Having a slippery hardwood floor is a dangerous situation, but it is not something that you have to live with. I will discuss things that may lead to your floor becoming slippery, along with ways you can correct the problem.
Here is a list of five things that may cause your hardwood floor to become slick:
- Normal wear and tear. All finish will ware over time. This ware is increased in high traffic areas. Over time the normal ware of finish may cause it to become slippery.
- Dirt and grim. If your hardwood floor is not clean, the build up of dirt, dust, and containments can cause the finish to become slippery.
- Wrong cleaning products. Not all cleaners are made for hardwood floors. You may think you are cleaning your hardwood floor, but in fact you may be causing more issues when you use the wrong cleaning product.
- Waxing or polishing your hardwood floor. Almost all the hardwood floor finish used today do not require your floor to be waxed or polished. Adding wax or polish to the floor may cause the finish to become slippery.
- Water. Any time there is water on the surface of your hardwood floor, your floor will become slippery.
Here are tips to help with each cause listed above:
- If your floor has ware spots, it may be time to have a fresh coat of finish applied. The use of area rugs in high traffic areas will help the ware and tear of your finish.
- Having area rugs or mats by outside doors will help keep the dirt from being spread across your floor. Removing dirty shoes will also help with the spread of dirt though out your floors. It is also important to clean up spills as soon as they happen, as well as cleaning in front of outside doors and high traffic areas regularly.
- When cleaning your hardwood floors, whether spot cleaning or regular full floor cleaning, make sure your use a floor cleaner that is made for hardwood floors. Make sure the cleaning product you choose is a non-wax product. Make sure to read all direction and do not over clean. Believe it or not but using a product incorrectly or more then directed can cause harm.
- Introducing wax or polish to modern hardwood floor finish will cause a build up that may make your floor very slippery. As I stated before, most new hardwood floor finishes do not require wax or polish. These products will cause many problems.
- It is important to clean up water that is spilled on your hardwood floors as soon as possible. It may also be helpful to use area rug or mats by outside doorways or sink areas where water may be more likely to be present on the surface.
Your hardwood floor should not be slippery. Avoiding the many causes of the problem will go a long way in reducing the risk of a slippery floor. By following the five easy steps listed above you can greatly reduce the risk of a slippery hardwood floor.
If you try the tips listed above and are still having problems with your floor being slippery contact The Ohio Floor Company and we can assist you in finding a solution to your slippery floor issues.
