Proper care of your Nostalgic Wood Floor will help ensure that you get many years of life from your beautiful new wood floor. There are many things that you should do to help protect your investment, and some things you should avoid. If cared for correctly, your Nostalgic Wood floor should last for many, many decades.
Firstly, using a high-quality finish on the flooring is highly recommended. This is the layer that will protect your floor from wear and damage. Once the finish has been worn through, the wood itself can start to get damaged. This would result in needing to sand and refinish the flooring. So, to keep wood floors looking and performing well for many generations, follow these key guidelines. Of course, individual maintenance schedules will vary based on use, wear and tear, and lifestyle.
Maintenance Schedule
Daily – Sweep/Dry dust mop using a good quality fine broom or microfiber cloth mop. Do NOT allow liquids to remain on the wood floor. Wipe up any liquid immediately. Removing dirt and debris regularly will prevent excessive wear of the finish. Use a lightly dampened cloth to wipe up dirt or spills.
Weekly – Vacuum using the ‘bare floor’ setting. Use a water dampened cloth mop to wipe up any stuck-on dirt or spills.
Biweekly/Monthly – Clean with a high-quality wood floor cleaner like the Bona Hardwood Cleaner. Using a handheld spray bottle, mist the floor ahead of your mop to minimize both dampness and amount of product.
Every 5-10 years – Maintenance coat can be applied if there are some minor signs of wear.
Every Few Decades – Sand and refinish when there are areas where there is wear through to the wood surface. A Nostalgic Wood Floor can be refinished approximately four times. This will depend on the level of wear that is required to be sanded with each refinishing.
DO’s – Steps TO DO to help maintain the beauty of floors
- Use throw rugs at doorways to help prevent debris from being tracked in that may scratch the floor.
- Wipe up spills immediately with a lightly dampened cloth.
- Use stick-on felt protectors for furniture to prevent scratching and scuffing. Replace these often as dirt and debris can become imbedded on the pads and act like sandpaper on the floor surface.
- For wood flooring in the kitchen, place an area rug at the kitchen sink. Regularly check areas where there are water pipes. This would include sinks and dishwashers. Regular checks will help ensure there are no leaks causing water to seep under the floor.
- Use a humidifier throughout the winter months to minimize gaps; ideal room humidity if 35-45%. See humidity blog for more details.
- Use a dehumidifier in the summer months to minimize swelling; ideal room humidity if 35-45%. See humidity blog for more details.
Things to AVOID doing with your reclaimed floor
- Do not wet-mop or steam mop a wood floor. Water and steam can dull the finish and damage the wood.
- Do not use water and vinegar, soap-based cleaners, steam cleaners or tile cleaning products on wood floors.
- Do not wax a wood foor.
- Avoid walking on wood floors with sports cleats or high heels.
- Do not slide heavy furniture on wood floors. Pick up furniture to prevent scratching.
- Do not let the room humidity drop too low, below 30% or raise too high, above 50%. The ideal range is 35-45%.
