How to maintain and clean both laminate and hardwood flooring

If you want longevity in your flooring, then either a laminate or wood flooring can see you happy for years to come. Providing that you’re willing to give them the TLC that you need. Here, we’re going to look at what you need to do to keep both laminate and wood floors looking and working great, as well as where the differences come in.

Cleaning laminate flooring

The first thing that you should do is acquaint yourself with the cleaning instructions that come with your flooring. Different materials can require different cleaning methods for the best results. However, the important thing is to make sure that stains aren’t left sitting on the floor. Avoid abrasive tools like steel wool, using soft bristles or dust mops. You don’t want maps to be too dry, either, as water can seep into laminate floors, causing them to swell or bubble beneath the surface. You want to avoid using any cleaning products that aren’t directly labeled as being for laminate, as well.

Maintaining laminate flooring

Aside from the cleaning tips above, you want to make sure that you regularly sweep your laminate flooring to keep dust moving. Otherwise, they can build up and lead to scratches over time. You want to make sure that you prevent any damage, as well. To that end, you should protect the top surface. A good way to do this is to add furniture pads under the legs of tables and chairs. Otherwise, they can leave impressions if left sitting for too long or even scratch the surface when moved.

Cleaning hardwood flooring

Just like laminate floors, different hardwood floors require different levels of care based on both how much foot traffic they get as well as the material that they’re made of. To keep dust from starting to stick, you should vacuum hardwood floors at least once a week. You only need to wet clean it roughly once a month, or even less if they aren’t highly trafficked. Make sure that you get a floor spray that’s designed specifically for hardwood floors and use a microfiber mop to pick up after. For any spots that need a closer clean, a paper towel dampened by water should be enough.

Maintaining hardwood flooring

As with laminate floors, you should make sure that you use furniture pads to avoid any damage to the top layer of your hardwood floors. You should also consider putting down a welcome mat just to make sure that dust isn’t tracked all across it. The most important part, however, is that you re-finish your wood once every five years or so. You can strip the coat from the boards and then apply a new coat of wood floor finish to make sure that the wood beneath the finish stays protected. It also helps to reinvigorate the floor’s shine.

It’s easy to set and forget your floor but if you want to prevent those marks and little issues from popping up eventually, then you will want to follow the tips above.