Avoid This Mistake With Hardwood Floors To Keep Them Shining Like New

When choosing the flooring for your home, there are many reasons to go with hardwood. For one, few things in a home say timeless elegance quite like hardwood floors. They're also available in a wide range of colors and styles, so you can always find the ideal option for your space. And while they might be among the priciest flooring choices, more often than not, their positive effect on your home's value and long lifespan justify the costs. But keeping your hardwood floors shiny and pristine requires quite a bit of effort, as they're notoriously easy to scratch. In fact, there are many ways you're damaging your hardwood floors without even noticing, like vacuuming them with a beater bar.

While a beater bar can work wonders for getting dirt out of carpets, this type of rotating vacuum brush can wreak havoc on hardwood floors. If it doesn't feature soft bristles or a special hardwood cleaning mode, it can easily scratch up the fine wooden surface of your flooring. Over time, minor scratches and scuffs can add up to significant damage, which can sometimes cost over $1,000 to repair. Luckily, you can avoid this scenario by turning to gentler cleaning options.

Vacuuming is still an effective way to keep your floors clean day-to-day, so the good news is you don't have to completely forego this cleaning method. If you want hardwood floors that look brand new, a simple way to make it happen is to choose the right type of vacuum. Opt for models with brushes specifically designed to handle hardwood floors. The ideal vacuum in this situation should have no beater bar and feature bristles that are gentle enough to clean the surface without scratching it. If a beater bar on your vacuum is non-negotiable, look for a model with an option to turn off the feature.

If you're still worried about vacuuming your hardwood floors, switching to sweeping might be the solution for you. Although vacuuming packs a bigger punch when it comes to keeping your floors free from dust and dirt, sweeping can also get the job done while being less harsh on your flooring. However, even sweeping requires some forethought to make sure your floors don't suffer any damage. To protect hardwood floors from scuffs and scratches while sweeping, make sure you use a gentle tool, like a soft-bristle broom or a microfiber dust mop.