What products should not be used on hardwood floors?

Author: Dr. Mayra Monahan  |  Last update: Friday, December 29, 2023

Cleaning Hardwood Floors: The Do's and Dont's
Vinegar and Ammonia: Cleaning products that have a base of vinegar or ammonia eat away at the dirt on your floor - and also the floor's finish itself. Over time, the acid will wear down your hardwood, leaving you with splotchy patches that are difficult to revive.

What should you not put on a hardwood floor?

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.

Is Bona bad for hardwood floors?

Bona Polish is NOT a hardwood floor cleaner. It is a cheap thin finish that you apply to your floors. Over time and repeated use the film gets thicker and it scuffs and scratches easily making the floors look unsightly. The only remedy to restore your floors is to strip the Bona Polish off.

Is Swiffer bad for hardwood floors?

Is Swiffer Safe for Hardwood Floors? As per the wooden floor repairing experts of a renowned hardwood floor company in Los Angeles, the Swiffer is absolutely safe for prefinished hardwood floors when used with either wet or dry refill cloths.

How do you clean hardwood floors without damaging the finish?

Dry-mop at least twice a week using a microfiber head, focusing on corners. Avoid using water to clean your hardwoods, and never wet-mop, as the moisture can damage the material. To avoid staining and cracking, blot up spills immediately with a dry, clean cloth.

Hardwood floor refinishing by trial and error

What is the best thing to use to clean wood floors?

Lightly dampen a microfiber mop and always clean following the grain of the wood and allow the wood to dry completely before walking to prevent spotting. If you live in an area with hard water, damp mop with distilled water. The excessive minerals in hard water can leave the floor finishes looking dull.

Is Murphy Oil Soap good for wood floors?

With wood floors, it's not enough to just sweep and vacuum. Even more important is to treat your floors using a proper cleaning product, such as Murphy® Oil Soap, which gently cleans finished wood without leaving any residue behind and keeps them looking like new with proper maintenance.

Is it better to use a mop or Swiffer?

Overall, microfiber mops have more pros than Swiffer mops. Microfiber mops can be used as a two-in-one to both sweep and mop at the same time. However, a Swiffer mop can typically only clean after the sweeping has already been done.

Can I use Pine-Sol on hardwood floors?

Hardwood Floors Steps To Clean

Add ¼ cup Pine-Sol® to a bucket with about a gallon of water. Mop your floor with the mixture. Try not to let liquid pool, which can warp and streak wood. Scrub stains and shoe marks with full-strength Pine-Sol®.

Does Bona leave a residue on wood floors?

Bona products are specially designed to protect floors and the environment. Bona cleaners won't dull your floors or leave behind any residue. Find the perfect products to clean, shine and protect your floors.

What can I use to make my hardwood floors shine?

Here's a secret: Tea's tannic acid makes for an excellent surface shine, according to HGTV. Boil a couple of teabags in some water and dump the tea into a bucket. Wring out a rag or mop in the solution and use it to mop the floors.

What will ruin hardwood floors?

First, let's look at eight things you're doing that could be ruining your hardwood floors:
  • Using the Wrong Cleaner & Supplies. ...
  • Using a Steam Mop. ...
  • High Heels & Things That Squeal. ...
  • Using a Vacuum Without a Wood Floor Attachment. ...
  • Area Rugs with Rubber Backing. ...
  • Too Much Sunshine (Yes, It's a Thing)

What destroys hardwood?

Dirt, dust, and other abrasive particles can gather and scratch the floor without you even noticing. If you don't sweep on a regular basis, it can slowly damage your hardwood floors. If you want to ruin your floors, don't sweep them. It's that simple.

Which Swiffer is best for hardwood floors?

Try using Swiffer WetJet Wood Starter Kit. Its solution breaks up the tough, sticky messes with ease and reveals the natural beauty of your floors with little effort.

Do you vacuum or Swiffer first?

1. Don't Swiffer sweep without vacuuming first. The Swiffer Sweeper pads will do a better job picking up dirt on floors when the larger dust bunnies are out of the way, so a quick pick-up or vacuum job beforehand could help your duster pack a mightier punch.

Do Swiffer wet jets really clean floors?

Wet Swiffers.

Whether it's the wet cloths or the Swiffer Jet, “they're not effective, and floor ends up sticky,” Hoffman said. I've found the same. Instead, if I'm looking for an alternative to the bucket and mop, I love the O-Cedar Microfiber Spray Mop.

What do professional cleaners use to mop?

The flat head microfiber mop. That's right! It's time to toss out every other floor mop you have ever owned and you'll soon know exactly why! This floor mop is what the pros use in almost every case and there's many reasons why.

What can I use instead of Swiffer pads?

Reusable Swiffer Sweeper Pad Alternative

Instead of using disposable sweeper pads, try using a fuzzy sock. It will grab onto dust just like the sweeper pads do but you can toss the sock into the wash once you're finished and use it again the next time you want to dust your floors.

Is there something better than a mop?

Autoscrubbers offer a better way to clean hard surface floors. With features like pre-sweepers, automatic cleaning solution dispensers, and vacuums, the technology cleans more completely and much faster than a mop. Autoscrubbers also leave surfaces dry, cutting the potential for slips and falls.

What soap is safe for wood floors?

Get the most out of your Cleaning Time and use products like Murphy® Oil Soap that can get the job done. Whether you're cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.

Do you have to rinse off Murphy's oil soap?

For heavy cleaning, dilute 1/2 cup Murphy per gallon. Clean well with wrung-out mop, and mop any excess water. No visible residue, no rinsing required.

Can I use Old English on hardwood floors?

A: Old English will condition and shine your wood floors like other wood surfaces, but it can leave floors slippery. If you choose Old English furniture polish to buff up your floors, make sure to wipe up all excess oil before walking on treated surfaces.

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