Whether installed in a living room, kitchen, or master bedroom, hardwood floors are an appealing, durable, and valuable addition to your home. They provide a beautiful backdrop for the rest of a room's look, but they are also a key surface for walking and moving around in your home. Unfortunately, many people struggle properly cleaning and maintaining their hardwood floors. Thankfully, understanding the reasons why proper cleaning is important will be helpful. Here are a few key reasons to clean your hardwoods.

Prevent Worn Finish

Your hardwood floors are most likely finished with a stain and sealant. This stain enhances the look of the hardwoods, but it also acts as a protective coating, reducing the amount of dirt, dust, and moisture that seeps into the wood floors.

Over time, dirt, dust, hair, and food will build up on the wood floors, scratching and wearing down the floor's finish. Although the floors can be sanded and restained, which can be an overwhelming task, damage may have already occurred to the underlying wood.

Even if your floors look clean, a light dust mopping is imperative for removing light dirt, dust, hair, and food particles. If preferred, use a vacuum to clean your hardwoods. Make sure the vacuum has a hard floor option with soft-bristled brushes that will not scratch your wood finish.

Reduce Clouding

Clouding is another problem that can occur on your hardwood floors. This cloudiness may occur in a variety of ways. For example, if you have sprayed air freshener or hair spray in a room, the residue will eventually land on the hardwoods, causing a cloudy film to develop on the wood floors. Using the wrong cleaning solutions can also cause clouding of the hardwood floors.

Every hardwood manufacturer has their own recommendations on how to clean their floors to remove and prevent clouding. However, a solution containing water and white vinegar is a great option for mopping your wood floors. This solution will clean the wood without the risk of cloudiness, but it can also help prevent cloudiness that occurs with other cleaning solutions.

Improve Appeal

Remember that your hardwood floors are a great investment for your home. Unfortunately, if the wood is dirty or the finish is worn, the floors will not be as appealing or as valuable.

Regular cleaning will protect the quality and value of your hardwoods, but it will also protect the appeal of your floors. Remove dirt, dust, hair, and other debris while also enhancing the shine and overall look of your hardwoods. Reach out to companies like Fresh Start Cleaning for additional information.