You might think that solid wooden floorings are fit and forget items in your house, but unless you keep the place very clean this is not so. You see solid wood floors can be damaged if you allow a build-up of grit on the surface, and then teenagers come in sliding over the grit, or just walking over it so that it is pushed into the surface.

But aren’t these hardwood floors? Yes, they are, but they have either a lacquered or oiled finish, and it is the finish that gets damage, which means the flooring will not look so nice. Underneath the finish, the wood is strong and very durable. So if you do damage it accidentally, you can actually get it put right. But you don’t want to have to do that and with some care and maintenance you won’t need to.

Immediately after having your new oak parquet flooring or other wooden flooring fitted, it is recommended that it be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner and some oil is applied to oiled floors. With lacquer floors, apply a cleaner.

Oiled oak flooring needs more attention than lacquered woods. You should oil it regularly to keep it looking like new.

To remove any adhesive left on the wood, use mineral spirit. You can also remove marks and spills with a damp cloth. From time to time, apply a recommended wood soap cleaner using a cloth. You then clean the cloth in water in most cases.

Lacquered flooring requires less attention, but is more easily damaged than oiled wood flooring. Really bad spots or marks can be removed with a special cleaner available from your supplier of the wooden flooring. In addition, regular cleaning is a good idea; again with a cleaner supplied by the flooring retailer or a specialist.

Follow these simple guides to keep your wooden floor looking great for years to come.