Wood floors are different from vinyl flooring and most floor cleaners are not safe for wood. Wood floors, if cared for properly, will just need a good dusting or sweeping for daily cleaning. The key is to make sure the floor is properly cleaned and polished. A good wood polish will cause a high shine that will help to repel dirt and dust, making it easy to sweep up and clean.
One word of warning, never use “wood furniture” cleansers and polishes on the wood floor. Most of these cause the surface to be too slick. Furniture polishes and cleansers are not meant for the types of finishes found on hardwood floors. Use only polishes, waxes, and cleaners meant especially for wood floors.
Another thing never to use on wood floors is water. It may seem like a simple quick clean up to dip the mop in water and sweep over the wood, but this will damage the floor. Wood floor cleansers are oil based, which helps to preserve and protect the wood.
Practice care when moving furniture. Wood floors will scratch easily. Always put soft pads under furniture or put a rug down and put the furniture on the rug. Consider the shoes that will walk across the floor and make sure they have proper soles. Shoes with metal or worn out soles should be removed before walking on the wood floor. The same consideration needs to be given to animals with nails. Keep the pets’ nails well trimmed and file off the rough edges.
Sweeping is okay on the wood floor but a vacuum with a hard flooring setting works best. Rather than a broom that moves dust and dirt around, the vacuum will suck it up at the source. Sweeping may cause scratches and dents in the wood if the dirt is too big.
Protect wood floors from sunlight by placing curtains or sheers over windows. Wood, like carpet, can fade with too much sun exposure.