What is the Best Way to Clean Hardwood Floors?
If you are talking about real wood floor (or engineered wood veneer) mopping with white vinegar and warm water works great. About 4 years ago we remodeled our house and had the wood floors sanded and refinished – they were red & white oak. The guy who did the work had 30+ years in the profession and gave us this recommendation – it works great. It will not degrade the clear polyurethane finish, will not leave a residue and is kid / pet safe. (The vinegar smell is short lived!!)The mixture we use is one cup of white vinegar to one gallon of water.
Hardwood floors are one of the easiest flooring types to keep clean. Unlike carpeting, hardwood floors require minimum maintenance and can last for many years. Clean hardwood floors that run throughout a house can make the house look both beautiful and spacious. Maintenance methods to clean hardwood floors should not differ among types, but some finishes may require extra care when removing stains. The quickest and most effective way to clean hardwood floors is with a damp mop. Before mopping, make sure that you have removed all surface dust from the floor. This can be done with a soft broom or lightweight vacuum cleaner. Then, simply mop, rinse and repeat. It is important to remove grit and dirt from hardwood floors. Dirt and grit are the biggest enemies when it comes to scratching or scouring the floor finish. There are many hardwood floor cleaners available, but a neutral cleanser (i.e., neither too low or too high a pH level) and water will do the job just as effectively. The hardw
I have found the best way to clean my hardwood floors is to sweep or lightly vacuum them daily to keep the sand (a killer for wood floors) off of them as much as possible and to use my Shark Steam Mop with a spritz of 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water, if I must add something. I have dogs and sometimes they like to piddle when you aren’t looking, so I like to make it CLEAN, so they don’t re-visit that site! The floors clean up beautifully and they are dry within seconds. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t believe a steam mop would be good for wood floors, but mine is FABULOUS! Hope this helps you! Good luck!
Hi, It is important to regularly remove dirt and debris from your wood floors as it can wear the finish. I usually vacuum with a hard floor brush. If I don’t feel like pulling out the vacuum I use a broom or swifter. I damp mop only when it looks like it needs it with only a slightly damp mop rinsing the mop regularly. I just use warm water as we like going barefoot and I like natural products. Do not use ammonia based or oil based soaps as they dull the finish of your floor. Once in a while I use a 1/4 cup vinegar to 1 gallon water. I attach a towel to my swifter and quickly dry mop it if it is cold out and it is not drying quickly. It is also good to use preventative maintenance such as felt pads on your furniture. Area rugs should be placed in high traffic area and at entrances to help trap dirt. An area rug placed by your sink helps with water being splashed. Any spills should be wiped up right away. Hope this helps.
