Dance Floor and Commercial Hardwood Floor Maintenance Tips

Dear Rob:

We recently replaced our old dance floor.  And I’m wondering how to maintain it on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.  Since it is a dance floor there is a certain amount of wear and tear.  I would like to know what you would recommend to use for cleaning and polishing.  I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

-Nikole

Dear Nikole:

It’s great to know that you are looking to maintain your new dance floor.  A hardwood floor, especially a commercial hardwood floor, is a great investment.  Being a commercial dance floor, there are a lot of hazards and abuse that your floor will be subjected to.  There are several ways that you can keep that floor looking and performing great for years to come.

Here are some tips for protecting your commercial dance floor:

1. Clean up liquid spills immediately.  Moisture and can damage a hardwood floors by seeping into cracks and gaps and swell the hardwood floor.
2. Dust, dirt, and debris can grind into the hardwood floor when walked on, thus wearing and dulling the finish, so sweep the floor nightly, using a microfiber dust mop, such as the
   Bona Kemi Commercial Cleaning Pad.
3. Damp mop the floor with a spray on hardwood floor cleaner such as Bona Hardwood Spray Mop and cleaner at least weekly, or when needed.
4. Screen and coat your floor every 6 months with a commercial grade hardwood floor finish, such as Bona Traffic.  This requires a professional hardwood floor refinishing company to come in and lightly buff the floor with a screen, and then apply a maintenance coat.

Because the experiences and preferences of flooring companies vary, it’s important to keep in mind that when you choose a professional to refinish the floors, they may recommend a different brand that is of equal quality that they are more comfortable working with. Be sure to discuss this with your flooring professional so they know what your needs and concerns are.

-Rob

Removing Pet Stains from Carpet

Dear Rob:

We recently moved into a new home, and we’d like to try and salvage the carpet, but it has some pet stains and odors. Is there anything we can do to clean it up so we can discourage our own dogs from relieving themselves on the carpet?

-Evan R. from Indiana

Dear Evan:

Old pet stains and odors in carpet can be a stubborn problem. If the pet urine was allowed soak into the carpet pad or even through to the subfloor, you may not be able to totally remove the odors, but here are a few tips for you to try.

• First off, remember to test any cleaning products you use on a small hidden area of carpet to make sure the cleaner doesn’t damage your particular carpet.
• Next, turn off your lights and use a black-light to look for pet urine stains.  This will allow you to focus your cleaning on problem areas.
• If there are a lot of effected areas, or the carpets are very heavily soiled, consider renting an extractor carpet cleaning machine from your local hardware store.  Use plain water in the machine, and follow the instructions that come with it.
• If the stain is still visible after using the extractor, try an enzymatic cleaner.
• Once you’re done cleaning the visible stain, use a pet odor neutralizer.  You can usually get a high-quality product at a pet supply store.

If the pet odor remains, and the area is near a corner, you might be able to pull up the carpet and replace the section of pad underneath.  While the carpet is up, clean both sides with carpet shampoo and rinse thoroughly.  Then, once the pad is replaced and the underside of the carpet is dry, stretch it back onto the tack strips.

-Rob