Tips and Maintenance

What is a "General" hardwood floor cleaner?

We Love Your Floors always recommend what your manufacturer recommends.  If your manufacturer does not produce a cleaner for your floor we recommend Squeaky Clean by Basic Coatings. It is an exceptional cleaner that our customers have been very pleased with.   If you have sensitivity to chemicals we recommend Professional Series Cleaner by Bona.  For best results and to maintain warranty requirements always use the manufactures product, if available, to clean hardwood floors.

Basic Coatings Squeaky Clean,  Bona Professional Hardwood and Laminate Cleaner  (or Bona X Swedish Formula – same thing) Dura Seal Hardwood Floor Cleaner  and WoodWise No-Wax Hardwood Floor Cleaner  are all high quality general hardwood floor cleaners that are specifically formulated to clean polyurethane finished hardwood floors and factory pre-finished hardwood floors.  If your contractor has recommended one for your floor, take their advice.  Unlike all-purpose cleaners, these products will not dull your hardwood floor finish or leave an oily residue. These floor cleaners are waterborne, environmentally responsible floor cleaners. Using these products to clean hardwood floors on a regular basis will bring years of satisfaction from the floor.

How often should I clean my hardwood floor?
It depends on how much traffic is on the floor and where the floors are located.  A kitchen floor will need to be cleaned more often than a spare bedroom floor. A general rule is once a week for most residential floors.  It is also recommended to dust mop, sweep or vacuum as necessary in between cleaning.  Dirt and grit can act like sand paper and dull your floor.  Hardwood floors in high traffic area’s should be cleaned more frequently.
 

What kind of mop should I use?
We carry the best mops available for cleaning hardwood floors and hard surface flooring.

 

The Shine Mop is an standard that has stood the test of time. The 8-1/2” x 15“ rectangle head comes with one removable terry cloth cover. A variety of other covers are available to meet your needs.  All of our mops have cleaning pads that you wash in the washer and dryer. 

 

Another popular choice is a brand new Revolutionary Microfiber Mop from Bona (Bona Kemi, Bona X). It has an electrostatic action that attracts and traps dirt and allergens when used dry. It also absorbs spills and cleans tough stains when used with spray cleaners. The Microfiber Cleaning Pads last longer than cloth, up to 250 washes. There are also cleaning kits available that contain a cleaner and a mop such as the Basic Coating Hardwood Floor Kit. 

 

What is a "Touch-up Kit" or “Customer Care Kit”?
Hardwood floor touch-up kits vary from manufacturer to manufacturer. Most come with some sort of touch-up "marker" and/or touch-up "pencils".  Some come with a small bottle of urethane finish.  The markers are like a magic marker but match the stain color of your floor.  The pencils are like a wax crayon to fill in a gouge, nail hole, etc. and match the stain color of your floor. These kits are used primarily for repairing small scratches and dings that might occur in your hardwood floor. Severe/deep scratches or gouges might require board replacement.   You must specify which kit matches your floor.  This is determined by the manufacturer, specie of wood, and the stain color if it is not natural.  If you have additional questions on hardwood floor care please give us a call at 1-800-949-0142.
 
 

What is IFT or Intensive Floor Treatment?
Intensive Floor Treatment by Basic Coatings is the best product out there if your floor needs a really good cleaning. It is the only product we are aware of that removes top coat finishes such as the Bruce Fresh Finish, Tarkett and Bona Refresher products, Ultra Finish II by Mannington, etc.  Even more common are products that dull or streak the finish such as Oil Soap, some Orange Glo products, citrus oil and polishes.   This is a powerful product and works very well when used as directed. Please follow directions.  If you have any questions or concerns about any product, please give us a call.  We are always happy to assist you in purchasing the products that will work best for your situation.  1-800-949-0142.