Trying to keep my hardwood floors free of dirt and debris free is a battle I have yet won. I sweep, vacuum, mop and mico-cloth the floors nightly. I apparently have zombie dirt that comes out at night and gets on my floors. So they get swept every morning. My floors pass the white sock test but I'm always finding little bits of pieces of stuff on the floor. I know one the biggest causes is have 2 dogs and a kid.
I've had the vents cleaned and change the filters regularly. I don't get a lot of dust on our furniture, so I know it's from getting drug in from outside.
I was thinking of investing in some good commercial grade mats to place by the 2 main doors to help trap dirt from the dogs feet and our feet. Anyone use these, and did it help catch the dirt from feet? Any recommendation on where to find them for a good price. I would like them to have good non-slip backside.
Thanks
Thank you all for your suggestions. I am going to pick up some good heavy duty mats, especially for the winter time.
Good luck! Sounds like you are doing a great job if your floors pass the white sock test with 2 dogs and a child runnign around! I grew up with hardwood floors and have had them as an adult and I never found a way to keep them perfect...even without kids!
Stop wearing shoes in your house. It will help cut down on dirt, better for your carpeted areas, allergies, and is "green." We just implemented a "no shoe" policy. I bought doormats and placed baskets and shoe racks outside the doors. We also bought house slippers and I made it very clear they were not to be worn outside, to get the mail and such... which we often did. With dogs and a child it will be nearly impossible to stop the dust. You should also shore up all cracks around windows, doors, and molding. I use caulk or wood filler. My mom swears this cuts down on drafts and dust. Also keeping ceiling fans clean will keep dust from falling. Try investing in some large area rugs, maybe the dust won't be as noticeable. My husband owns/manages his own flooring business, we do hardwoods, tile, and carpet. He recommends Bona cleaning supplies for hardwoods, it's a cleaner and microfiber cloth/mop available at HD. He says do not use wet/dry swiffer type products or a mop and bucket. You could also invest in a steam cleaner, expensive.... You can clean the floors but there is always going to be dust no matter what you do.
Hi Kristina!
I'm curious to hear your responses. I've not found a way to keep our hardwood floors clean either. I sweep, vacuum, dry swiffer and then wet swiffer. It never fails--5 mins later SOMETHING is on the floor. I have a friend that is very particular about her hardwood floors as well. Her husband decided to get a dog. I know she got a Roomba for that purpose. It still wasn't good enough though. She is still trying to find a good solution. Good luck!
i have a paw plunger...and heavy mats at each entry. works pretty well...
Everyone takes their shoes off before coming into our house. This helps but I know what you mean, there is always zombie dirt! I think it is just an endless battle that we either have to deal with or keep cleaning. Good luck!
Hi Kristina,
We found some good commercial grade mats at Sam's Club. They have a rubber backing that keep them in place. We have hardwood floors too, and it has helped a lot to have the mats. We also take our shoes off immediately, and that has helped as well with the dirt. Good luck!
Buy a Roomba from iRobot. Let a robot clean your floors for you. I named mine Wally.
You might try a "no shoes inside" rule. That would probably cut down on a lot of it.
Yes, the commerical mats will GREATLY help! You can find them at The Mop Bucket in North Kansas City - they're right across the street from the Community Center on Armour. I have one outside my front door and the door from the garage both - they help SO much!!
