Hardwood floors add a beautiful touch to just about any room, but there's some debate about the best way to clean them.
"There are several different mixtures to use for hardwood floors, and you'll want to be sure to try any cleaning solution on an inconspicuous area first," Natalie Wise, author of "The Natural Home: Tips for Cleaning with Natural Ingredients," told TODAY. "A pretty fail-safe way is to use good old soap and water."
Donna Smallin Kuper, author of "Cleaning Plain & Simple," offered a word of caution, "Some hardwood floor manufacturers recommend using a mop dampened with water only, and may even void a warranty on new floors that have been cleaned with any other cleaning solution."
Follow our easy steps to transform your floors from dull and grimy to gleaming, gorgeous and clean!
Routine cleaning
In high-traffic areas, like the dining room and kitchen, sweep or vacuum daily if possible and mop hardwood floors once or twice a week. Mop less-trafficked areas once a month or once a season.
How to clean wood floors
Remember: Water is wood's worst enemy (even on sealed floors!), so use a damp mop rather than a soaking wet one.
"You don't want to let any water sit as you're cleaning your hardwood floors, so be sure to work in one small area at a time," Wise said. "If you don't want to be on your hands and knees with a soft cloth, a spin mop will get your mop dry enough to work your floors. Begin by dusting or sweeping your floors well. Then make a cleaning mixture using 4 cups warm water and a few drops of castile soap or dish soap. Do not shake, but gently mix this, then mop or scrub small sections at a time, drying them with a clean cloth or dry mop after."
"Allow floors to dry while you clean another area," Smallin Kuper said. "Always clean top to bottom in a room, which means that you should clean the floor last."
Do's and don'ts
Do use a floor-cleaning product recommended by the floor finisher or opt for plain soap and water. If the recommended product is hard to find or costly, and other floor cleaners contain ingredients that violate your floor's warranty, try soap and water. Try 1/4 cup of mild or pH-neutral soap (like liquid dishwashing soap) or Murphy Oil Soap (despite the name, it doesn't contain oil) to a bucket of water.
Don't use oils, waxes or furniture sprays. Oil leaves a residue, furniture spray creates a slippery surface (think ice-skating rink!) and wax takes time to apply and makes re-coating difficult.
Don't use straight ammonia, alkaline products or abrasive cleaners. They'll dull or scratch the finish.
Don't rely on lemon juice or a vinegar-and-water solution to clean hardwood floors. "I don't recommend using vinegar or lemon juice, at least not in large quantities, as these can damage the floor's seal," said Wise.
Happy mopping!
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This story was first published on May 1, 2011.
- Home & Garden
- Cleaning
- Floor Cleaning Tips
By
Michele Wanke
Michele has over two decades worth of professional writing experience.
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You can use vinegar to clean hardwood floors. Vinegar is inexpensive and non toxic. It's the frugal homemaker's best-kept secret for cleaning the home and can be used in many ways.
Use White Vinegar
The next time you're shopping, stop in the grocery aisle and compare the many types of vinegar available. Vinegar is made from the fermentation of alcohol products, such as red wine, rice wine, apple cider, and other liquids. The result is an acidic liquid that is used in a variety of ways, from flavoring salad dressings to cleaning hardwood floors.
When using vinegar in a homemade wood floor cleaner solution, choose white vinegar. Not only is it the least expensive, it has no particular color, so it will not stain the floors.
How to Clean Your Hardwood Floors
To clean your hardwood floors using vinegar, follows these simple steps:
- Remove any objects from the floor. If you can easily move furniture or scatter rugs out of the way, do so.
- Block off the room so that pets and children do not walk across the wet floor. While vinegar is non toxic, footprints and paw prints on a clean floor do not add to the décor!
- Vacuum or dry mop the floor. It's critical to remove all the surface dust, dirt, lint and hair before mopping.
- Fill a clean bucket with a solution of white vinegar and warm water. Use a half a cup of white vinegar to one gallon of warm water.
- Immerse a clean mop into the solution and wring it until it is damp-dry. Never use a soaking wet mop on the floor.
- Mop the floor, starting in one corner. Mop with the direction of the floorboards. If the water dries with a bit of a streak in it, if you've mopped in the direction of the floorboards it will not be as visible.
- Rinse the mop head frequently.
- Change water if the solution begins to look very dirty.
After mopping your hardwood floor, you can use a soft, clean towel to dry it or let it air dry. If the floor looks very wet, you may wish to use a towel. While a bit of water won't hurt most finishes, it's never a good idea to leave a lot of water on wood products.
Safe, Effective and Easy
Once the floor is dry, you can put the furniture and rugs back in place and open the room back up to the pets and family. Vinegar is safe and non toxic, and there is no need to rinse it from the floor. The hardwood floor should have a nice shine to it once it's mopped.
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