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Mom’s Hack to Shiny Hardwood Floors

The Trick to Those Spotless Floors You've Always Wanted

By Sasha McGregorPublished 5 years ago 3 min read
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Tried and True Mom Hacks For Shiny Hardwood Floors

Part of what makes hardwood floors wonderful, apart from them usually raising property value, is they are naturally attractive. One aspect of hardwood floors that makes them attractive is their shine.

The problem is people don't always know how to keep that shine alive. The following are some tried and true mom hacks to keep your hardwood floors as shiny as possible.

Why do Hardwood Floors Lose Shine?

There are a lot of reasons hardwood floors lose their shine over time. Sometimes, it is simply because of grime and dirt that has not been removed. Other times, the shine fades because of damage.

Yes, hardwood floors are durable, and they can withstand a lot, but too many scratches or dents will take their toll. The key is to try to combat these issues with the right hacks.

Use a Safe Cleaner

One important thing to do to keep your hardwood floors as shiny as possible is use a good hardwood floor cleaner.

These cleaners are not harsh, so they won't degrade the wood, and they have oils that give back the shine your floors need. Making sure you remove dirt, grime, and other particles before they begin to harden on your floors is one of the most important steps to keep your floors shiny.

Deal With Scratches

Another little hack to keep in mind is a mixture of canola oil and vinegar. The mix is three parts oil and one part vinegar. You can use this to remove light scratches. You need to address them quickly, because they will degrade your floor's shine given enough time.

It should also be pointed out that debris can get stuck in scratches, and that will also make it hard for your floors to shine as they should. Just apply the mix gently over the scratches, and rub until the scratch is removed.

Remove Dents

Another issue you are going to have to deal with at some point are dents. No one is perfect, and something is going to be dropped at some point. Sometimes, there is no damage, but there are times when a dent shows up. With enough dents, you will begin to see the shine diminish.

What you want to do is use the iron and wet cloth method to get the dent out. All you have to do is place the wet cloth over the dent, and pass the iron over it a few times for about five minutes, and that should remove the dent. Make sure you don't leave the iron in one place; keep moving it back and forth.

Erase the Marker

Permanent markers are in many households, and they are quite useful, but they can also do a number on your hardwood floors. You are just an accident away from seeing a big mark on your beautiful floors that may seem impossible to remove.

That is not the case, and all you need is a wet cloth, white toothpaste, and a toothbrush you don't mind using to clean with. You want to dab your toothbrush with toothpaste, and gently rub the mark. After you are done, rub the spot vigorously with your damp cloth until the mark goes away. This is going to take some elbow grease, but it's going to work.

Wine Corks and Shaky Chairs

One major reason you get scratches deals with uneven chairs. You want to address this problem as soon as possible to prevent further damage to your floors.

Thankfully, there is an easy thing you can do by simply using old wine corks. Use a knife to shape the cork to fit underneath the leg that is wobbly, and that should take care of this problem.

Hopefully, you can use these hacks to help keep your floors in pristine condition. You could also talk to your hardwood specialist to see if there are other things you can do to keep your beautiful shine.

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