17 Easy & Budget-Friendly Ways To Extend The Shine Of Your Hardwood Floors

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Hardwood floors are undeniably beautiful — crafted from natural materials and infused with personality, they are highly coveted when it comes to a flooring option. They are easy to style in any home, offer a timeless degree of sophistication (as evidenced by historic homes that still boast their original flooring), and can last multiple lifetimes with the right care. Therein, however, lies the biggest challenge of hardwood floors: many people don't know how to care for their hardwood floors, and without proper knowledge and practice, you could be subjecting your hardwood flooring to daily abuse. Fortunately, there are countless easy and budget-friendly ways to keep your precious floors looking great for years.

Hardwood floors come with significant upfront costs, so it only makes sense that you'd want to protect your investment. While you might be targeted by ads touting amazing results, if you want hardwood floors that look like new, it has everything to do with simple cleaning tricks and care practices. Some of these tips include keeping your pets' nails trimmed, cleaning up spills promptly, using appropriate cleaners and cleaning techniques, and redirecting the flow of foot traffic periodically. Although the maintenance of hardwood floors does require some intentionality and certain precautions to take when cleaning them, it's nothing that a mindful and experienced homeowner cannot achieve with a bit of time and focus.

You love your pets, but chances are that you don't love how much they shed — and your hardwood floors don't either. Pet hair can cause hardwood floors to lose their natural shine by causing mild abrasion against the surface. In order to keep your hardwood floors looking great, you'll need to keep pet hair at bay. Dry sweeping cloths are a great resource, since they effectively collect pet hair. Use a clean microfiber cloth to keep things super budget-friendly if single-use dry cloths are getting too expensive.

A far worse offender than shedding hair from your pets is their sharp nails, which can leave deep and lasting scratches in the surface of your beautiful hardwood floors. Protect your hardwood floors' shininess by taking them to the groomer to handle this important task on a regular basis. If you're looking to keep things super cost-effective, consider learning how to trim your pet's nails at home. There are also other simple tips that'll prevent your pets from scratching up your wood floors, like walking them on the sidewalk regularly to file down their nails naturally.

Pets are adorable and constant sources of comfort for many homeowners, but their messy eating habits could be harming your hardwood floors. Splashes or water from their feeding and hydration station that are left on your floors can dull the appearance and health of your floors over time. Don't worry — you can keep your pets watered and your hardwood floors happy — simply purchase an affordable mat to position under their bowls. If you have a large pup who sprays water far and wide, look for a large mat to cover their entire splash zone. 

Another factor that is contributing to your hardwood floors losing their shine is the rough bottoms of furniture legs coming into direct contact with the floor. Pulling chairs in and out from the table daily can lead to scratches and wear down the surface, making it look completely lackluster. While you cannot stop moving furniture around, you can absolutely better prepare your furniture for use on hardwood floors with felt protector pads. If you want to be ready for anything, keep a multi-pack of Yelanon Felt Furniture Pads on hand, in case you acquire a new chair.

Avoid using the beater brush setting, which can scratch your floors, and instead vacuum carefully regularly. This will keep dust and debris at bay, which may otherwise dull the finish of the hardwood. Now is also a good time to lift chairs and small side tables and vacuum underneath to get any lingering debris. Remember to roll up your rugs and vacuum under them (and their bottom as well) — even though rugs do a good job of protecting the surface of your floors from direct contact, it's normal for dirt to slip through the fibers.

If your furniture has been in the same position for years, the consistent traffic pattern around it could spell disaster for the finish and shine of your hardwood floors. Instead of continuing to tread over the exact same portions of flooring day in and day out, it's best to rearrange furniture from time to time. This simple approach will ensure a more even wear on your hardwood floors; you'll also get the added benefit of your living space enjoying a new look after things have been moved around.  

Removing shoes at the door is entirely free and highly simple, but it can truly do your hardwood floors a world of good. Certain shoes (such as stilettos) can leave marks on your floors, but all shoes have one thing in common: they track in dirt and other debris, which can scratch hardwood. Taking shoes off at the door and requesting the same of guests will eliminate vast amounts of dirt in one fell swoop.

