Caring For Your Wood Flooring

At Glasswells we are flooring experts, which is why we’ve created this care guide to provide you with all the necessary information on how to keep your wood flooring in top condition. With proper maintenance, your floor will retain its beauty for years to come. Wood floors are durable and easy to keep clean, but there are some things you need to think about.

MAINTENANCE

Dry cleaning is the best way to clean wood floors, rather than wet cleaning. Vacuum and brush regularly and occasionally use a damp, well wrung-out cloth/mop. For best results, use the specified cleaner from the supplier. The floor should dry within a minute if you’ve used the right amount of water.

PROTECT YOUR FLOOR

Put protective pads on furniture. Place soft pads on the bottom of table and chair legs and keep an eye that they haven’t fallen off. Don’t use protectors made of metal as they can wear patches and scratch the floor

SHORT TERM CARE

Once your wood floor has been installed you’ll be able to feel its delightful texture underfoot and enjoy the warm sense of nature a wood finish brings to your home. However, like all natural substances, wood is susceptible to wear and tear. To ensure it always looks its best and lasts longer, here are some steps you can take to protect it.

FLOOR MATS The natural place to start is at the door, and a good quality floor mat will catch dirt and grit, preventing damage further into your home.
RUGS OR CARPET RUNNERS Consider rugs or carpet runners for high footfall areas such as doorways, halls and stairs.
BE CAREFUL WITH FURNITURE Never drag furniture or other objects across your wood floor – it can easily result in unsightly dents or scratches. We offer a variety of protectors that enable you to move furniture easily without marking your floor.
SHOE RULES Avoid wearing heavy shoes or work boots when stepping onto your natural wood floor. High heels, and stilettoes in particular, should be avoided. They exert a huge amount of pressure that easily dents or marks even the toughest of wood floors.
CLEAN UP SPILLS Liquid is the enemy, so mop up any spilled drinks and never allow water or other liquids to sit for any length of time. The odd drop may not hurt, but excessive amounts of water will cause lasting damage.
PET PATROL Remember to keep your pet’s claws trimmed to prevent scratches and as point five if there are any ‘accidents’ make sure they’re cleaned up fast.
SUNSHINE Sunlight will naturally help the wood’s colour to mellow, so be aware of this and move rugs, mats and furniture regularly to ensure an even maturing of colour. Dark woods like Walnut are more susceptible to fading, which is worth considering when you choose your flooring. Excessive exposure to direct sunlight can also cause the floor to overheat, which can lead to shrinkage, warping and splitting. Consider shading your floor from large windows that face the sun.
LIGHT CLEANING Regular sweeping with a soft bristled broom will get rid of dust and rogue bits of grit on the floor. You can also vacuum a natural wood floor – ideally with a soft brush attachment to minimise scratching.
MOPPING As per point five, wetness can damage a wood floor so always use a well wrung mop when cleaning and removing excess liquid immediately. We offer specially formulated cleaning kits that include a gentle spray mop, Cleaning Liquid and Care Guide. They are available for both lacquered and oiled finishes, with refills available as necessary.

LONG TERM CARE

Even though the most advanced wood treatments and finishes are used to create our nature inspired flooring, your wood floor will need to be looked after to stay in tip-top condition. This involves cleaning and sometimes re-finishing your flooring at suitable intervals to ensure it continues to delight throughout its lifetime.

For more information regarding wood flooring, you can contact us where one of our team will be able to advise. This page is also available in a handy PDF format, which you can download here.

Reasons to shop at Glasswells

Take the stress out of shopping, with everything for your home available under one roof.

Our large showrooms display a massive choice of furniture, with over 200 fabulous sofa collections, more than 80 stunning dining collections, over 50 beautiful bedroom ranges and 100 luxury beds. We also have more than 10,000 flooring options and have access to thousands of fabric swatches for curtains and blinds.

Service You Can Trust

A service you can depend on.

Since 1946, Glasswells’ philosophy has been to provide the widest choice of quality furniture at the very best value, paired with service which stands out from the crowd, is true and is trusted. This remains as vital to us today as it did over 75 years ago.

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Locally sourced, fresh food made to order.

The Place to Eat restaurant in store at Bury St Edmunds and Ipswich is perfect for taking a relaxing break from browsing all our products. We offer a wide assortment of dishes utilising locally sourced and seasonal produce, with vegetarian and gluten-free options available.

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