A quality wood floor can last a lifetime with proper care and maintenance. We have some helpful hints below to help you keep your wood floor lustrous and beautiful for as long as you own your home.

1. Routine maintenance is the key to keeping your wood floor in tip-top shape. This means more than just sweeping or vacuuming when you see dirt. Routine maintenance includes protecting the surface from moisture penetration, using appropriate floor care products manufactured specifically for wood floors, and guarding against wear in high traffic areas by using mats or non-slip throw rugs.

2. Know the type of finish on your wood floor. Clean your wood floors periodically with a professional wood floor cleaning product for your specific type of finish, preferably one recommended by the manufacturer or a flooring professional. Not doing so may void the warranty. Dust or sweep regularly between cleanings.

3. Place fabric-faced glides or other soft-bottom furniture pads under all furniture legs to prevent scratches and finish scuffs.

4. Place mats or throw rugs in high traffic areas like doorways - especially exterior doorways - and other high traffice areas like in front of the kitchen sink or refrigerator. Make sure the mats and throw rugs stay dry and are cleaned often.

5. In addition to routine cleaning, clean before and after events like birthdays and anniversaries if a high volume of foot traffic is expected.

6. Keep your pet's nails trimmed on a regular basis.

7. For best results, wear house slippers instead of shoes. Shoes worn outside can easily become embedded with pieces of sand or other debris that may cause scratches to the finish.

8. Damp mop, but do NOT wet mop a wood floor. Excessive water can seep behind baseboards or into loose joints and begin to degrade the sub-floor or the underside of the finished floor. Standing water can dull the finish and damage or discolor the wood.

9. Do NOT use ammonia, dust cleaners, or other cleaning products not manufactured specifically for your specific wood floor finish. Even floor care products made for other types of flooring may cause the finish to dull or discolor, and the only remedy is to refinish the floor!

10. Do NOT wax a urethane finish - EVER! Most wood floors today have a urethane or polyurethane finish.

11. For a wax floor finish, buff to restore the shine. You may want to invest in a buffer to prevent knee pain and back strain!

12. For a wax floor finish, do not overwax. If the floor appears dull, try buffing first. Avoid wax build-up in light traffic areas by waxing in these spots every second or third waxing session.

13. Remember, cleats and other sports shoes, high-heels, and shoes with embedded debris can easily dent or scratch a wood floor; as can sliding furniture, dropping heavy or sharp objects, and your pets nails/claws.

14. In the kitchen, place a non-slip throw rug in front of the sink to catch water droplets. Keep the throw rug clean and dry.

Acrylic-impregnated finishes may or may not have urethane coatings. For more information on wood flooring finishes, see our article: Wood Floor Finishes.

1. Manufacturers often recommend non-urethane finishes be periodically buffed with proper cleaning products and buff pad. This is usually best accomplished by hiring a professional.

2. White wood floor products require special procedures. Make sure never to use water or petroleum based products and always follow the manufacturers recommendations.

3. Warranties by most manufacturers are VOIDED if oil soap cleaners are used.

4. Immediately clean up all spills and dirt tracking. Stains should be cleaned with approved cleaning solutions as recommended by the manufacturer.

5. NEVER use a wax over acrylic-impregnated surface finishes. This can create a hazardous surface that may result in injury.

1. Always clean any spills immediately with a soft, dry cloth. Buffing may be necessary to restore the luster and blend it back into the surround area.

2. Water spots can be rubbed out with a terry cloth towel and a small amount of mineral spirits. For stubborn water spots, a non-abrasive scouring pad may be used lightly. Rewax and buff as needed to match the surrounding finish.

3. Buffing heavy traffic areas will return the luster. If not, re-waxing may be needed for that area. Buff to blend into the the surrounding area.

4. Cleaners and conditioners can be used over waxed floors. Always follow the manufacturer's directions and use only products approved by the flooring manufacturer.