Hardwood floors are durable, but they can use a little extra help in order to look their best. Utilize area rugs in living spaces that get a lot of foot traffic, which will help offset the activity in the room. Runners are another excellent option for hallways and thoroughfares of hardwood floors. Pair your rugs with rug pads to keep everything secure and protect your floors from dirt and debris that might sneak through the rugs' fibers.

If you want to take the tip as mentioned earlier, one step further, consider adding a doormat at every entry point of your home. These mats will provide a natural place to dock dirty shoes, thus limiting their contact with your hardwood floors. By positioning a doormat at the door, you'll also help your dogs knock extra dirt from their paws upon re-entry from their outside time.

Spilled liquids are the bane of shiny hardwood floors, so it makes sense that any spills should be cleaned up immediately. While wiping the mess might seem intuitive, it can actually cause moisture to be absorbed into the wood, further harming it. For proper technique, use an absorbent towel or cloth to quickly soak up the majority of the liquid that has spilled, then use a dry cloth to blot the floor until it is dry.  

While having clean hardwood floors is important, you have to select the right product to help you accomplish your cleaning task. A specially formulated hardwood floor cleaner is imperative if you want to keep your floors shining for years. Choosing a multi-surface cleaner could mean exposing your floors to a substance that is too harsh, thereby damaging your hardwood floors. Research hardwood floor cleaners and choose one that meets your needs and fits your budget. Remember to read the instructions for use carefully to ensure you're using the proper technique for that specific product.

So you've cleared the floors of pet hair and debris and identified a good hardwood floor cleaner, but before dragging a dripping-wet mop across the ground, think again. Similar to the damage that spills can cause to your floors, using an overly wet mop can compromise the integrity of the wood. You may even end up with warped hardwood floor planks if you're not careful. In order to safely clean your floors, aggressively wring out your mop so that it's damp, not wet, before it comes into contact with the ground.

Everyone enjoys a room with bright sunlight streaming through the windows, but be warned that this quality of lighting can eventually cause your hardwood floors to lose their shine over time. If you're worried about the health of your hardwood in relation to sunlight exposure, take steps to limit the vulnerability; these methods can include keeping the blinds closed during the brightest time of the day (which will result in energy savings for your home, too), or purchasing some sheer drapes to dim the amount of sunlight coming through.

A well-polished wood floor is a shiny wood floor. If you're hoping to breathe some life back into your hardwood, polishing your already clean floors is the way to go. While the approach may vary depending on the polish you choose, it will likely involve applying polish to your floors and then thoroughly rubbing it in with a soft cloth. Some polishes combine wood restorer into their formula, which can improve your floors' condition, in addition to enhancing their shine. When selecting a polish, be sure to look for one that offers a residue-free finish.

Your hardwood floors put up with a lot, between daily foot traffic and supporting furniture, but one abuse they should never have to endure is when items are dragged across their surface. Whether it's a dog crate, a laundry hamper, or a piece of furniture, dragging items across the surface of a wooden floor can leave it scratched and dull. Instead, remember to always lift and carry things over your hardwood floors. 

Steam cleaners are renowned for their sanitizing abilities and how shiny they can make floors look, but for hardwood floors, they can be absolutely disastrous. As you already know, hardwood is sensitive to moisture, which steam mops generate, and the heat plus moisture component of these cleaning devices can drive water deep into the wood, causing lasting damage over time. Instead, stick to the damp mop and hardwood floor cleaner route for truly clean and healthy hardwood floors.

While not as harmful as water applied directly to the ground, high humidity or overly low humidity in your home can lead to a deterioration of hardwood floor health over time. Ideally speaking, you'll want your home's humidity to be 35% to 55% — depending on the time of year and your region, you may need to employ the help of either a humidifier (for arid or desert dwellings) or a dehumidifier (for those living in the south or tropical areas).