What is best to clean real hardwood floors?

[gadgetgary]

Has anyone used a steamer to clean real hardwood(not laminate) flooring?

I have a friend who uses a Shark steam cleaner on his hardwood floors and swears by it.

Anyone ever use one of these avaiable on QVC?

Your thoughts on cleaning would be appreciated.

http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/...MOTIONS-_-1-_-HAANSTEAMER,DB&cm_sp=TSV-_-1-_- HAANSTEAMER

 

[circlew]

Certainly NOT if they are varnished and waxed, as the moisture would make a mess of the wax. If polyurethaned it might be OK, but I doubt I'd try it.

 

[peterh770]

Down on the floor on hands and knees, Murphy's Oil Soap properly diluted in cool water, a soft rag with which to wash, and a soft towel to immediately dry and buff.

I have tried using my Shark steamer, but it doesn't work well unless the floor is already fairly clean. But I use it because I think the steam kills flea eggs and larvae that might be in the tiny space between planks.

 

[rickr]

Hi Gary, the floors in my home are 125 years old and I refinished, them with polyurethane in 1990. I have area rugs down, but clean the wood floors with a damp rag every now and again. They still look very nice after 20 years.

 

[hydralique]

Be Very Careful With The Water . . .

Remember that if the flooring was finished after installation (as compared to pre-finished flooring), there is very little of the finishing agent on the sides of the planks. Any water that gets into the cracks will be rapidly absorbed by the wood, and if this is done frequently the planks will begin to curl at the edges. I've seen this happen with nearly new flooring ruined by an overly zealous maid who cleaned every bit of dust on a dark floor with a mop and bucket. I'd be wary of the steamer too as it might force dampness into the cracks.

As noted above, getting on one's hands and knees with a damp rag is the best way to clean floors without damage.

 

[sudsmaster]

I refinished the original (1941) oak flooring here (wide plank in the living room and dining room, strips in the bedroom and hallway), with oil based polyurethane. I wound up putting four coats on, and it is very durable. I clean it occasionally with the Hoover Floor Mate, using the Old English liquid soap that came with it. It doesn't seem to harm the wood, but I'm careful to have the Floormate remove as much water as possible as quickly as possible.

 

[mixfinder]

Go Gently Into That Dark Night

In 3 houses we rehabbed, we sanded and finished floors with a combination of paint and stain and then covered it with water based Urethane. In our experience water based chipped much less tha oil base. 4 kids, 2 dogs and tons of company the floors held up swell. If they looked tired, we cleaned them and layed down a skim coat of Urethane. It took nothing but a damp mop to keep it looking great. Murphy's Oil Soap is great and so is white vinegar if you need to call in the reserves.

 

[toggleswitch]

.
1- Never, ever use pine or pine-oil. It will permanently stain the wodd white; and unevenly at that.

2- I tend to use Mister Clean or Lysol Brand floor cleaners...VERY well diluted in warm water. Never more than a quarter cup (230 to 250ml) in a standard 2-gallon bucket that is half-way filled to about 1 gallon(3.78L).

3- One can not use anything ammonia-based when one has a cat(s)...to them it means "pee here". Unless it is VERY well rinsed with lemon or vinegar. Then they won't go near that space! LOL

4- The cloth or mop must be damp; well wrung-out but not dripping.

Beware of oil-soaps like Murphy's. These don't clean well, and tend to lock the soil in under a coating of waxy, gooey, greasy "polish". Maybe ok to use AFTER REALLY CLEANING the floor, but over time this will leave the place dirtier than you started. Like Mop-n-glow. Scary bad, IMHO!

The tools one uses also makes a difference. Beware of sponge mops and Switfer and Swifter-like things. They dont really clean well. The only thing Swifter is good for IMHO is to keep you going back to buy more refills and products (NOT GREEN, and not a good cleaner, overall).

