CLEAN+GREEN

My children were older, we got a dog and I was tired of cleaning the carpet.  About 10 years ago, we decided to get rid of the wall to wall carpeting in our home.  The great news was that we uncovered beautiful hardwood floors through most of the house; one of the few benefits of having an old 1928 San Francisco home.  The bad news is that we and our furniture had to move out of the house for 2 weeks while the contractor sanded the floors, put in new laminate wood floors where there was just concrete, and then lay down 3 layers of clear coat floor.  The good news is we came home to beautiful floors that have held up! After having wood floors, I know why people are constantly asking, is this (product) safe on wood?  There are a lot of misconceptions about cleaning and maintaining wood floors, and then there are some really simple common sense things to do.  Thought I’d share. 

1.   Minimize water and liquids on the floor.  Natural wood floors expand and contract due to moisture.  So, wipe up spills ASAP, and definitely do not leave large amounts of liquids on the wood as this will make it swell, and possible cause the floor to crack.
2. Stiletto heels are veroten unless you want to plan to have a mosaic of floor pock marks.  Since I stopped wearing heels, especially stiletto heels, after having my first child, this is not a problem for me.
3. Trim your dog’s and cat’s nails regularly because they are the animal world’s version of stiletto heels when left to sharpen. 
4. Put floor guards on your chairs and furniture.  The last thing you want to hear is a scratching noise as you pull out the chair from the table. 
5. Place mats at all entry doorways to trap dirt and grit off of shoes entering the house.  Dirt and grit are like sandpaper on wood so keep them out! 
6. Make sure that your wood floor finish is in good condition.  If not, make sure to put on a maintenance coat.  The finish protects the wood, and if the finish is worn away, your wood is left unprotected. 

 Cleaning Do’s and Dont’s

1. Don’t vacuum your wood floor using an attachment that has hard bristles or rotors.
2.  Do vacuum your wood floor with bare floor attachments.
3.  Do lightly sweep the wood floor with a soft-bristled broom or dust mop regularly.  I think this is a better way to clean wood floors versus vacuuming, but that’s my preference.
4.  Don’t clean your floor with just water or any cleaner that requires you to use a lot of liquid; water/liquids are not your floor’s friend and cause the wood and the finish to deteriorate.
5.  Don’t use vinegar and water or any other acidic solution that will harm the wood finish.
   
6. Don’t use oil soaps.  They leave a harmful film and can build up and create problems when it’stime to put a maintenace coat on the floor.
7. Do use neutral pH cleaners made specifically for wood floors such as Clean+Green for Wood & Tile.

Well, there are my major Do’s and Don’ts.  Will they be yours?

Quincy and Simon