It's not that easy of a job cleaning hardwood floors. For one, they are much different from other types of floors. They require a different set of cleaning. If you clean improperly, you'll end up with a floor that's all swelled up; the boards will expand, resulting to cracks and various other damages on the wood. In this article, you'll read about a few cleaning tips for hardwood floors.

The first time your hardwood floors are installed, you'll need to do initial cleaning. After that, you'll need to regularly clean them to keep their shine. Even though you'll be cleaning fairly regularly (a few times a week), you're likely to not damage your floors as much as when you are doing the initial clean up.

The initial clean up happens after you have sanded, stained, buffed and coated the floor. Keep in mind that during these steps, dust and dirt are floating about; small wood pieces go under the floor panels and in between the gaps. Thus, you'll need to keep a broom and vacuum handy all the time. However, be very careful in cleaning up them at this time as your floor is basically fragile.

Below are a few tips on how to clean hardwood floors:

1. If you use a mop to remove stains on the floor, wipe off any remaining water with a soft cloth or sponge. Remember that water and water-based solutions are your floor's worst enemies. You can use water for cleaning hardwood floors, but when you do, never let the water stand on the floor long enough for it to be absorbed by the wood.

2. Use a broom with soft bristles and a vacuum cleaner that won't scratch your hardwood floors.

3. Avoid using oil-based solutions and soaps for cleaning them. They leave residues on and in your floors, which can build up gradually over time and cause damage to your floors.

4. Use plastic pads on your furniture feet. This way you can clean under and around your furniture and even move them slightly without scratching your floors.

5. Check your floor's manufacturer recommendations for cleaning it.

How much time you spend cleaning hardwood floors depends on you, the type of hardwood floor you have and how much foot traffic your floors receive on a daily basis. For low foot traffic areas, cleaning two times a week should be enough. High foot traffic areas should be cleaned more often than that.