Hillcrest and The Heights are full of beautiful 1920s-1950s homes — bungalows, Tudor revivals, ranches with original hardwood. They're also fragile in ways modern homes aren't. A few small cleaning habits can keep an older home looking great; a few bad ones can cause damage that's expensive to undo.
Hardwood floors: less water, always
Original hardwood in older Little Rock homes often has decades-old finish that won't stand up to wet mopping. The right approach is a nearly-dry microfiber pad, with cleaner sprayed lightly directly onto the pad — never poured onto the floor.
Steam mops are off-limits on older wood. The combination of heat and forced moisture will damage finish and can warp boards.
Plaster walls aren't drywall
Many homes built before the 1960s have plaster walls. Magic erasers, which work great on drywall, can take the surface off plaster. For scuffs on plaster, try a damp microfiber first; if that doesn't work, leave it alone and patch later.
Original tile
The 1930s-style hexagonal floor tile and 4x4 wall tile in older Hillcrest bathrooms is beautiful and surprisingly durable, but the grout between them is often original too. Acidic cleaners (vinegar, lime removers) will etch the grout permanently. Use neutral pH cleaners only.
Wood trim and original woodwork
Stained (not painted) original trim should be dusted dry or with a very lightly damp cloth. Lemon oil and orange oil polishes are fine occasionally but build up if used weekly.
Cast iron and clawfoot tubs
If you have an original clawfoot tub, treat it like enamel: no abrasive scrubs, no acidic cleaners. A soft sponge with a pH-neutral bathroom cleaner is the right answer.
What we do differently in older homes
When we clean in Hillcrest, The Heights, or Stifft Station, we automatically default to gentler methods. We don't use steam, we don't use acidic products on tile or grout, and we use less water on every surface. The result is a home that looks great this visit and in ten years.
See our Little Rock service area page for more on the neighborhoods we work in.
Want help with this? Learn more about house cleaning in Little Rock from River Trail Cleaning — flat-rate pricing across Greater Little Rock and Central Arkansas.