Hard floors, when clean and polished, can really transform the look of a room. Although unfortunately, hard floors with stains, dirt, scratches, and more can also transform the room. It can be hard to get that magic back again. The good news is that it is absolutely possible to stop this mess in its tracks. You will need to apply some elbow grease. Today we will cover the many tips and hacks that will keep your hard floors looking good for longer and how you can mitigate future marks.
Table of Contents
Use a dedicated hard floor cleaner
Nothing is going to be more useful to you than a hard floor cleaner, and we can’t be more clear than that! It might be tempting to buy appliances that work on a greater number of surfaces in your home, but there will always be a trade-off in the design, and your floors will not get that specialized care. You ideally want to have the best in class for each of the surfaces in your home. From the motion to the cleaning surface that hits your floor – a dedicated hard floor cleaner is engineered to clean without stripping and leave your floors looking like they have just been polished.
Keep mess at bay
Maintaining a clean hard floor base is going to be your best line of defense. If dirt and debris begin to build up on your floors and are ground into the surface for days of being walked over, this is how a mark or stain will appear. If your hard floors are waxed or polished, this dirt and debris might also scuff the finish and actually cause damage to the physical floors that are beneath. Keep yourself accountable to a regular vacuum and then a hard floor cleaner every other week to avoid this outcome. For larger jobs try riding floor scrubbers to help you do the work.
Know thy surface
Knowing exactly what surface you are working with will be hugely beneficial to how you clean the hard floors. Hardwood floors, tiles, polished concrete – each of these flooring options are hugely different! Each of these surfaces will be made with unique materials and fibers, so they should receive tailored care. For example, mopping bleach over your polished concrete floors will not be the same course of action for hardwood floors. Buy the best solutions that have been made for that specific surface. See Dan Dan the Carpet Man’s blog if you’re wondering if it’s worth getting your wood floor professionally cleaned.
Address the scratching
Scratching on floors is such a shame to see, especially because it is just so avoidable. Set about addressing this issue by figuring out what the culprit is. This is going to be the best way to stop the scratching. Typically, furniture has not been covered on the bottom to be safe and soft on floors. Apply or replace these covers to all furniture that meets the floor and drag the furniture around to ensure that you have solved that problem.
Shoes, like high heels, are another culprit that you may want to consider. Many homes have adopted a no-shoe policy, but this will not be for everyone. If you polish or wax your floors, it might be worth telling the operator that high heels are common in your home. See if that can do a thicker polish to mitigate scratches.
Conclusion
Follow the tips discussed here today and start monitoring whether you see fewer stains, dirt, and scratches on your hard floors. Just as carpet requires maintenance – so do our floors, even if it seems like they can take anything. Remember that quality appliances underpin how clean your floors are, so shop quality wherever possible.
Featured Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay
