Over an extended period, vinegar may accelerate the dulling of your hardwoods. An alternative natural cleaning solution is warm water and dish soap (1/4 cup of dish washing liquid for a bucket of warm water). For spot cleaning needs, sprinkle baking soda on the affected area and scrub with a sponge.
In most homes, the best wood floor cleaner is plain old soap and water, and the only tools you need are a broom, vacuum, and mop. The best mop for wood floors is a microfiber flat-head or string mop you can easily wring out.
Manufacturers and industry experts advise against cleaning hardwood floors with water because wood naturally expands when it's wet and can cause your floor to crack or splinter.
You can also use Pine-Sol® Original Squirt 'N Mop®. It's safe for wood and hard, nonporous surfaces. You can apply it to the floor directly from the bottle.
Water You Using to Clean Your Floors? You can safely use Swiffer products on hardwood floors. For a quick clean, try Swiffer WetJet Wood Starter Kit. With just the right amount of solution, it breaks up tough, sticky messes, brings out the natural beauty of your floors and won't damage them.
Ammonia. Ammonia is a pungent chemical that has many cleaning uses in your home, but it should never be used on hardwood floors. “The ingredient damages the surface and dissolves the lignin in the wood,” explains Leanne Stapf, chief operating officer at The Cleaning Authority.
Whether you're cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.
Once a week, wood floors should be cleaned in high traffic areas with a damp mop. Low traffic areas can be done less frequently, like once a month or once a quarter. Unsealed wood floors are more susceptible to water, so make sure that the mop is just slightly damp.
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.
Dish soap: Put a few drops of liquid dish soap on a cotton ball, dip it in a small amount of warm water, and test on an inconspicuous spot. If it proves safe, mix a few drops of soap in a cup of water and dampen a soft cloth to wipe down your furniture. This mixture is ideal for sticky spots.
Mild dish soap is a surprisingly good floor cleaner. All you need is 1 to 2 tablespoons of dish soap mixed in with a bucket of water. Floors will be clean and shiny in no time. Dish soap is very effective on resilient floorings, such as linoleum and vinyl, and also works well on ceramic tile.
When debris builds up on the floor over time, they accumulate and can cause tiny scratches in your floor, which might become permanent and eventually become an ugly blemish.
The best way to clean hardwood floors is to adopt a regular routine. Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for cleaning wood floors daily. A microfiber dust mop pre-treated with a dusting agent will pick up dust and dirt and prevent scratches. Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week.
Swiffer WetJet is an all-in-one mopping system that's ready to use right out of the closet. Start with a fresh pad and spray the cleaning solution through the uniquely designed, dual nozzled WetJet mop. Then watch the dirt and grime dissolve while the thick pad absorbs it deep inside so it doesn't get pushed around.
The finish is the protective layer of your wood floors. Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine, and leave a dull appearance.
Do NOT clean your floors with Murphy's Oil Soap, Mop and Glo, Orange Glo, Swiffer Wet Mop, furniture polish such as Pledge, vinegar, ammonia, or any pine cleaners! All of these cleaners, over time, will dull and damage the finish.
Neutral pH
Vinegar is an acidic substance and over time, can eat away or deteriorate the finish on a hardwood floor. The process may be hastened if vinegar is used in conjunction with very hot water. The result will be cloudy, dull or white patches on your floor.
Use a damp-mop with a flat-head mop and microfiber pad or a microfiber string mop that has been thoroughly wrung out when it looks dingy. Move with the grain, and control the amount of cleaning solution by using a spray bottle, aiming for a heavy mist or gentle squirt of about a half teaspoon per 2 square feet.
Cleaning your wooden floors with Lysol®
You can clean polished wood or non-porous hardwood floors with Lysol® . If you're just looking to – you can use Lysol® All-Purpose Cleaner to clean and disinfect your floor surface without causing damage to the wood.
Bona's mop distributes cleaning solution more evenly than the Swiffer WetJet. Bona's mop head is significantly wider (15 inches) than Swiffer's (9 inches), which makes it easier to clean large rooms but more difficult to navigate in small spaces. Bona's spray mop comes with a reusable microfiber mop pad.
Ultimately, traditional mops are still the best option for deep cleaning. You can put more pressure on the head, and you can use any cleaning solution (rather than the Swiffer-only options) and as much of it as you need.
I was impressed at how well the Swiffer WetJet managed to trap dirt and scrub off those old stains, even just using the standard cleaning pad. I was impressed at how well the Swiffer WetJet managed to trap dirt and scrub off those old stains, even just using the standard cleaning pad.
A common concern about mopping is its effectiveness. A dirty mop will just move the filth around the house and not clean the floors. However, a clean mop and good mopping technique will effectively remove grime and germs from the floor.