Clean Houses For A Living? 2 Ways to Fix Scratched Up Hardwood Flooring
Posted on: 14 June 2015
If you own or work for a cleaning services company, some of the houses you clean may have hardwood flooring. Because of this, you should learn a little about them, such as how to fix damage. Below are two things that can scratch them up, and how to repair the flooring. You can also educate the homeowners about this information so they can keep their flooring in good condition.
Scratches Due to Not Cleaning
If the homeowner does not keep dirt off their hardwood flooring, it can cause scratches, as it acts much like sandpaper. When cleaning the floor, they have to be careful in the way they sweep it.
Teach them that they need to use a broom with soft bristles to sweep over the floor. If they want to use a vacuum cleaner, make sure it is sitting above the floor so only the bristles are touching the hardwood.
Before you start cleaning the floor yourself, you need to determine the type of hardwood flooring they have. If the flooring is shiny, it may have a wax finish. To test this, use fine steel wool and rub over the floor in an inconspicuous area. If you see a gray color on the wool, then there is a wax finish. To clean hardwood floors with a wax finish, use a product that is made specifically to clean hardwood flooring.
If there is no wax finish on the floor or the finish is done poorly, use plain water and a damp mop to wipe over the floor.
If you are unsure what kind of finish is on the wood floor, take the safer route, and clean it with plain water. Never use any kind of product like furniture polish, ammonia, bleach, or other abrasive cleaners, as they will leave a film on the floor. In some cases, these products may even void a warranty on the floor.
The homeowner should dust the floor once a day to keep dirt off it, and clean it once per week, or as needed.
Scratches Due to Pets
If there are scratches on the floor due to pets, you can sand them down until the surface is smooth. Use a fine sandpaper, and rub over the area gently. Rub in line with the grain. When you are finished, you will have to varnish the area. You can purchase varnish at most home supply store. Many varnishes come with floor pads, which you will use to put the varnish on the floor. If your varnish does not, you can purchase them separately.
Follow the directions for the varnish you purchase on how to apply it. In most cases, you will put some varnish on the floor pad, and then wipe it on the area, making sure you wipe it in line with the grain. If you do not want to use this method, you can put a colored polish over the area that matches the flooring. Rub the polish over the scratch, and work it into the wood with a soft cloth.
If you cannot find polish that matches, use a child's wax crayon, as you can find them in many shades of brown. Gradually wipe the crayon over the scratch until you cannot notice it.
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