility to protect the surface.
Shoes Off
A high percentage of grime found on floors is carried in from outside on shoes. So a good way to limit the amount of cleaning you need to do is limit the amount of grunge that finds its way to the floor. Use area rugs, throw rugs, and runners over high traffic areas. You might also consider adopting the Asian habit of having people remove their shoes before stepping inside. Of course, the considerate host provides slippers and an area by the door where shoes are stashed.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning And Care
No matter what preventive measures you take, however, or how often you vacuum, there are times when a damp mop just won’t do the job; cutting through grease, removing odors, mildew, or wax buildup. On those occasions, add some white vinegar to the mop water.
The most common and difficult to solve problem regarding hard wood floors is accidental staining with substances like coffee, wine, juice, or ink. Here again, if the floor has been sealed, cleaning up the stain may entail nothing more than picking it up with a dampened rag or paper towel. But you may have to rub the area with a nylon rubbing pad to remove scuff marks and use mineral spirits to remove crayon smears. Commercial products will help in removing paint spills and chewing gum.
Stains
Stains that go deep into the finish must be attacked more aggressively. Cleaning suggestions for various types of deep stains:
- Blood: Sponge it with cold water, if it’s extra tough then sponge it with a solution of ammonia and cold water.
- Dye: Rub with a cloth dampened with a 1:3 solution of bleach and water. Do not soak the area.
- Liquor: Rub with a cloth dampened with warm water and detergent; alternate rubbing with a cloth dampened with denatured alcohol.
- Grease: After causing the grease to congeal by applying a bag of frozen peas, scrape it off with a knife. Remove any residue by putting a rag on it and carefully ironing the rag.
- Crayon marks: If mineral spirits doesn’t do the trick, try applying tooth paste and rubbing with a dry cloth.
- Fruit: Warm water and detergent should work; if not, rub it with a solution of water and oxalic acid.
- Nail polish: Detergent solution, scouring powder, water, and a plastic mesh pad.
- Ink: If warm water and detergent doesn’t work, try a commercial ink remover.
- Lipstick: Detergent and warm water; use light pressure with a plastic scouring pad if it’s a tough stain.
- Scuffs: Use a pencil eraser on them. If stubborn, rub gently with 000 fine steel wool and the type of liquid wax usually used on the floor. Mr. Clean magic erasers work wonders on these.
- Oil: Soak up as much as you can with newspaper or paper towels. Cover for five minutes with a cloth saturated with a dry cleaning fluid. Then wipe dry and clean with a detergent.
- Shoe Polish: Rub gently with ultra-fine steel wool.
- Tar: Place bags of frozen peas on it to freeze it and make it brittle. Then scrape it off with a plastic spatula. A light stain may remain, which can be removed with dry cleaning solvent.
- Pet Urine: Immediately rub with a hot, damp cloth and scouring powder. A 1:10 solution of bleach and water can be used on old stubborn stains, but always rinse well with rags dampened with clean water. Take care not to get the solution below the finish; this will discolor the wood.
It’s recommended a professional floor finisher be called to handle rust stains, dark spots, or stains that cover an extensive area. Sometimes the best response to a stain is to refinish the entire floor.