Gum, crayon & candle wax
Hold a bag of ice on it until brittle, crumble it off, then clean with a urethane-safe cleaner.
Floor Care
Keep it lookinglike day one.
Modern finishes make wood one of the easiest floors to live with. A few simple habits keep it beautiful for years.
Everyday cleaning
Less is more.
Water, wax, dirt and grit are a wood floor’s worst enemies. All you need is a barely damp mop.
- Sweep or vacuum regularly — grit is what scratches a finish.
- Clean with a flat-head microfiber mop, only slightly damp.
- Use manufacturer-recommended cleaners such as Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner — or simply warm water with a little white vinegar.
- Spot-clean stubborn or greasy marks with a cloth and a drop of washing-up liquid.
Do
- Put felt or fabric-faced protector pads under every furniture leg.
- Place mats at entrances, inside and out, to catch grit and sand.
- Wipe up spills right away with a slightly damp towel.
- Lift heavy furniture to move it — never slide it.
- Keep the temperature steady year-round and humidity around 35% if possible; run a humidifier in winter.
- Put a protective mat at the kitchen sink and other wet spots.
- Sweep or dust-mop before and after any big gathering.
Don’t
- Never wet-mop — standing water dulls the finish and damages wood.
- Never use bleach, ammonia or general-purpose soaps.
- Never use Murphy’s Oil Soap — it leaves a residue that can only be sanded out.
- Never wax a polyurethane finish, or use acrylic “self-polishing” products.
- Never use petroleum-based cleaners on a water-based finish.
- Never use vinyl or tile floor products on wood.
- Avoid high heels and cleats — a heel can exert 2,000+ psi on a floor.
Spots & stains
Quick fixes for common accidents.
Food, water, pet & dark spots
Use a cleaner made for urethane finishes; scrub stubborn spots with a matching wood-floor pad.
Oil & grease
Rub the area with a cleaner developed for urethane finishes.
Scratches
Touch up with a urethane finish repair kit from any wood flooring retailer.
Burns
Light burns can be sanded, stained and touched up. Deep burns may mean replacing a board — call us.
When your floor starts to lose its luster, get in touch and we’ll refinish it and restore it to its original beauty.