Sweeping

• Dust, hair and other debris can quickly accumulate on hardwood floors. In addition, hard, sharp debris like gravel may scratch or otherwise damage floors when stepped on. Remove debris from your floors regularly. Purchase a good-quality broom and sweep your floors daily. A vacuum without a beater bar may also be used to remove debris. Try a dust mop for hard-to-reach corners of your home, or a static cloth sweeper.
  
  

Cleaning

• In addition to sweeping, your floors should be cleaned regularly to keep them looking like new. For spot cleaning, a damp rag or sponge works well. Try a spray cleaner designed for hardwood floors for tougher spots and spills; use the cleanser sparingly, and dry immediately with a dry cloth.
  
  For more extensive cleaning, Merry Maids suggests mixing your own floor cleanser. Add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to a gallon of warm water. It is recommended that you clean only one small area of your hardwood floor at a time, as water and other liquids causes wood to swell, resulting in cracks or splitting. Use your hands rather than a mop, as this allows you to control the amount of cleanser that is applied to your floors. Apply a small amount of cleanser and then dry immediately.
  
  There are several cleansers on the market designed for cleaning hardwood floors; avoid those containing ammonia. Oil soaps should also be avoided. If you use a commercial cleanser and notice that a residue is left behind, use the vinegar-water solution to remove it.
  
  

Prevention

• Hardwood floors require special preventative measures to keep them looking new. Water may cause damage, so clean spills quickly. Place mats near doors to keep rain and snow from being tracked into the house. Such mats will also collect much of the debris off your shoes, resulting in less debris scattered across your floors. Choose mats specifically designed for hardwood floors, as the backings of some mats may damage floors. To prevent furniture from scratching floors, cover the bottom of chair and table legs with flannel or felt pads. Remove shoes with sharp heels that may dent or scuff floors. Sunlight may also damage wooden floors; use curtains, blinds and other window treatments to block excessive sunlight.
  
  

Repair

• Despite the above measures, damage to your wooden floors may occur. If your floor appears dull and has lost its luster, a process called screening may restore it to its original shine. In this process, the polyurethane coating on your floor is removed and replaced with a new coating. If this process is not adequate to restore your floors, you may need to have them sanded down and refinished. Damaged boards may also be replaced. Before performing extensive repair work on your floors yourself, always check with a professional.