Maintaining the beauty of your hardwood floor isn't hard. In fact, it's relatively easy. The key is to keep dust and dirt off your floor, because walking on it creates a sandpaper effect that can cause damage to your floor's finish. Which is why you should dust mop, vacuum (BUT NOT WITH THE BEATER BARS—use a handheld attachment if your vacuum has one), or sweep with a soft-bristle broom daily.
Water should be used sparingly on wood floors. Always use your wood manufacturer's suggested cleaners and floor care products only. Follow a floor cleaning product's directions precisely, particularly when mixing with water. To wipe up food and spills, use a wet cloth squeezed dry and buff completely dry immediately after cleanup.
Protect your investment with mats. One of the easiest ways to control the dirt and grit that would otherwise be tracked right across your precious floor is to place mats or carpet runners at all entrances. Mats do require maintenance, too—they should be vacuumed and/or shaken out and washed frequently. High traffic areas such as kitchens can also benefit big from having a small area rug placed in front of the sink and stove.
Protection from tables and chairs. Any metal, iron, wood or plastic that will be resting, sliding or rolling on top of your new natural wood floor should be covered with an appropriate protective pad. Be sure to place felt (or similar material) pads on the bottoms of all the legs of your furniture. Also, keep these pads free from grit to prevent any potential scratching of your new floor.
Move it, don't scratch it. Extreme care should be used whenever moving an appliance or any heavy object across your hardwood floor. You may even want to consider putting down some kind of protective barrier, like smooth plywood, to ensure that you don't gouge or scratch the wood.
High heels are high risk. Here's something you probably hadn't considered: high heels can actually dent your hardwood. So watch your step. And also keep in mind that all shoes in good repair are a lot less likely to do damage.
Maintaining the right moisture content. Wood floors can also benefit from either running a humidifier or a dehumidifier to help maintain the correct moisture content of the wood and minimize cracks between the boards.
Where to start if your floor has a urethane finish. Never ever wax it. And be certain to use the recommended cleaning system from the manufacturer of your floor.