How to clean unfinished wood floors

Some chemicals can discolor or even warp the wood, so use only natural cleaning products. Murphy’s Oil Soap is one option for mineral spirits. Alternatively, you can use Murphy soap to clean your unfinished floors. This mild cleaner will remove dirt and grime without having to worry about toxic fumes.

To clean unfinished wood floors, you will need to dilute a cup of vinegar in one gallon of water, dip a mop in the diluted vinegar, and mop the floor while drying off excess water. To spot-clean any stains, you can use trisodium phosphate.

Just don’t use vinegar and water to clean hardwood floors. … Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine and leave a dull appearance.

Most hardwood floors are stained some color that enriches and deepens the natural color of the wood. … It’s not as common as it used to be, but you can leave the floor unfinished. These are often called raw floors or bare floors. Stains and finishes keep out dirt and moisture, though.

For a deep, conventional cleaning, consider using a concentrated product like Murphy® Original Formula. You’ll need your mop and bucket for this job. … Whether you’re cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.

Over an extended period, vinegar may accelerate the dulling of your hardwoods. 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.

Dilute ¼ cup of Pine-Sol in 1 gallon of water in a bucket. Mop your wood floor with the solution, being sure not to leave puddles, which can break and warp wood flooring. … Pine-Sol is not recommended for unsealed or visibly worn floors or for oiled or waxed wood floors.

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.

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. Excess water will lead to damage of the floor, and even the subfloor.

Mop Hardwood Floors

When mopping hardwood floors, make sure to wring most of the water out of the mop so it’s damp and not sopping wet. Rinse the mop when necessary. Avoid leaving any standing water on the floor, which can damage the wood.

Solid Hardwood Floors

Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop, and they clean really nicely with a streak-free finish. However, avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods, as they’re more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture.

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.

In high-traffic areas, like the dining room and kitchen, sweep or vacuum daily if possible and mop hardwood floors once or twice a week. Mop less-trafficked areas once a month or once a season.

Is it better to sweep or vacuum hardwood floors? While sweeping is a great way to clean up large debris, it’s best to vacuum hardwood floors to get rid of fine dust and particles that sweeping may miss, especially in the wood floor crevices. Every one to two months, wet-clean surface-treated wood floors.

2 REASONS YOUR FLOORS ARE STILL DIRTY AFTER CLEANING

Many cleaners spray a ton of floor soap, believing “wet equals clean”. … Continuing to use the mop pad on the floor leads to smearing dirt, not lifting it. The end result, dirty water dries back onto the floor.

First, most traditional vacuums have roller brushes with thick bristles and these can leave scratches on your hardwood floors. … Vacuums designed for carpets tend to have plastic wheels, and these can easily scratch up wood surfaces.

Any vacuum can clean hardwood floors—this is the simplest possible task for a vacuum cleaner. You don’t need anything special to get dust, hair, crumbs, or anything else off your wood, tile, or laminate floors.