It’s that wonderful time of year again when we perform spring cleaning, this includes our hardwood floors. Don’t fret, cleaning your hardwood flooring is actually a pretty easy process. Here is a list of steps you can take to keep your floors looking great as the weather transitions to wonderful spring time!

1. Sweep your floors with a soft sweeping device. Use either a soft-bristled broom or a dry sweeping device that utilizes clothes that you attach to the bottom. Do this about twice a week, you shouldn’t need to do it more unless you have pets that shed a lot.

2. Vacuum. Make sure to vacuum your floors a couple times a month as well. Again, you shouldn’t need to do it more than that unless you have pets that shed a lot or other sources of dirt that do so quite a bit. However, if there is one thing you do make sure to do to keep your hardwood clean, this is going to be it; you don’t want the dirt, sand, dust, etc. sitting on your floors for too long as the stuff can do some real damage.

3. Keep your floors dry, if you see a spill happen, wipe it up right away. Water (and other non-cleaning liquids) can do some real damage if they sit on your floors for too long. If the drink has color, it can stain your floors in addition to any warping or damage to the finish.

4. When you do mop your floors, make sure the mop is damp but not soaking; if you can, use a quick wet mopping device. Make sure to see what kind of cleaner would be appropriate for your floors, especially if you have laminate hardwood flooring.

5. Scratches? Depending on the length and depth, you can fix it with either coloring it in, using putty, sanding and refinishing, all the way to replacing that part of the floor. Hardwood flooring maintenance and repair can give you a variety of options to fix any nicks and scratches in your floors.