When you purchase a home or invest in a hardwood floor, you'll probably want to learn a bit about proper care to protect and prolong the beauty of your floor. Regardless of the specifics of your floor, there are a few tips about what not to do and what to do. With that in mind let's begin taking a look at some of the basics that apply to nearly every hardwood floor.

Water is the number one detriment to hardwood floors in most homes along with other spilled liquids. If you were involved in the selection of your hardwood floor, you probably are aware of the role that things like moisture can play. This will make a difference in the type of hardwood floor that you should install in an area. Water on the topside of a hardwood floor can be destructive not only to the structure in the long-term, but also to its beauty in the short-term. So, dry your floors immediately if there is a spill and no mopping with water, which includes laminate floors.

Dust and grime is the next thing to keep off of your floors. This may actually be more common in some houses, but when you begin to clean it up, don't use water; instead use a broom that features exploded tips. These broom tips help to trap the dust when you sweep while avoiding the necessity of wet mopping. You may also find that dust mopping can be very useful when you are cleaning. As with most things, preventing the problem is better than correcting the problem. You can try small area mats at the entrances to clean off shoes or simply remove shoes when you enter. These can be very effective at preventing any dust from being tracked in. There may be other ways that dust is getting in though and it is not practical to eliminate them all (aside from living in a bubble).

Sun is the next thing to keep an eye on. It may be surprising that constant exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause discoloring. If possible draw the curtains to protect your floors or make sure that if you have any say in your floor selection that you have some sort of UV resistance in the finish.

Your furniture may also cause damage to your floors. Some easy ways to prevent that damage is to place glides with fabric bottoms beneath the legs of your furniture. Another commonsense pointer is to simply be careful anytime you move furniture. Don't use beater brush vacuums; they often cause more damage than benefit.

The last tip for cleaning hardwood floors is to be picky about the cleaners that you use. Anytime you plan to use a cleaner, it is best to ensure that it is specifically designed to clean hardwood floors. A common characteristic of hardwood floor cleaners is that its PH is neutral. This helps avoid damage and build-up that hides the luster of your floor.