Ammonia will damage the surface of your hardwood floors, as will glass cleaner. Steam cleaners are also a no-go, as it can cause cupping in the floors from the residual water and excessive heat used.
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.
You can use a broom or a vacuum without a beater bar (the beater bar can damage hardwood surfaces) to clear away the debris. But the best choice is a microfiber dust mop. The fibers in the mop attract and trap the dirt, and you can then toss the mop head in the washer so you have a clean mop each time.
Never use a sopping-wet mop. Excessive water can damage every sealant on wood floors and cause them to buckle. 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.
Ans: For households with a variety of floor surfaces, the Swiffer WetJet is perfect. Almost any type of floor can be cleaned with this solution, including hardwood.
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. Use your vacuum's “hard floor” setting.
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.
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.
To clean your floors with this DIY mixture, combine equal parts olive oil and white vinegar, a few teaspoons of lemon juice, and five parts hot water. Dip your mop or rag into the solution, wring gently, and then wipe down your hardwood floors with this homemade wood floor cleaner that shines.
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.
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.
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.
Since it doesn't need to be rinsed, diluted, or wiped off, it does all of the hard work for you.
Don't use vinegar or baking soda.
Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or baking soda, but these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.
"One of the easiest and most effective ways to keep your hardwood floors looking clean and shiny is to dust and sweep them regularly. This will help to remove dirt, dust and other particles that can scratch and dull the surface of your floors,” says Henley.
The simple answer is that Murphy's Oil Soap doesn't do what people think it does. It is marketed as a wood floor cleaning product that has the ability to both clean and shine your floors. This is a major appeal to many people because it does multiple things at once.
Do not wet mop wood flooring. Damp is good. Dripping wet is bad. If you can ring out the mop or pad, you're working with too much water.
Using a solution of a quarter cup of vinegar, a drop or two of dish soap, and warm water, spray it directly onto your floor. Then go over each section with a lightly damp mop. Be sure to dry each section as you go to avoid excess moisture from getting into your flooring.