Cleaning Wood Floors

Try vinegar water, mix a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.

I use vinegar and lemon mixed in a bucket of hot water. It's cheap, easy, and fries germs, bacteria, and smells. The smell evaporates pretty fast and you don't have to put additional chemicals on the floor.

I would suggest instead of a damp cloth use a bit of light oil (any kind of cooking oil). Try it on a small corner section before using over the whole floor and see what you think.

My mother in-law does her in-between cleaning with a dust mop and a can of Pledge. She sprays a little of the Pledge on the dust mop (NOT directly on the floor!), (shake off the big stuff outside when it gets full),then when she's done, throws the fluffy end of the mop in the washing machine.

I don't use Pledge when I have crawling babies around, though. I just spray a little white vinegar diluted in water on the mop: doesn't polish as well, but I don't want little ones eating Pledge: yuck!

T

Vinegar and water works great and is non-toxic! Just put about 1/2 cup per bucket of warm water. M. M

Try Murphy's Wood Soap.

I had pergo at my old house and bought a Hoover hard floor vac. Loved it! It vacs and mops. In fact, e-mail me privately if you want to purchase it, because we moved.

Our janitor uses hydrogen peroxide in water and there is no streaking at all! he said he uses about 1/2 of a bottle in a bucket of water. This is in a large courthouse where we have real wood floors and laminated wood floors and it works great on both!

Barbara Shaw
Harding County, New Mexico

Hi M.,
I use brewed, unsweetened tea! It works great, just brew tea bags at normal strength and mop floors, it's kind of an astringent so there is no residue, it's natural and totally cleans. Good luck!

E.

I like to use diluted Murphy's Oil Soap on wood.

Hi M.,
I have had natural maple floors and now honey hand scraped maple. The best product I found was Bona swedish hardwood floor cleaner. I asked Ace harware to order it for me. I could not find it at Home Depot or Lowes. IT cleans great and leaves no residue.
Goodluck,
V.

I personally love the wood floor stuff from method. Your floors smell and look great. No residue and an earth friendly product. Method products can be purchased online or in target.

I just finished my kitchen floor (laminate, like Pergo) and although the mfgr recommends nothing, the installer told me he and his wife use a mild soln of Murphy's Oil soap in a spray bottle. Personally, I use a swiffer base and double an old terry dish towel, poking it in the four grabber slots. I spray the towel lightly and then spray the area of the floor to be cleaned - then just back and forth til youve covered the area to be cleaned. My floor (all but the BR's) is the laminate and I do this about once a month, vacuuming and dusting in between. The kitchen is the most needy since my 'Bermuda triangle always catches a few drips.

Hope it works for you.

Hi! I have been using this product called orange glow. I really like it and its easy to use.

Shaklee has a product called Basic H2. It is all natural, bio-degradeable, non-toxic, earth friendly and super concentrated. One bottle makes upto 64 GALLONS. It safe to use on aything, anywhere, including food and around children and pets. Shaklee has been around over 51 years. With children in the home you want to stay away from store bought clearners. Toxic chemicals in almost every cleaning product in stores.

www.shaklee.net/homehealth for more info on Basic H2

I have real wood floors and was also told never to use water on them. Both the manufacturer and the installer told me to use Bruce's floor cleaner -- available in a spray bottle at Home Depot or Lowes. I use it during the week after a dustmop for in-between cleaning.

It doesn't leave the icky film that Swiffer WetJet for wood floor leaves. I do use a slightly damp mop every Friday though.

I wouldn't use Pledge as someone suggested -- it leaves a serious shine, shows every footprint, is slick and has a tendency to make kids (and sometimes adults) fall on their....

Vinegar and water is the best thing for your wood floors.It does not leave a film or residue at all.I tried numerous things and my sister in law told me about the vinegar.Hope it works as good for you. D.

Put a little white vinegar into your mop water and squeeze the mop out so that it isn't drippy. proceed to mop your floors with it. For the in between moppings, I just use a dust mop that has been sprayed with endust and that seems to do the job. Good Luck.

Have you tried Murphy's Oil soap? My mom has maple wood floors and that is what she has always used... just a thought

Hi M.,
we just had our wood floors refinished.That is always the big question... "How should I clean my floors?" Our guy suggested the product Bona. It's a little pricy but it works fantastic. My husband does our floors, he used a spray bottle then wiped it off with a cotton cover on our flat mop head. Hope this helps.I bought it at Smart and Final.

Blessings ~ B. C.

Are they real wood, or the laminate? I use a mixture of 1 cup white vinegar to 1 gallon water on my laminates. Good luck

murphy soap works great

Hi,

I am a Distributor for Shaklee, and they have a fabulous product of Basic H2 that is green safe and does a wonderful job on wood floors. It is a part of our "Get Clean" products that were shown on Oprah's favorites.

Have a great day!

D. Friedl
Shaklee Independent Distributor
www.shaklee.net/denise_friedl
www.shaklee.net/getclean/denise_friedl

Are you wood floors laminate (like Pergo) or real hard wood? When we had our laminate floors installed we were told to never use water on the floor. I simply vacuum and then use the Orange Glo spray you can purchase at Target or Wal-Mart. I haven't ever had trouble with residue being left after using the Orange Glo. If you would like something a little higher end you can walk into any floor installation store and they should sell cleaners for the laminate floors. I hope this helps.

I used vinegar and water, safe and easy, gave a great shine and it smelled good too! You need to dust the floors first then wash with the vinegar and water.

Good luck.

Boil some tea bags and let cool. Wipe the floors with the tea solution and then dry with a dry cloth. The floors will shine and scratches will disappear.

I use the Shark Steam Mop and LOVE IT!

https://sharksteammop.com

Dear M. M --

Yes, there is a line of products that will work well for you, not just in cleaning the wood floors, but in everything that you do in your personal life and in your business cleaning homes. You will have to wear no masks or gloves and you will not be dealing with anything toxic and yet, every product, I guarantee you, will work better than what you are working with right now. You will be able to spray, wipe and not have to rinse and the bathrooms and kitchens will shine. This is because what you clean with is the same product you wash your fruits and vegetables with and these products are also safe for children and animals. They are not costly to use -- they are highly concentrated -- and the line is huge -- equal to about five or six aisles of a grocery store in product. Everything that you can imagine is manufactured. If you are interested in learning more, then please call me locally at ###-###-#### in Scottsdale. If you are a toll call, then use my toll-free number, which is 1-888-869-3236. You can also earn money with your cleaning business with this and not spend any extra time with it and I can show you how to do that. Look at one of my websites www.M..parentsunited.com. I look forward to hearing from you. M. W.

I am a Distributor for Young Living Oils, (# 836048) a Myofascial Release/Cranio-Sacral Therapist, Occupational Therapist, Colon Hydrotherapist as well aromatherapist.
I wear many hats! I am new to this website and I can add valuable info. I hope that I am not breaking any "rules" by mentioning YLO products but they have a super duper cleaning product that is SAFE for pets and children. It is called Thieves Cleanser. A concentrate that can be used on all surfaces...windows, tile, wood, stubborn clothing stains.
Smells like cloves and Christmas! ALL their products are organic and carefully compounded.
Love and Light,
B. Gettel OTR/L CHT CCH