Hardwood floors seem simple to clean when you are considering installing them in your home. You don’t have to worry about the dirt sticking to the floor, stains from food and drinks, and other issues you have with carpet. Carpet tends to lose its luster after a few years and can be irreparably stained. While it is more difficult to damage hardwood flooring, it is still possible. You will want to have the proper cleaning supplies when you consider your hardwood floor. Some chemicals can actually be too harsh stripping away the floors finishing. Scraps in the floor can be difficult to repair, and of course pet stains on hardwood flooring are difficult to remove.
A very simple hardwood floor cleaner recipe is taking 1 teaspoon of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and one quart of water. You will combine these ingredients in a bucket and either use a mop or a washrag to rub over the floor after you have swept the area. Once you have applied the cleaning recipe to the floor you will want to go back over the floor with clear and clean water. It is also best that you take a rag and clean in the corners to help get the dust out of the corners before you begin the treatment.
If you have any scratches on the floor that are not deep you will be able to use a finishing lacquer to cover the scratches. More involved scratches will need to be sanded and refinished. If you have a deep stain you can still use the simple floor cleaner above. It may take a little extra work or you may have to sand the area first to remove the uppermost part of the stain.
When you have hardwood floors you need to deal with spills quickly. While the finishing is supposed to protect the floor from damaging water can still get through. Most importantly you need to know the type of hardwood flooring you have. Some of the newer floors are so simple to put in that the sealer is not applied so the grooves are protected. This means that a spill can leak through the grooves and damage the flooring beneath. On this type of floor it is best to use small amounts of the recipe above and water on the stain and to clean the floor to avoid damaging it.
Another great recipe to use on hardwood floors is using a vegetable soap or Murphy’s oil soap to create a watered down mixture that you can apply to the floors. The same rules apply as above. You do not want to use excess moisture when cleaning the hardwood floors as it can warp the wood or cause more severe damage. You may use a spray bottle to make sure that you have the correct amount of solution come out. A rag or the new Swiffer mops are great for getting your hardwood floors clean because they don’t require the pads to be soaked.