Whether you have traditional wood floors or a more rustic look in your home, you can get a lot done on the cleaning front with some simple dish detergent. Combine a gallon of water with 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar. Then, add a few drops of dish detergent for a fresh scent and extra cleaning power.
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.
Vegetable Oil & White Vinegar: Mix equal parts vegetable oil and white vinegar together to make a simple, yet effective, cleaner for your hardwood floor. Vinegar is a natural polish that is perfect for cleaning. It's acidity will help break down dirt and grime.
Vinegar is an acid and hardwood floors need a pH neutral or close to it cleaner. When mixed with water, the solution's acidity is drastically lowered and it becomes an effective method to wash hardwood floors. The vinegar and water mixture cuts through dirt and grime, leaving a streak-free and naturally clean floor.
Whether you're cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.
Vinegar makes an excellent wood cleaner because it won't damage wood finish or warp wood like other products do. Cleaning with vinegar is a green alternative to the sometimes toxic and expensive cleaners offered at the store.
Sweep or vacuum, then mop with a commercial wood floor cleaner or solution of a quarter-cup of dish soap and a gallon of warm water to lift any lingering grime. Give the floors a final pass with a clean, water-dampened mop to remove any cleaner residue. Dry completely with a soft, clean towel.
Tea Tree Oil
Mix the oil with warm water or vinegar in a bucket or spray bottle to tackle cleaning your new hardwood floors with ease.
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. To ensure the area is thoroughly clean, rinse with warm water and dry.
Pine-Sol is safe on hardwood floors and can be used to clean and disinfect them. What is essential is to use the right concentration and correctly follow the instructions: Sweep or vacuum the floor to remove loose dirt and debris. Take ¼ cup of Pine-Sol and mix with a gallon of water in a bucket.
A great way to keep your kitchen floors clean and in top shape is with Castile Soap. Castile Soap is a safe green cleaner that is olive-oil based. It is tough on the most stubborn of stains and is really great on hardwood and tile.
Olive oil naturally hydrates and polishes wood floors without leaving behind the dirt-attracting film common with store-bought products. It can clean and polish your floor at the same time or allow you to quickly buff dull areas back to a stunning sheen.
I mix this up using the same ratio in my floor cleaner:
3 teaspoons white vinegar. 16 ounces of warm water. 1-2 drops essential oils (I love lemon or lemon and clove for my hardwood floors)
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.
Vinegar and vegetable oil both disinfect and protect wood floors. You can use vinegar and vegetable oil to clean hardwood floors and leave them with a shine.
Lauren explained: “Depending on what wood you have, the baking soda can have a chemical reaction with the tannins in the wood. “This chemical reaction darkens the wood, causing stains which you can't get out.”
Soapy Solution
A squirt or two of natural dish soap mixed into a bucket of lukewarm water serves as a mild cleaner for untreated, unfinished wood. Dip a soft cloth or sponge into the solution and wring most of the liquid out so the cloth is only damp.
If you need a homemade cleaner that will get rid of everyday dust and dirt, use this recipe for your wood surfaces: 1 cup of water, 1/2 a cup of white vinegar, 2 teaspoons of mineral oil or coconut oil, 15 drops of lemon oil, an empty spray bottle and a microfiber cloth or soft cloth.
A few all-purpose soap alternatives include: Coconut soap: This is very similar to castile soap but with a base of coconut oil. Goat's milk soap: This is made from a base of goat's milk. Marseille soap: This is a mixture of oil, sea salt, and ash.
If you have hard water, it will react with castile soap and leave behind a white film residue. Install a water softener if it's possible. Combining vinegar with castile soap can also leave behind a white film. This is because the alkaline nature of the soap reacts with the acid vinegar, and they cancel out each other.
The good thing about the fabuloso cleaner is that it can be generally used for all the wood floor surfaces. It is a good multi-purpose cleaner of which you can practically use to effectively clean the floor surfaces around your home.