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.
Don't use straight ammonia, alkaline products or abrasive cleaners. They'll dull or scratch the finish. Don't rely on lemon juice or a vinegar-and-water solution to clean hardwood floors. "I don't recommend using vinegar or lemon juice, at least not in large quantities, as these can damage the floor's seal," said Wise.
Whether you're cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.
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.
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.
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.
Mix a one-to-one ratio of water and vinegar, dampen a cloth, and rub off the hazy buildups. Rinse with another cloth dampened with clear water and dry the floor immediately with a third rag. Washing coupled with wear and tear can eventually make the hardwood floor look old and cloudy.
For heavier cleaning and to restore a durable shine, use a regular microfiber mop and gentle cleaner specifically designed for finished wood floors, such as Murphy® Oil Soap.
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.
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.
Do not wet mop wood flooring.
Excess water will lead to damage of the floor, and even the subfloor.
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.
Monthly schedule – polish
Polish wood floors every 2-4 months, depending on the traffic in your home, to add extra shine and protection. Hardwood floor polish renews and refreshes the finish that protects your floor.
Bona products are specially designed to protect floors and the environment. Bona cleaners won't dull your floors or leave behind any residue.
It can be caused by the cleaning chemicals you are using, nature and bad ventilation in the air. Having a daily cleaning routine can be helpful to make your floors look cleaner, and it's important to use the right cleaning products that aren't going to leave residues or films on the floor.
If the scratches don't go all the way through to the wood, you can scuff-sand your floors with a buffer and apply a fresh coat or two of finish. The hardwood floor refinishing process is easier and less expensive than sanding down to bare wood and takes less time. In a few hours, your floors will look as good as new.
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.
We do not recommend using Mop & Glo or any other acrylic cleaning polishes on your sealed hardwood floors. The result will only be a mess. It will be more work to clean up the residue than it was to apply the Mop & Glo!
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.
Why Laundry Detergent isn't appropriate for floors
pH: The alkalis in laundry detergent are too strong for your floors. If you have hardwood floors, luxury vinyl plank, or tile, your floors will prefer a neutral pH cleaner.