A lot of people think that keeping a hardwood floor looking great doesn't require any maintenance at all. While it is true that most solid surface floors, be it laminate or wood, do require less care than carpet or tile, this doesn't mean they can be ignored. It's important that you do a few things to keep your floor fresh and clean! So why the heck should we use hardwood floor cleaners and take care of our floor? Well, there are a few key reasons.

First of all, you want to keep your floor looking beautiful. The type of floor that you have, be it oak, maple, beech or birch doesn't matter here. All floors look better when they're clean. A clean house and floor will make you happier and put your soul at ease as well... Or something like that!

If you're a bit on the stingy side, and who isn't these days, you may want to consider this. Hardwood floors are pretty expensive. If you want them to keep their value after installation, it's extremely important that you take care of them. Floors that aren't maintained properly will start to look old and ugly. This will greatly decrease the value of your floors - and the value of your overall home. I've heard that people will pay up to $10000 more for a home if it has good floors. It's in your best interest to take care of this investment.

Now before we get into cleaners for hardwood floors, let's talk basics!  There are two basic ways to keep your floors looking fresh!  Preventative Measures and Cleaning/Care.

The best way to prevent damage to your floors is to not let them get damaged in the first place!  Sounds simple enough right?  You'd be surprised how many people don't take the necessary preventative measures though.  Here are a few things you should definitely be doing.

Use Mats Or Rugs In High Traffic Areas

• Dirt is a massive enemy of wood floors.  If you can prevent dirt from ever touching it, you're doing you and your floor a world of favours.  One of the easiest ways to keep dirt of your floor is to use mats in the high traffic areas.  Entrances are a must.  Give people a place to wipe off their shoes when they come into your home.  You may also want to consider other areas that see a lot of feet...

Be Careful With Furniture

• This is particularly true when moving it.  Nothing is more painful than watching someone slide their sofa or dining table across a stunning new floor.  This scratches the heck out of floors.  Pick it up instead of dragging it next time!  If this isn't an option, at least put those little felt circles on the feet.

Close The Blinds Or Curtains

• This one often surprises people.  Direct sun can have some pretty devastating effects on wood floors.  If it's possible, try to minimize the UV rays that your floor sees by closing the blinds.
  

On top of preventing damage from occurring, it's also important to regularly clean your hardwood floors. This is really quite simple. An hour a month will do wonders to keep your floor looking good and allow it to hold it's value. Here are a few things you should be doing.

Sweeping

• Using a broom to sweep your wood floor is the best thing you can do. As mentioned above, dirt can really damage a hard floor if it scrapes up against it. You want to keep dirt off as best as you can. Which broom you choose isn't that important. Just get something that's not too abrasive or prickly.

Vacuuming

• This is a bit of divisive topic among wood floor enthusiasts. I personally think that vacuuming a hard floor isn't necessary. In fact, one of the reasons why I got rid of all the carpet in my place is because I hate pushing those beasts around! Some folks do like to use them on wood though. If you're going to go this route, make sure you use a bare floor adapter. This way, you won't risk damaging the wood.

Dust Mopping

• Using a dust mop to clean your wood floor is another option you have.  This doesn't have to be done often but doing so once in a while is probably a good idea.  I personally do it before I apply the hardwood floor cleaner on the wood.  This is a good way to make sure your floor is nice and tidy when the solution is applied.

Now, when it comes to treating a hardwood floor well, I prefer to use my own solution.  I found this recipe in one of my Mom's old DIY type books.  It's a simple two step process that anyone can do.  Here's the scoop!

Step - Cut Through The Grease!

This step uses a vinegar based solution to cut through the dirt and grease that naturally finds it's way onto your nice floor.

• Get about a gallon of water and put 1/2 cup of vinegar in it.
• Stir it up nice and good.
• Apply the solution to the floor.  Use an mop to spread it around.  Don't go crazy with this but make sure you cover every square inch of your floor.

Step 2 - Shine It Up!

After the floor is dry, apply the second solution outlined below.  This will give your floor a nice shiny appearance.

• Get a new gallon of water and put the same amount of vinegar in it (1/2 cup).
• Add 1/2 cup of vegetable or canola oil to the solution.  The oil will cut the acidity of the vinegar
• Apply the solution to the floor in the same manner as Step 1
• Let it dry and invite your neighbors over for a drink!  They'll think you got a new floor.
  

If you really can't be bothered to make your own floor cleaner, feel free to buy a product. You could do so online! Check out a few of the recommended products below.

Bona has been making hardwood floor cleaners for years.  They're a very reputable company that makes Eco-Friendly, Non-Toxic products.  Their products are great for folks who have children or pets

Bruce, much like Bona, makes very safe reputable products.  The one thing that their website cautions, however, has to do with a certain type of floor.  Most of the items they carry aren't appropriate for use on waxed floors.  Read the label carefully.