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STS
Hardwood Floor Care
For cleaning, make sure you...
Use a damp cloth to blot spills and spots as soon as they
happen. For tough spots, such as oil, paint,
markers, lipstick, ink, tar, or cigarette marks, use acetone/nail polish
remover
on a clean white cloth, then wipe with a damp
cloth. Always avoid allowing liquids to stand on your floor. Sweep,
dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the
hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation
of dirt or grit that can scratch or dull the
floor finish. Occasionally
wipe the floor with a damp mop or cloth. Periodically
clean the floor with EverClean from Shaw's line
of floor covering care products.
For
cleaning, make sure you DON'T...
Do not use oil based, wax, polish, or strong ammoniated
or abrasive cleaners. Do not use steel wool or
scouring powder. Do not wash or wet-mop the floor
with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid
cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping,
delamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty.
Do
not use any type of buffing machine.
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For
protecting your Hardwood make sure
you...
Use protective mats. Good quality entry and exit
mats will help collect the dirt, sand, grit, and
other substances
such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that can otherwise
be tracked onto your floor. Do not use rubber-or foam-backed
plastic mats as they may discolor the floor.
To
prevent slippage
Use an approved vinyl rug
underlayment. Use floor protectors on furniture.
Use floor protectors
and
wide-load bearing leg bases/rollers to minimize indentations
and scratches from heavy objects. As a rule, the
heavier the object, the wider the floor protector
should be.
Maintain
relative humidity level.
Most wood floor manufacturer's recommend that you maintain
a normal indoor relative humidity level between 30 and
50% throughout the year to minimize the natural expansion
and contraction of wood.
Heating
season (Dry):
A humidifier is recommended to prevent
excess shrinkage due to low humidity levels.
Wood stove and electric heat tend to create very
dry conditions.
Non
Heating Season (Wet):
An
air conditioner, dehumidifier or periodically
turning on
your heating system can maintain humidity during
the summer months. Avoid excessive exposure to
water during
periods of inclement weather.
Avoid
sharp objects.
While your hardwood floor is
one of the most wear
resistant floors, sharp or pointed
objects can
nevertheless damage it. Watch your feet. Don't
walk on your floor with
stiletto-style heels, spiked golf shoes or cleats.
They may cause indentations in your floor. Watch
your pet's
feet. Keep your pet's nails trimmed to keep them
from scratching your floor. Rearrange your rugs
and furniture. Periodically
rearranging your area rugs and furniture will
allow the
floor to age evenly. UV sunlight will soften
the tone of different species of hardwood to varying
degrees.
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