If you have hardwood floors at home, it’s essential to know how to clean them properly. Hardwood is less durable than laminate and other flooring materials, so the wrong chemical can cause serious damage. So, what’s the best way to clean hardwood floors?
To clean hardwood floors, you can make cleaning solutions with natural products like vinegar and baking soda. However, these items should be used sparingly. A mix of dish soap and warm water is safer for the wood. You can also use a commercial cleaning product formulated for hardwood.
Let’s take a closer look at how to clean old hardwood floors, including what you should use, what you shouldn’t, what to look for in a commercial cleaning product, and the best method to get those floors clean without causing any harm.
How to Clean Hardwood Floors Naturally
Many people prefer to clean their hardwood floors with natural products, as strong chemicals can damage the surface. Strong cleaners also aren’t known for being particularly pet- or kid-friendly.
Luckily, there are a few natural methods that work well for hardwood floors — with some caveats.
Should You Use Vinegar to Clean Hardwood Floors?
There’s an ongoing debate about cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar. Vinegar is very acidic so, in large quantities, it can dull the finish of your hardwood floors. Generally, it’s better to use some dish soap and warm water, as this mixture is non-corrosive.
However, if there are stubborn stains, it’s okay to use a solution of a quarter cup of vinegar and a cup of water. Just try not to use it as an everyday cleaner, as you may notice a sharp difference to the quality of your finish.
Vinegar is generally better for sturdier surfaces like laminate, glass, and tile.
Should You Use Baking Soda to Clean Hardwood Floors?
Much like vinegar, baking soda isn’t always the best idea for hardwood floors. Dish soap and water is still superior in terms of doing less damage!
However, you can mix a small amount of baking soda with water and then scrub in gentle circles with a toothbrush if dish soap and water isn’t quite cutting it for stubborn stains.
Much like vinegar, it’s not a good idea to use baking soda as an everyday cleaner, since your floor will become duller and the acidic substances can wear away at it over time.
The Best Commercial Cleaning Products for Hardwood Floors
There are a few great commercial cleaning products for hardwood floors, including:
- Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner (which you can buy on Amazon)
- Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner (also available on Amazon)
- Method Hardwood Floor Cleaner (rated five stars on Amazon)
Picking the Right Product
It’s essential to do your research when picking a good commercial cleaning product for your hardwood floor. In order to make sure you get a suitable product, there are a couple of steps to take.
The first thing you should do is check that the cleaning product is specifically formulated for hardwood floors. General cleaning products can often be too abrasive, and a cleaner that works for laminate flooring may not do well on hardwood, as laminate flooring is more durable.
Some cleaners are advertised for both laminate flooring and hardwood, but it’s best to pick one that is for hardwood only.
You should also read reviews when picking a cleaner. Not every company and product is created equal, and making sure you read reviews can help you to pick a cleaner that has been tried and tested many times.
What to Avoid When Cleaning Wood Floors
Just as there are a few great products to use for cleaning wood floors, there are also a few products and techniques best avoided. Here’s what you shouldn’t use:
Steel Wool
Scrubbing at a surface can scratch it, and this is especially true of hardwood. If you have a stain on your hardwood floor, try to have patience when cleaning it off, and avoid steel wool. Scratches can be very difficult to get out of hardwood.
Steam Cleaners
Steam cleaners, while great for surfaces like carpet, can also do some damage to your hardwood floors and are therefore best avoided.
Ammonia-Based Products
While ammonia-based products are sometimes okay in small doses, you should avoid using them on hardwood altogether if you can.
Ammonia is incredibly strong and can discolor the floor so, if used in excess, you may end up having to refinish the wood. This goes for wooden furniture too — not just hardwood floors.
Ammonia-based products includes bleach. Bleach sometimes seems like a lifesaver for getting out stains, but all it will do for your hardwood floor is stain it in a different way.
Laminate Flooring Products
It’s easy to assume that products marketed towards laminate flooring might also work for hardwood, but this simply isn’t the case.
Laminate is a composite material that’s built to be more durable and stain-resistant than hardwood, so the commercial cleaning products designed for it are often much harsher than the ones marketed for hardwood.
Excess Water
Lastly, you should avoid leaving excess water on your hardwood floors. When you’re done cleaning your hardwood floor, make sure to dry mop it to soak up any liquid.
If excess water soaks into the wood, it can cause water damage. At the least, you may notice a musty smell coming from it and, at worst, it could end up causing mold beneath the surface, which is costly to fix.
Final Thoughts
All in all, it’s best to clean your hardwood floors by dry mopping with a microfiber cloth to pick up excess dirt and dust, then mopping with a solution of dish soap and warm water before drying off the surface.
While it can be tempting to resort to harsher products if you have grime or tough stains, taking patience when cleaning and focusing on those areas with milder products will pay off. Otherwise, you may end up having to fix much worse damage.