Wood floors in the kitchen are beautiful, but we all know that water and wood don’t play well together. But water isn’t the only threat to the beauty of your kitchen wood floors. We’ve compiled a list of simple actions you can take to make sure your kitchen floor continues to look great for years to come.
Strategically Place Rugs
Never underestimate the power of rugs to protect your floors. There are two places you should have rugs in your kitchen – near any outside/entrance doors and in front of any drippy places. The first will protect your floor from all of the dirt and grime carried in from outside on the bottoms of shoes. Grit from outdoors will take the shine off of your floor frighteningly fast. Let the rug do the work and just shake it out once or twice a week depending on the amount of traffic and wash it occasionally. The second includes any place where water is used or where food is prepared. Think dishwasher, sink, and refrigerator. It’s also a good idea to put a larger rug under your kitchen table for both spills and crumbs.
Use Felt Protectors on Chairs
For the price, there’s no smarter way to protect your floor from kitchen chairs. Think about how often your chairs are moved every single day. That adds up to a lot of wear in the same place. Grab a pack of sticky-back felt rounds from the store and pop them on every chair leg. Sure, they may fall off occasionally, but truly, you should replace them every 3-6 months anyway because they collect dirt and can become abrasive over time. Don’t worry, the protection they provide far outweighs the dirt they collect.
Sweep or Vacuum Often
Honestly, this is one of the simplest ways to keep your kitchen floor looking great. You don’t have to sweep or vacuum the entire floor every day. Just hit the high spots where you know crumbs and dirt accumulate. Consider keeping a vacuum handy just for your kitchen so it’s super convenient and easy to use.
Be Careful Moving Heavy Things
You may not have to move your stove or refrigerator often, but when you do, use extreme caution. Heavy items can severely damage your wood floor. If you must move an appliance, place a sheet of thin plywood on the floor and slide the appliance onto the plywood instead of sliding it across the wood floor. Always move items slowly and keep an eye out to make sure the plywood or padding doesn’t slip. Lift heavy items, as opposed to scooting them whenever physically possible.
Watch Out for Moisture
Any moisture is bad for wood floors. Make sure to wipe up wet spills immediately. Also, don’t wet mop your wood floor. Use a damp pad that leaves very little moisture behind. Don’t use a steam floor cleaner on wood floors. Check frequently under the sink and around the dishwasher and refrigerator for signs of leaking so you can catch it early.
Follow these tips and your wood floor will look fantastic for many years. If your floors could use a pick-me-up, give SVB Wood Floors a call. We have a Bona recoat system that will have your floors looking new without the hassle or expense of refinishing them. We are also experts at refinishing and installing hardwood floors. Give us a call at (913) 359-4157 and (816) 448-8400 to schedule a free in-home or virtual consultation.
