Tips for cleaning and maintaining wooden floors - Borneo Bulletin online

Jeanne Huber

THE WASHINGTON POST - How do I maintain the floors in my home?

There are many types of parquet flooring today, including traditional natural wood strips with interlocking tongue and groove edges and prefabricated planks that have a thin layer of natural wood on top of the chipboard. But regardless of the type, parquet floors share the same basic needs: remove sand quickly, even daily; clean less often, maybe once a month; and cover as required or carry out punctual repairs. Also, all types of hardwood floors will last longer with homeowners careful to avoid stains and scratches.

Wood, whether natural planks or boards made of fibers glued together, expands when it absorbs moisture, be it in the form of air vapor or in liquid form. The fluctuating humidity affected by temperature can crack or break the floor, so it is important to avoid extremes. The National Wood Flooring Association recommends keeping a home with hardwood floors between 60 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit and between 30 and 50 percent relative humidity year round. And you never want to clean a hardwood floor with a damp mop, as it could splash enough water to warp the floor. Steam cleaning is also possible.

It's also important to know that when you clean a hardwood floor, you're also cleaning the surface, as long as it's intact. This is why grain, which looks like sandpaper when you follow it on the soles of your shoes or drag it across the floor under chair legs, is the greatest enemy of parquet flooring: too much. Sanding across the grain will wear off the finish. The floor association recommends daily sweeping or mopping and weekly vacuuming with a hard floor accessory. But the best cleaning tool and how often you use it really depends on the traffic and how you want to clean. Vacuuming works best because it removes grain on contact while it is agitated when sweeping and dusting. But vacuuming is more difficult, which is why people avoid it. Hence the recommendation to mop or sweep at least in heavily frequented areas.

Modern floors are tough enough to wipe off sticky splashes and dirt with a slightly damp cloth. The Flooring Association recommends using the specific cleaning agent recommended by the flooring manufacturer. But if you don't know, use plain water. Improvising with other cleaners, even those that appear benign, can lead to problems. Vinyl floor cleaning products can ruin the surfaces of parquet floors. Wood cleaners with "oil soap" can leave residues. Vinegar is acidic enough to gradually corrode floors and make them cloudy. Ammonia, sometimes recommended to remove stubborn stains, is highly alkaline and can remove some floor coverings. But a little water, just enough to dampen a cloth or sponge, will remove spills and leave the floor perfectly clean. Immediately buff the cleaned area with a soft, dry cloth. Can't clean the floor on all fours? Use a mop, but remember to clean the floor with a slightly damp cloth substitute, not a mop. The mop should be well wrung out.

It makes sense to clean up spills right away, of course, but general cleaning can be more relaxed. The soil association recommends doing this once a month. Soak up the sand first, then clean it with a recommended detergent or clean water. Rinse and wring out the cleaning cloth or mop regularly.

To minimize the amount of gravel that gets into your home, you should put in place a no-shoes policy. (Make exceptions for the elderly or put a chair near the door to make it easier to take off your shoes.) Install floor mats on the inside and outside of each outside door. Avoid rubber-backed models for indoor carpets, as rubber can react with certain surfaces and damage a hardwood floor. For your outdoor rug, get into the habit of shaking it every two weeks. Vacuuming works too, but if the carpet is exposed to rain use a wet / dry vacuum; A household vacuum cleaner can cause a short circuit when it draws in water.

Attach felt pads to the chair legs, but brush or vacuum frequently to keep gravel from building up and turning into small abrasive pads when you step on or off. Replace the pads if gravel is embedded.

When moving furniture or other heavy objects, vacuum or sweep first, then place pads or old towels under the parts as you move them.

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