Facts About Vacuuming Your Hardwood Floors

After investing in a classic hardwood floor, it is important that you use the right maintenance tools to increase your floor’s life expectancy and prevent unnecessary damage. To keep your floors in prime condition, you should include dry mopping, dusting and vacuuming in your floor care routine. Although vacuums are generally designed to clean carpets, they are also important for removing stubborn dirt and debris from hard floor surfaces.

Sweeping vs. vacuuming

Many people believe that using a vacuum will scratch and damage their hardwood and choose to sweep with a broom instead. However, rather than collecting loose particles, a broom is more likely to scatter them into the air, circulating the dust and debris. Vacuums, on the other hand, can suck the dirt right out of those nooks and crannies brooms are unable to reach.

Avoid the bristles

There are certain vacuum features that should be avoided to prevent damage to your hardwood. The rotating bristle brush is one of the main ones as it can scratch hardwood as well as damaging the floor’s finish, which will cause the colour to fade sooner than necessary. To combat this issue, choose a vacuum without a bristle brush or one that has the option of disabling the brush for use on hard-surfaced floors.

Opt for rubber wheels

Most vacuums intended for carpets will have plastic wheels which, if used on hardwood, will likely scratch your floor. Rubber wheels, on the other hand, are much softer and will provide extra padding when vacuuming.

Lightweight is best

Vacuums that are compact and light are preferred for wood floors as they apply less pressure to the floor and allow effortless vacuum strokes. They are also a lot easier to manoeuvre and can be carried around the house with ease.

When to vacuum

You should vacuum your hardwood floors regularly to prevent small particles of grit clinging to feet and scraping the floors. As a general guideline, floors that receive light foot traffic should be vacuumed once a week. For busier areas, twice a week should be sufficient, using 6-7 vacuum glides for a thorough clean.

By following these vacuum tips, you are much more likely to prolong the life of your hardwood, keeping it in the best shape possible. To find out more about hardwood maintenance, talk to one of our wood floor experts here at Get Floors.