The holidays are filled with love and parties and family and friends. Unfortunately all of that comes at a price, and not just to your wallet. Your floors are going to be feeling the pain from all the love and parties and family and friends. Since you’re spending all of your extra cash on presents, food and decorations, you probably don’t have a lot of cash left to do a complete refinishing of your beat up floors.
Hardwood floors are sturdy, and with the right finish, hardwood floors can resist almost any type of impact or stain, but every now and then a dent or scratch appears. Before you hire professionals to do a complete sanding and refinish of your floors, see if you can’t spot fix the damage. A few dents and scratches could be simple enough for you to take on yourself. And those annoying scuff marks from black soled shoes, can be removed with a little care and elbow grease.
However, always take your time and test your materials in an inconspicuous spot before you start, because the chemical reactions of your floor and finish may not be what you were hoping for. We’re trying to fix the problem, not make it worse.
For spills and food stains on your floors, simply use a simple cleaning solution. For deep stains, try soaking up the stain using cotton balls dipped in hydrogen peroxide.
If sucking up the stains don’t work, you can try sanding the stain using a piece of sanding paper. Remember to sand lightly with the grain, and only go deep enough to remove the stain. Repair the sanded area with a layer of floor wax, and remember to buff it smooth.
For small, shallow scratches and dents, simply apply a little floor wax over the damaged area. When you are done, buff the floor.
Up next, replacing the plank on a damaged hardwood floor…
