Aftercare

How to maintain and protect my wooden floor

An important part of maintaining the beauty of any wooden floor is to protect it from unwanted damage. One of the most important things to remember is to wipe away any spills immediately. The top layers of lacquer or oil will protect your floor initially, but if the liquid is left to soak into the wood then it can cause irreparable damage.

Another way to maintain your flooring is to protect it from scratches and dents. Small marks and indentations are inevitable, but there are things that you can do to prevent deeper, larger scratches. Firstly, remove footwear before walking on your wooden floor. Outdoor footwear is likely to have dirt and grit on the bottom that can easily scratch your floor if walked on. Ideally leave shoes and boots in a porch, garage or cupboard, but alternatively you could have a door mat or shoe rack. If you notice any stones or grit on your wooden floor, remove them straight away.

You will also want to prevent furniture or heavy objects from scratching your floor. Always pick up heavy objects to move them, rather than dragging them across the floor. You can use felt protection pads. These can be applied to the bottom of furniture and act as a soft barrier between the wooden floor and heavy object.

cleaning wooden floors

A weekly once-over

Dust the floor with a mop that has been specially treated to pick up dust, dirt and pet hair, or use an electrostatic cloth. Never use abrasive cleaners on a hard finish or you can permanently damage it. Then vacuum using the floor-brush attachment – you don’t want anything to scratch the surface of your wooden floor. Finally, give it a damp mop, going with the grain, and leave to dry, then buff with a soft cloth.

Do this at least once a week, depending on how ‘dirty’ your household is – pets and children tend to bring in mud and muck.

The occasional deep-clean

Over time, dirt, grease, oil and grime build up. These won’t be completely removed by a superficial weekly clean, so set aside a bit of time twice a year to give your floor some attention and keep it looking its best.

Recommended floor cleaner

SylvaCleaner is a universal soap for daily or periodic cleaning of lacquered and oiled wood floors.

The soap does not leave a film or residue on the floor.

To neutralize SylvaCleaner before re-lacquering or to maintain slip resistance, use SylvaNeutralizer.