The Precious floor on which you tread

Are you floored by your floor? Every time you invite your friends over, do you feel uneasy when someone accidentally sloshes water over your elegant wooden floor or spills his drink or an adorable little angel wipes his chocolaty hands on your floor? All of us do! But instead of worrying over how to prevent a disaster (which is practically impossible if you have small kids), look into the remedial measures and relax.
Let’s first get the basics clear. All wooden floors do not require similar maintenance. What determines the method of wood floor care is-the finish on the floor. So, the first thing to consider before you choose any product for your wood floor is whether your floor is covered with wax or polyurethane. After you determine that, choosing a product becomes easier. There is a simple method to find that out. If water stays on top of the floor, your floor is covered with polyurethane. If the floor soaks the water in a few minutes then the covering is wax.
The Do’s and Don’ts
Always
? use a product designed specifically for wood floors.
? protect your wood floors with a sealer.
?wipe off any spills immediately. The cloth used for wiping should be damp (not wet), if used on a well-sealed wood floor. Later, wipe dry with cloth or paper towel.
? Use a vacuum cleaner (use a brush attachment, avoid beater bars) often on the floor to prevent dirt from sticking to the floor. If sweeping, a good quality mop or broom also serves the purpose (Fuller Brush # 154824 Dry Mop, Fuller Brush # 275 Angle Broom, Fuller Brush #276 Household Broom)
? Provide extra protection to your floor with a carpet or rug when you are planning a children’s party or a get together where you expect a lot of people.
? place door mats to prevent (at least to some extent) the incoming dirt.
Never
? slosh water on your wood floor, while mopping.
? drag your furniture. It will put scratches on your floor.
? rub too hard on the wood finish, especially when you are trying to remove stains. You may end up removing the lacquer along with the stain.
? allow too much sunlight to fall on your wood floor. It damages the finish. Try window tinting or (if you are not averse to it) drape the windows.

Home Remedies for common disasters
? To remove stains caused by chocolate, oil or any other greasy substance, use white spirit.
? Never allow water to stay on your wooden floor. Mop it up immediately.
? To remove stains caused by lipsticks or crayons (that adorable kid again!), use a mixture of Turpentine and water.
? Blood stains can be easily washed away by cold water.

Commercial products that increase the longevity of your wooden floor
After you have determined whether your floor is covered with wax or polyurethane, choosing a product available in the market becomes easier. There are a number of products that are safe to use on most floors (Fuller Brush # 663 Labor Savor Floor Cleaner, Fuller Brush # 657 Wood Floor Cleaner & Polish). You may also use a floor finish (Fuller Brush # 661 Labor Savor Floor Finish) to coat your floor with a high gloss shine.
For waxed floors, a waxing compound is ideal. To use a waxing compound, one should also invest in a wax applicator (Fuller Brush #152824 Wax Applicator) For polyurethane covered floors; no-wax products are readily available (Fuller Brush # 631907 Multi-Floor Cleaner). A simple home remedy is to clean the floor with vinegar and water. Vinegar, when mixed with vegetable oil, can also be used as a wood floor top coat. A must buy are special formulations available in the market that contain vinegar among other ingredients ( Fuller Brush # 633 Wood Floor Easy Clean Mist) One can also use washing soda and hot water to wash the floor. For this, mix one-teaspoon washing soda with one-gallon hot water.
So, watch your step (oops! floor)
There is absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t enjoy a flawless finish on your floor for years and years if you care for it as much as you do for the other accessories in your home.