So you Spilled on Your Hardwood. Now What?

The worst has happened. Perhaps you were careless, or perhaps your kid decided to sneak a glass of juice in the living room in front of the TV when you weren’t looking. Either way, your hardwood flooring has a fresh new spot of liquid on it, and you’re panicking because everyone says you shouldn’t get your hardwood wet under anycircumstances. What are you going to do?

While it’s true that liquid on hardwood floors isn’t ideal, there are still steps you can take to minimize damage. E Hardwoods & Flooring, expert in solid hardwood flooring, describes those steps below.

Emergency Care for Solid Hardwood Flooring

There’s no such thing as 911 for floors, so as a caretaker of a solid hardwood flooring, you’ll need to act fast and precisely to help stymie any damage. If the spill is only a tiny puddle, you should be able to mop it up with a sponge, especially if you catch it the moment after it happens; prefinished hardwood flooring is designed to hold up to light spills, after all. However, if the water has been sitting on your flooring for a while, you’ll need to take more drastic measures:

• Immediately remove wet items.You want to get a full picture of the damage the spill has wrought, so you’ll need to do a thorough cleaning of the area. Enlist family members to help if the mess is huge. Just make sure to wear shoes and keep pets out of the area if you’re dealing with shattered glass!
• Vacuum up the spill. A wet vacuum (yes, you read that right) is specially designed to deal with spills. Use it on the damaged area and continue to do so long after all signs of moisture have been eliminated. Never use a regular vacuum on a wet spill, as the moisture can cause shortages and clog the hardware.
• Get ahold of a dehumidifier.This machine pulls moisture out of the air; it will help to take care of any water damage that your wet vac couldn’t get out of the floor. Keep it running at full blast for, at a minimum, twenty-four hours after you’ve vacuumed up the spill. Household dehumidifiers are sold at many box stores for a reasonable price.

If the spill is penetrating, it could take months for it to dry out completely. Keep an eye out for warping, which is a sign you will need to replace your hardwood.

If You Need Replacement, E Hardwoods & Flooring is Here to Help

If spills are happening frequently in your home, consider opting for waterproof vinyl flooring or vinyl tile flooring from E Hardwoods & Flooring; concern about spills will become a thing of the past. Peruse our online stock here or contact us with any questions.