Daily Dust Mopping or Vacuuming – Regular dust mopping or vacuuming is an essential part of hardwood floor care. A good quality dust mop or vacuum head is the most effective tool for cleaning dust and dirt off the floor. To keep your floor looking its best, dust mop or vacuum at least twice a week. Dust or vacuum more often on floors with heavy traffic.
Cleaning your wood floor – Spills and tracked in dirt can be cleaned by lightly damp mopping the floor with a household sponge mop. Use clean water for regular sponge mopping. Do not over-wet the mop. Excessive water could damage the floor. In addition to cleaning with water, it may be necessary to clean with a cleaner.
Protect Your Floor – Place throw rugs in front of sinks in your kitchen and any door leading to the outside where heavy traffic and tracking occurs. However, do not do this until at least a week to ten days after the finish has been applied. Chairs, and any other furniture that is moved frequently, should have felt pads attached to the bottom of each leg to help prevent scratching and wear. Do not wax the bottom of chair legs.
Do Not Wax or Spray Buff – Urethane finishes require little maintenance, so it is not necessary to wax or polish the floor. Waxes or polishes will actually make the floor harder to clean and cause problems for future re-coats.
Periodic Recoating – Following a regular maintenance program will preserve the life of your hardwood floor for years. However, despite all of their advantages, these new finishes will not last forever. Eventually your floor may need to be recoated. A hardwood floor should be recoated when the original finish is showing signs of wear but before it has worn down to bare wood.