These are some of my best tips if you need to know how to clean your hardwood floors and how to best take care of them and not damage them in the process. These will help you whether you have hardwood floors now or plan to get them soon, either by DIY (doing-it-yourself) or by installing using a hardwood floor contractor.

It doesn't matter what type of hardwood you have - exotic, oak, maple, cherry, Brazilian cherry, etc., to remove surface dirt, vacuuming is the easiest and best way to start. If pollutants are sticking to the surface, such as smoke, you can remove them by rubbing the surface carefully with a slightly wet cloth. You can dampen the cloth with water or use commercial furniture cleaner but make sure to test a corner of the wood with the product you'll be using so that you don't damage it.

Commercial cleaners are generally water-based. They usually contain degreasers besides the cleansers. These are used for hardwood floors and for wood furniture and are usually safe for people but use gloves to protect your hands. And be careful about breathing any fumes that are emitted from the hardwood floor cleaners. Use good ventilation too.

If your cleaner is oil-based it will be flammable. If you choose to use the oil-based cleaner, after you finish, be sure to soak the rags in water and put them outside in a fire-proof container such as metal, away from your house and any wooden structure.

Try not to use any hardwood floor cleaners that contain silicone. The silicone will give a smooth finish but you will not be able to refinish the hardwood floor in the future even if the original coating is stripped off. Also lemon oil cleaners should not be used because they show fingerprints and the shine will have a smudged appearance. But worst of all these cleaners usually contain kerosene which will hurt most finishes and exposure to it is not good for your health.

When wood furniture is exposed to ultraviolet rays from sunlight it will become damaged as time goes by and the same is true for hardwood floors. To avoid this you can tint the windows to stop the UV rays from shining on the flooring.

If your floors need waxing just a thin coat of wax is best. If you put on a coat that is too thick it won't dry evenly. This will leave a finish that is spotty.

When you wax your hardwood floors, a hard, waterproof wax is usually recommended. Waterproof wax will prevent the white ring problem. If you've ever placed a water pail or other container on a hardwood floor and it left a white ring, it's because the water or moisture penetrated below the wax and it actually breaks the bond with the hardwood surface. Waterproof wax will prevent this from happening.

You only want to wax hardwood floors once a year or so. Make sure to apply just a little bit of wax because a buildup of wax is messy and difficult to remove. You want to choose a paste wax instead of a liquid wax because it will contain more wax.

With these tips you will know what to do to help preserve your hardwood floors and most importantly what to avoid so you won't damage them. There are still other tips that you can use to help preserve your flooring or help you decide what flooring to get whether you already have hardwood floors or are thinking about putting in hardwood floors yourself or through a hardwood floor contractor.