Archives April 2022

You may be looking for hardwood floor cleaning tips, whether you have just installed brand new hardwood floors or you have bought a house with antique floors that are in good condition. You’re going to want to know what tips the pros have to keep it simple, but keep it clean.

The good news is that the best advice out there does not take a lot of time or money to follow, if you get into some regular habits! Let’s look at what you can do in your home to keep your floor looking it’s best.

Dust Is the Enemy

The first thing you need to know about maintaining the shine on your hardwood floors is that dust is the quickest way to leave them looking dull and dreary. Not only will it dull their shine in the short term though – in the long term, that dust traps dirt and could scratch the finish on your floors and leave them permanently damaged!

One of the simplest hardwood floor cleaning tips is to control dust. For dust and hair you can use a soft bristled broom with a duster cloth tied around it or a dry dust mop – further info here. Pass it over your floors several times a week (or whenever you notice the shine is disappearing from your floors) and they will always have a glossy finish.

At the point where more than just dust and hair have collected, dirtier floors should be vacuumed rather than swept. Sweeping drags the potentially harmful dirt across your floor while the vacuum picks it up as you go along.

Clean Up Scuffs and Spills

Other than dust, there are two other common enemies of your hardwood floors you need to be aware of – moisture and scuffmarks. Wet floor? Caution! And not just for slips and falls.

Moisture, this could be water or any other liquid, can cause your floors to crack or swell or even delaminate the finish, causing it to crack. It can also leave white water marks or stain the wood itself. This is one of the most essential hardwood floor cleaning tips: wipe up every spill as soon as it happens!

Tough rubber scuffs for your otherwise terrific looking floor can be a real bummer. Just like high-heel shoes you should probably just try to avoid wearing black or dark colored, rubber soled shoes on the floor. If scuffs do happen though, one of the best cleaning tips is to sprinkle a tiny amount of baking soda on the scuff and use a damp sponge to remove the mark. It is very gentle on your floor but it can work wonders.

Use the Right Products

Another way to preserve the shine on your hardwood floors is to make sure that you only ever use the right products on them.

There are commercial products on the market that can keep polyurethane finished floors in top shape. Or, for wax finishes, you could apply a wax-based product and buff to a shine. Even something as simple as a little vinegar in a bucket of luke warm water could be applied using an almost dry – not wet – terry cloth mop. Never use a wet mop or cloth on your wooden floors! You may damage the finish, or worse, the floor itself.

The best commercial hardwood floor cleaning products are PH neutral, so they will not damage your floors as you clean – you should never use harsh or abrasive cleaners on your floors! In fact, if it does not specifically state that it is made for hardwood floors you probably should not use it at all.

Buffing

Buffing your hardwood floors is not something you will need to do all that often if you make a point of following the other hardwood floor cleaning tips in this article. On a regular basis, keeping your floors dust free, cleaning spills as they happen, as well as using the right cleaning products in the right way, will be the most you need to do to your floors.

Waxed floors may need an application of wax and a buff every once in a while, but newer finishes should shine for months at a time.

When you do find that your hardwood floors are looking a little dull, a little hardwood floor cleaning tip for polishing polyurethane is to use a dry cloth to buff the floor dry right after cleaning with a specially made hardwood floor product. Using any other type of products on a regular basis (natural or synthetic) can actually damage the finish and leave your floors looking duller than ever!

Diluting the products as instructed on the bottle or even a bit more than suggested will make the product last longer to save you money and save product build-up on the floor.

Your floors should be fairly low maintenance and the great thing is that you can see with your own eyes that dust and potential allergens are removed. They’ve got nowhere to hide on your hardwood floor! After long-term wear and tear, for very severe scratches and stains, it may be necessary to sand and refinish your floors yourself or to call in a professional.

No matter how you slice it, moving to a new home in Vienna is going to cost you quite a bit of money. As such, it is important to create a budget soon after you find out that you have to move. Remember, the more time that you have to plan things, the better off everything will be. Planning out how much money you will need and when you will need it by will help you ensure success throughout the move. The last thing you need is to find out that you don’t have enough to cover all of your needs, so keep these ten common costs in mind and create a financial plan of attack for your Vienna move.

Moving Method

Perhaps the most expensive part of the moving process, including the method of moving that you have chosen is vital to ensuring your financial success throughout a move. Get moving quotes before choosing.

Packing Supplies

Purchasing supplies that you will need in order to pack your things is another important cost. While you can greatly reduce this cost by getting used boxes, you will still have to purchase things like tape and even packing paper.

Utilities

Don’t forget to plan for expenses like utility deposits for the electric, water, and phone in your new home. If you are moving locally, you often can get away with switching services from one home to another, but if you are new to an area, then you will have to start from scratch.

Travel and Lodging

Traveling to your new home means that you have to have travel money for the trip. If you are moving to another state, then you might need to spend the night somewhere in between your old home and your new one. Make sure that you budget for this so that you have enough money for fuel and a motel to stay in overnight.

Tips

Moving is hard work, so you should reward good Umzug Wien company with a tip. There are many different ideas out there about how much and who to tip, so do some research and figure out what works best for you. Don’t forget to put it in the budget, however, so you expect the costs. Remember, this isn’t included in your online moving quotes.

Food

Often times, when you are moving, you tend to eat out more. This is a necessity if you are traveling to your new home as well. Regardless of how much you avoid fast food, or how much you want to cook quick meals at home throughout the chaotic process, you still need to have some money budgeted for food so that you can ensure that everyone will eat.

Medical

Add some money in the budget for medical expenses too. It is a good idea to visit your doctor before moving day so that you can make sure you are in good health for the time being. Get your medical records while you are there so that you can hand them off to your new doctor in your new neighborhood.

Cleaning

After moving, most people don’t want to go back into the old house to clean. As such, try to put money in the budget for cleaning services. If you do choose to do it yourself, then these funds can be applied to cleaning supplies.

Pet Care

If you have a pet, then you might want to plan for special services to keep them happy and safe. This is especially true if you are traveling to your new destination. Hiring a company that specializes in pets is only going to help reduce your stress throughout the move.

Monetary Buffer

No matter how much you overestimated in the budget itself, make sure that you include a monetary buffer just in case something goes wrong and you need extra cash. This will only help you in the long run.