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The following are excellent guidelines for maintaining today's wood floors.

All Hardwood Floors, regardless of how the floor has been finished require certain steps that must be taken to maintain the beauty of the hardwood floor. Every floor must be dust mopped, vacuumed or swept with a soft bristle broom daily, or as often as necessary, to remove grit and dust from the surface. Walking on a dusty or dirty floor is the fastest way to damage it’s finish.

*Place walk off mats (carpet runners) at all exterior entrances. This will capture much of the harmful dirt before it even reaches the hardwood floor. Shake out, wash or vacuum mats and area rugs frequently.

*Floor protector pads of soft felt or similar material should be placed on the bottoms of the legs of the furniture. Floor protectors must be kept clean of grit and periodically replaced.

*Keep high heels in good repairs. An unprotected tip will dent any hardwood floor.

*Kitchen floors experience the most traffic in a home. To prevent premature wear of the floor, place an area rug in front of the sink and stove area. Shake out or vacuum the rugs frequently.

*Urethane Finishes and Routine Cleaning - Use the manufacturer's recommended cleaning system. If the manufacturer is not known or has no recommendation, use a cleaner that will not leave a residue that would inhibit bonding and recoating. NEVER wax a urethane finish. Do not generally wet a wood floor with water. When using any wood floor cleaner which requires mixing with water, follow mixing directions precisely. A cloth wetted with water and squeezed dry may be used to wipe up spills, provided the area is buffed dry immediately. Heel or scuffmarks and stubborn stains may be removed by lightly rubbing with a cloth and a wood floor cleaner.

*Long-term Maintenance - Recoating Surface finishes - Urethane finishes eventually will show wear patterns from surface scratching. When high traffic areas begin to look dull it is time to recoat or restore the finish. Always follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Screening (light sanding) and recoating with same finish every 2-3 years will help maintain your wood floor for years to come. Make sure no oil soaps, and other "contaminates" have been used on the floor, intentionally or otherwise.

 Wax Finishes  Use the manufacturer's recommended cleaning system. Never use a water based cleaner on a wax floor. Once dirt and dust have been removed, buffing may restore the luster. Apply additional wax only in heavy traffic areas, if needed. An application of a solvent-based cleaning product will remove dirt and allow the floor to be buffed clean. Spills must be wiped up immediately with a lightly water dampened cloth and then hand buffed dry.  Long-term Maintenance - deep cleaning may restore Wax floors that have been neglected.  Note: Once wax, in any form, has been applied to a wood floor, only wax may be used as a coating over the floor. Urethane and other surface finished cannot be applied over an existing wax finish.

*Acrylic Impregnated Floors, Non-Urethane Coated  For general cleaning always follow the manufacturer's recommendations and use their floor care products. Long-term Maintenance - An acrylic impregnated floor that has been neglected or improperly cleaned may need restoration. Stripping, sanding or screening the floor may be required, always contact the floor manufacturer for complete instructions.

*Urethane Coated Some acrylic impregnated floors are coated with urethanes. For general cleaning of these types of floors, follow the manufacturer's recommendations and cleaning procedures for surface finishes. Many manufacturers use a special cleaning solution made for today's urethanes.
What type of finish do you have?  Here are some simple steps to help you determine if the finish is a wax finish, shellac or varnish finish or a surface finish. If the floor was installed, or last serviced, before the mid '60s, you should assume the finish used was varnish or shellac. To determine this, scratch the surface with a coin or other sharp object in a corner or other inconspicuous space. If the finish flakes, it is probably shellac or varnish. Shellac and varnish are rarely used anymore and require full sanding to remove before application of a surface finish or wax finish.
Next, check the floor for wax finish. In an inconspicuous area, corner or behind a door, apply two(2) drops of water. If, within ten minutes, white spots appear under the drops of water, the floor has a wax finish. To remove the white spots, gently rub the spots with #000 steel wool dampened with wax.