Dangers of Using Vacuum Cleaners for Cleaning Hardwood Floors 

06/23/2023

We all love our hardwood floors because of their aesthetic appeal and durability. This material is not only the optimal option for flooring, but also comes in many different species and varieties to our style preferences. However, maintaining these floors can sometimes be a bit confusing for us. Although this is not a difficult task, a wrong decision can sometimes prove to a costly blunder.  

If you are considering using vacuum cleaners for cleaning hardwood floors, please think twice because this can lead to dire consequences. Many homeowners have committed this mistake, and regretted at a later stage. However, it is important to understand that all vacuum cleaners are not harmful to your hardwood floor.  

Mentioned below are a few reasons why any ordinary vacuum cleaner can’t be used on hardwood floors.  

• Most importantly, please remember that most of the ordinary vacuum cleaners are designed for carpet cleaning. This is why they come with plastic wheels that are integrated into the cleaner. As a result, these vacuum cleaners can make hardwood floors vulnerable to dents and scratches.  
• Also, ordinary vacuum cleaners often come with rollers that have very thick bristles, which can again cause scratches and dents on the floor. Moreover, the cleaning process may be quite inconvenient because the beater brushes of these vacuum cleaners often scatter debris and dust.   

Vacuum Cleaners Suitable for Hardwood Floor 

If you want to use a vacuum cleaner without damaging your hardwood floors, upright and canister vacuum cleaners are your two options. Upright vacuums are all-in-one cleaning devices that stand upright and maintain their balance on the nozzle responsible for the collection of dirt and dust. In these vacuums, the handle, the power head, and the dust container are attached, and are parts of the same unit. Therefore, they have no room for portability.  

On the other hand, in canister vacuum cleaners, it is possible to detach the motor and dust container from the power head and the handle. Compared to the upright models, these vacuum cleaners have better suction power, create less noise, and a bit more expensive.  

Some Factors to Consider    

Mentioned below are a few key factors to take into account while choosing vacuum cleaners for your hardwood floor.   

• Good suction quality is one of the most important qualities to consider because this quality determines a vacuum cleaners ability to clean your hardwood floor by drawing dust and debris. 
• Don’t forget to check whether the wheels of the vacuum cleaner are made of plastic or rubber. While plastic wheels can cause scratches, rubber wheels and extra rubber padding keeps hardwood floors safe from scratches.  
• Portability and compactness is another important quality of vacuum cleaners. This is critical to hardwood floors because portable vacuum cleaners apply less pressure on the floors while cleaning; reducing the probability of creating dents and scratches. 
• Finally, if you have hardwood flooring, you should always avoid vacuum cleaners equipped with rolling bristles and brushes.  

If you have any other questions related to maintenance of your hardwood floor, please feel free to contact our team of experts at Enoak.