If your floors are looking and feeling a bit dry it is important to take action to restore the balance of moisture before irreparable damage is done. Awarded the National Guardsman’s Medal for Lifesaving efforts in 2002, Sorrels was also a nominee for a Red Cross Award and a certified EMT-B for four years. Humidity levels above 60 percent can lead to mold and mildew growth. If you see a clear material, your flooring likely has a surface finish. Wet the floor with the mop. Your email address will not be published. Wood shrinks and expands in accordance to the humidity levels around it, which causes small cracks over time. Melynda Sorrels spent 10 years in the military working in different capacities of the medical field, including dental assisting, health services administration, decontamination and urgent medical care. Here’s how to do it: DIY Wood Restore Moisturizer. Just remember to use equal parts of each ingredient. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise Wood … Depending on how much use your floor gets, you may have to mop it as often as once a week. « Can You Use Homemade Laundry Soap In HE Washers? Wet the mop and wring so it’s about half-dry. Direct sunlight dries out your wood flooring. Privacy Policy. Use a neutral pH wood cleaner and water, or manufacturer recommended products. Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute: Biological Deterioration & Damage to Furniture & Wooden Objects, Murphy Oil Soap: Maintaining Wood's Natural Beauty, How to Have a Wood Floor Refinished Without Chemicals, How to Sanitize a Butcher Block Countertop. While too much moisture can be detrimental to wood flooring, the complete lack of moisture may be just as bad. Optimal humidity level is around 50 percent. It doesn’t take much to do the job so you can adjust the recipe to suit the size of your project. Introducing water to your hardwood floor will not fix the problem and may damage it instead. Without any moisture at all, these small cracks will expand further, resulting in splitting and splintering. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Keep a close eye on the humidity level in your home. You just need to dab the corner of a rag into your mixture and then rub it into the wood. Increase the humidity within the room. Dip the mop into clean water, wring it as dry as you can and mop over the floor again. In the winter months when the air is drier you will need to utilize your humidifier more often than in the humid summer months. How to Treat a Wood Floor That Is Drying Out. Stop here, and do not polish these wood floors; these should only be waxed. Introduce moisture through the air rather than directly onto the floor. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper calibration and use of the hygrometer. Close the curtains or blinds. While too much moisture can be detrimental to wood flooring, the complete lack of moisture may be just as bad. Check the humidity level in your home with a hygrometer. A humidifier is optimal, but if you don’t have one, a pot of boiling water on the stove is helpful to restore moisture to the air. It’s safe to polish these wood floors.