Weird Wednesday stuff

It is what I don't know that always gets me in trouble. Self-evident, right? But, what I want to know is how do I get around it?

Research seems like a sensible solution to to all of life's thorny questions. It is no help when I don't know the right questions.

Last year I was busy upgrading the house. One of the big projects was restoring the upstairs flooring. It was a long, messy process, but it's over and the floor is gorgeous.

Before contracting the project, I investigated, finishes, costs, maintenance--in short everything I could think of--it never occurred to me the hardwood floors would require much more frequent cleaning.

They do.

I don't regret my choice, but it would've been nice to know. And I should have thought of it. I knew how much work it was to keep the other hard surface floors clean. Yet, it didn't dawn on me. I blamed traffic patterns and usage for the high maintenance nature of the kitchen, bathrooms, and entryway floors.

The thing is, carpet absorbs an incredible amount of dust--hard surfaces absorb none. Gleaming oak floors are lovely, those same floors covered in dust are not. Very similar to having a car with a really amazing paint job--it shows every speck of dirt.

So what have you learned the hard way?