Try a good old fashioned string mop, or what I have found to work best is a cloth-strip mop. Mine is by O'cedar. With the right bucket (it's 'Bouquet', dear!) and wringer (see picture; insert and twist!) one's hands don't have to touch the water. [But then again if one is a princess to the degree that one doesn't want to get one's hands wet, one is not really cleaning well!!! LOL ) The whole mop-head pops off to be washed in a washing machine.

As always, start in an inconspicuous corner and see what happens.

PS vinegar is for rinsing and for ceramic tiles. I don't think it is best for wood floors.

My understanding is that you have real wood floors, but their top-coating (in that they were added over plywood sub-floors later) and that they were pre-finished right out of the box, is that their stain and finihh may not be as substantial as one is used to in homes that came with 'real' hardwood floors. BE CAREFUL!

 

[toggleswitch]

oopsie 230 to 250ml a FULL cup!

te he he he

 

[toggleswitch]

If one is hell-bent on a Swifter one can take an old towel, cut it up into rags and tie one around the base of a sponge-mop.

Then, the rags just gets tossed in the wash and no refills or diposable cloths to buy.

 

[sudsmaster]

With the Floormate, I always follow up the soap solution cleaning with a container full of warm water. This rinses away any residual soap and dirt and leaves the floor (vinyl or real wood) squeaky clean.

 

[rayjay]

PolyCare

Our two major flooring companies in our area highly recommend a product called Polycare. We had our wood floors refinished 2 years ago and this is what they recommended. It is really great stuff. 1/4 cup to a gallon of water, then just damp mop. No streaks and leaves a nice sheen. I HIGHLY Recommend. Never use Murphys's Oil Soap. The oil in the product is not good for the Urethane. I used to be able to get it at Bed Bath and Beyond, but they no longer carry it in my area. Google PolyCare and you can find a place to buy it.

 

[panthera]

That's easy

Don't let them get dirty in the first place. No outdoor shoes.
When dirty, clean immediately.
Vacuum regularly.
When wet cleaning needed, use the mildest method suitable for the type of floor. Real wood is quite different in its needs to laminates. Unless the laminates are specifically meant for bathroom use, I'd be very very hesitant with the steamer and tons of water.

A friend of mine with beautiful hardwood floors from the 1870's uses oil-soap and hot water, and so did her mother and her grandmother, so I am not quite sure why it is a bad idea?

 

[bernina]

hardwood floor cleaner

We use "Bona" Kemi hardwood floor cleaner.

Our house is 134 years old, and was in horrible shape when we bought it. We put in new hardwood floors and stairs in 1994 and refinished them in 2007.

We're very careful with our "new floors": no shoes in the house, etc.

Mostly we just vacuum the floors, dust with microfiber cloths, and use a barely damp cloth to clean up any spots as we notice them. (We have hardwood floors in the whole house, including the kitchen.)

Then we do a thorough cleaning with Bona and a microfiber mop every couple of months, or as needed.

http://www.bonapro.com/Care/FloorCare.aspx

 

[rayjay]

I do not think the Murphys Oil soap is bad for floors that were finished many years ago. But the newer finishes, (water based urethane), recommend the PolyCare.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Steam on Non-Sealed floors

NEVER!!!

The manual on steam cleaners specifically state "Do not use on Non-sealed floors as it will remove varnish, and could cause wood to split." It can also cause wood to darken.

My mother always used Bruce Hard floor cleaner. We just found this again at Home Depot. Murphy's is also good, but you damp clean not wet clean.

 

[mixfinder]

Disaster

A well meaning friend cleaned our house while we were away. She used PineSol on everything which penetrates the finish and ruins the look turning everything cloudy. When we returned home it looked like milk had been poured on every wood surface and all the furniture. Never, ever use PineSol on a wood floor.

 

[toggleswitch]

~I do not think the Murphys Oil soap is bad for floors that were finished many years ago.

I don't know if it harmful, but I dont think it really cleans either.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Murphy's

Does clean, but it will leave a film if you use too much.

I clean my woodwork where I clean with Murphy's and dry with a clean rag. The water gets quite dirty.