Tips For Maintaining Dark-Stained Hardwood Floors

Dark wood flooring is a statement piece. Instead of allowing your floor to blend into the background, the dark color will bring the floors front and center in any room's design. While this bold look is attractive, it can also be high maintenance. This is because dark floors tend to show dust, dirt, and flaws more visibly. The following tips can help you better maintain these dark floors.

Tip #1: Choose a Satin Finish

High gloss floors are not the way to go when you opt for dark wood. This is because gloss also shows dirt and scratches more readily, which will then make any imperfection twice as visible on the darker floor boards. A better option is a satin or matte finish. This is easier to maintain since small scuffs and scratches aren't as visible. Satin finishes also don't show footprints as well as gloss floors, which means bare feet won't leave track marks all over the darker floor boards.

Tip #2: Use a Vacuum

While a dustmop is helpful, a vacuum made for use on hardwood flooring is even better. This will quickly suck up every bit of dust and dirt without any worries about streaks. You can even get an automatic robotic vacuuming system for use on the darker floors. Since dust shows so readily, these can be especially helpful since you can run them once or twice daily with little effort on your part. Just make sure to choose a model for wood floors and keep the wheels clean – you don't want scuffs to show on your dark wood.

Tip #3: Use the Right Cleanser

You may need to experiment with several different wood floor cleaners to find the one that doesn't leave any visible streaks or residue on dark wood floors. Your local flooring specialist can also help steer you toward a cleaner. Use a microfiber mop with the cleaner to wash the floors. The microfiber will further help prevent visible steaks on the dark wood. Remove and wash the mop head after each use – you don't want any dirt in the fabric to leave streaks behind.

Tip #4: Minimize Scuffs

Finally, create some strategies to stop scuffs from occurring, since even shallow scratches can be very visible on a dark wood. Use rugs at all entrances and make sure you shake and sweep underneath them regularly. Place a shoe rack by the front door, along with plenty of slippers for all family members, to encourage the changing of shoes upon entrance. If you have pets, make sure their claws are kept trimmed. Implementing all of these tips can prevent damage from occurring.