According to Eric Nolin, sales representative for SVB Wood Floors, based in Grandview, Mo., one of the best ways to satisfy hardwood customers is to educate them on how to properly care for their floors. “The biggest thing is let them know they need to regularly vacuum, sweep or dust-mop their floor at least once a week. When they do want to use a cleaner, make sure it’s specifically made for that type of floor.”
He said this attitude should also extend to any hardwood floor cleaning kits the retailer or contractor packages as part of the sale. “Make sure you’re using the correct one. Also, instruct customers not to overuse the product. That’s the biggest problem I see [people] make. They’re spritzing the cleaner all over the floor, but in the kits that come with a microfiber mop, the instructions say to wet and wring out the mop, then spritz the mop itself. You do not want to overspread the cleaner on the floor—you’ll end up with this horrible haze, and at that point you’re no longer cleaning the floor; you’re coating it.”