7 Tips for Maintaining Your New Floors

The inside of a beautiful modern home feauturing a bright living space and kitchen, as well as a spiral staircase steps from the entry way

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as the flawless shine of freshly installed new flooring. With your old, marked-up floors replaced, you want to protect your investment and keep your new floors spotless and scratch-free for as long as possible. We don’t blame you!

Preventing damage to flooring is easy if you’re willing to stick to a regular cleaning schedule and invest in a few protective items. Here are 7 simple tips to help keep your floors looking as great as the day they were installed!

Use Mats and Area Rugs

To prevent tracked in dirt, debris, and other grime from doing a number on your flooring; place mats on the inside and outside of all of your exterior doors. We also recommend you put area rugs down in the high traffic areas of your home – particularly if you have new hardwood floors. An area rug in your living room can prevent a lot of potential scratches if items like a couch or coffee table shift around.

Use Furniture Pads

First off, never drag furniture across your floor – always lift and carry items when moving them around. Scratches are some of the toughest problems to solve in your new flooring, and although some scratches are inevitable, many are preventable. Adding furniture pads to the legs of your chairs, sofas, tables, etc. is one of the best ways to avoid this preventable damage.

Sweep or Vacuum Frequently

Regularly getting rid of dust, dirt, debris and pet hair by sweeping or vacuuming will keep your floors looking like new, as well as help prevent scuffing, scratching or staining. Use the bare floor setting when you vacuum hardwood, laminate or vinyl floors.

It’s best to vacuum high-traffic areas of your home daily, especially if you have carpet. If you don’t, dust and dirt can get trapped in the fibres making the carpet look dingy. Having your carpets professionally cleaned once a year is ideal for removing any embedded dirt and grime and keeping it looking fresh for years to come.

Wipe Up Spills Immediately

Accidents happen! Making sure to clean up any spills as soon as they occur goes a long way in ensuring your floors don’t warp, stain, or sustain water damage. If there’s a spill on the carpet, first absorb the spill with a dry cloth or paper towel, then blot the area with a small amount of carpet cleaner. Don’t ever scrub the spill, as this can damage your carpet’s fibres. Once the stain has been cleaned, blot the area with water to remove any carpet cleaner residue.

Avoid Abrasive Cleaners and Harsh Chemicals

Products with ammonia, bleach, or other harsh chemicals can discolour or damage your floors. You should also avoid using vinegar to clean your floor as it can dull the surface. Instead, stick to product-specific cleaning solutions when your floors need a deeper clean. Many manufacturers sell their own cleaning products recommended for use on their hardwood, laminate or vinyl flooring.

Protect from Sun Exposure

Some flooring, like hardwood and luxury vinyl can become faded or discoloured from prolonged sun exposure. If your new floors are in an area of the home that gets a lot of direct sunlight, make sure to close the curtains or blinds during periods of the day where the sun exposure is highest.

Start practising these preventative strategies the moment your new floors are installed, and you’ll enjoy beautiful floors for many years to come.

Interested in learning more about the flooring options we carry or want to visit our showroom and see for yourself? Talk to our team