Home. It’s where warmth collects to comfort you, in times of upheaval. It’s where all our memories are made. Whether it's celebrating a festival with your loved one, savouring that precious cup of chai on a rainy day, witnessing your baby’s first steps or wrestling with your puppy for your favourite pair of socks.
However, while it’s true that moments and people make our memories and ultimately our homes, the literal brick and wall of the house also play a part in making our lives wholesome. So, we at Born Good have taken on the mission to help you take care of your house, so that it can bear testimony to your milestones. This week, we decided to learn how to take care of our warm, brown and shiny hardwood floors. Scroll down to read the deets.
3 steps to maintain your hardwood floors:
1) Protect
Much like most things in life, prevention is better than cure. So make sure to protect your hardwood floors from excessive wear and tear. How?
- Have a no outdoor footwear indoors policy. We walk on all kinds of gravel, dirt and germs. Ideally you should opt to leave your shoes outside in a shoe-rack. However, for guests who find that inconvenient, you can place a mat at the entrance of your home where they can wipe away some of the mud from their shoes before they walk in.
- Invest in floor protectors. What are those? They’re adhesive felt pads which you can stick to the bottom of your furniture, so that they don’t scuff the hardwood when they’re moved.
- Clean up spills immediately. Hardwood is very porous. So, it absorbs liquids if they’re left lolling on the floor too long.
Pro-tip: Consider adding a protective layer of candelilla wax or linseed oil over your hardwood floors to prevent seepage of liquids.
2) Mend
Much as we would like to protect all the things we love, caution doesn’t always save them for damage. But, luckily most things can be fixed. When it comes to hardwood floors, we’ve discovered a few hacks to help bring them back to former glory.
- Use wood finish markers to fill in scratches made by furniture or pets. They can be found at hardware stores.
- Clean your pet’s pee stains with a natural floor disinfectant like a one part vinegar- one part warm water solution. Rinse with clean water and floor cleaner after. Pat dry and make sure there’s no residue left behind.
- Soak up oil stains with the help of baking soda. Layer a thick coating of the absorbent powder over the stain and leave it overnight. Clean it up with the help of a vacuum cleaner the next day.
3) Clean
Alas, there’s no magic spell to keep those hardwood floors all spiffy. You’ve got to put in the cleaning time to maintain that shine and sparkle. How?
Step 1: Regular cleaning
- This involves dry mopping or sweeping your floors on a weekly basis. While crumbs make for a yummy meal for insects, they also scuff wood and mar the finish with their tiny scratches.
Step 2: Deep cleaning
- Bring out the poocha! But before you do that, check if your floor has a seal. You can do this by spilling a tiny drop of water on the floor. If it’s absorbed quickly, it means that your floor isn’t protected by a sealant. Avoid water based cleaners then. Or make sure you limit the amount of water you use while cleaning. You can even opt to clean with a damp cloth or sponge instead of dipping your handy poocha in water before each swipe. Even if your floors have a sealant, remember that moisture isn’t a friend to hardwood floors, so make sure to wipe away the excess ASAP.
- We also suggest that you opt for plant based or natural home and floor cleaners. Ordinary floor cleaner liquids are loaded with harsh chemicals which can break your floor’s seal and permanently damage its finish.
Pro-tip: Black tea! Yes, you read that right. Black tea is often used to polish hardwood floors since it’s known to cut through grease/ grime. So you can definitely brew some as an eco-friendly floor cleaner for your home on special occasions.
That’s it! Easy peasy right? We’re absolutely sure that you’re going to ace your home care routine, especially now that you know the P-M-C (Protect, Mend & Clean) formula. But, before you tackle the tasks we’ve elaborated, make sure you have all the right tools to help you. You can cart the plant-based floor cleaner liquid right here!