Taking care of your new hardwood floors is an exciting venture into homeownership. If you own a home in the Cincinnati, OH area, stop by Huber Lumber Co. for premier flooring, kitchen cabinets, porches, decks and kitchen design services. Once your new floors are installed, there are a few guidelines for maintaining them that you should follow:

• Polish: Find a suitable water-based or urethane-based polish to coat your new floor. Floor polish protects your floor from scratching and over-cleaning while also keeping it shiny. Apply a new coating every two to three months. Avoid waxes, as these can build up a sticky residue and attract dust. Ask Huber Lumber to recommend the best polish for your floor type.

• Dry Dusting: The easiest way to ensure your wood floors last a lifetime is with daily dusting, ideally using a microfiber duster. You'd be surprised at how much dust and hair accumulate after only one day.

• PH-Neutral Cleaning: When mopping stains or stubborn dust, use a non-acidic cleaning formula, and avoid keeping the floor wet for too long. Polish is meant to protect wood from absorbing excess moisture, but don't stretch it to its limit. Do not use soap, vinegar, or steam-cleaners on your floors, as these cause stripping and cupping. Microfiber mop pads are the ideal products to use, as they use less water than string mops and absorb dirt better.

For comprehensive solutions for wood floor maintenance and a wide range of home building supplies, call Huber Lumber Co. at (513) 731-4035 today.