Ice Melt On Hardwood Floors

But even with constant maintenance the chemicals used in ice melt can damage the finish of hardwood tile grout natural stone and vinyl.

Ice melt on hardwood floors.

Moisture on your hardwood floors is never a good thing. A non concentrated mixture of 1 3 cup of vinegar per gallon of water 62 milliliters per liter of water will have enough vinegar to neutralize the salt while still being gentle enough to use on hardwood floors. The makeup of most ice melting products is based around calcium chloride or salt because of its effective melting properties and because it is relatively cheap. Forget to remove your shoes or wipe your feet and you could end up tracking the salt across your hardwood floors where it can leave white stains.

Since ice melt has a chemical foundation of calcium chloride salt it effectively melts ice and is cost effective. Cleaning salt from hardwood. Tips to combat ice melt. However salt has a high ph level just like products used in stripping floors.

Clean up the salt as soon as possible to avoid permanently damaging your wood floors. How to get rid of streaky salty floors during winter. To learn more about how to avoid damaging your hardwood floors during the winter contact the professionals from old reliable floor co today at 513 922 5598. Avoid allowing water to stand on hardwood floors because they can be damaged by excessive moisture.

Tracked in ice melt tends to present as a milky white haze on the floor. The most important thing is to make sure you don t let the salt scratch your finish. Over time if not cleaned up quickly ice melt residue removes the protective finish ultimately exposing the wood to damage. Salt performs a valuable function on city streets and sidewalks during even the mildest of winters melting ice and preventing dangerous skids.

The problem when it comes to floor care is that it has a high ph just like floor stripper. Not only is it tricky to remove but as more foot traffic grinds the salt residue onto the floor it can cause a lot of damage. Though ice melt is useful in reducing slippery ice hazards outside in winter it can cause a lot of damage to the hard floors inside your building. But ice melting salt granules also stick to the bottoms of your shoes where you track them into the house.

Our hardwood floor experts made a list of helpful tips to keep your floors shining for years to come. Calcium chloride pellets melt snow and ice more quickly than rock salt. A professional deep cleaning should be done every 1 2 years along with evaluation of the sealer on your floor.