In the past I have used Murhphy's Oil Soap and recently someone recommended water with a small amount of Vinegar. What do you find is best for routine cleaning?
Our wood floor company recommended woodwise and we have been using it for 3 years without any problems.
I use Murphy's Oil Soap for wood floors. Our floors are 4 years old, and a with a dog and 4 kids they still look brand new.
Zep makes a good product for wood floors. You can get it at Home Dept. You spray it on and then damp mop it off.
I use Murphys Oil Soap. They started making one in a white bottle that you squirt directly onto the floor and mop it off as well.
I dust mop the floor first. I use the kind with the washable cover and I have two covers. I switch the cover after dusting the floor and then squirt the Murphys Oil Soap on and mop it up. The dust mop I have can be found at most stores, but I got it at Lowes for about $12 and the second cover was $5. It is made for wood floors and is with the brooms and mops.
I have heard of the vinegar and water, but I prefer not to put a lot of water on hard wood floors.
Hi J.
I own a maid service...murphy oil is a NO NO! Its lookks good but in the long run it will damage your hardwood floors. Vinegar and water is ok as long as dilute vinegar thorughly or else it could damge floors also. The BEST stuff you could ever use is a product by HOLLOWAY HOUSE. Ive purchased it before in Krogers . Its very hard to find . Theyre website is hollowayhouse.com I think if not just do a search and you should be able to find it. All my clients ask what do I use I try to keep it a secret but clients kept giving me a hassle. I promise you its the best thing on the market.
kisha pate
DBA
Free From Dust
###-###-####
www.freefromdust.com
I work for Seconds & Surplus- a local home-improvement retailer.
I asked our Flooring Manager for some imput:
Using ANYTHING with a SOAP or any acid-based product (ESP. vinegar or Windex) IS NOT good for hardwood floors. It will take the finish off your gorgeous floor. (Re-finishing is costly & not a fun process.)
Many flooring manufacturers recommend specific products for specific flooring brands. One that is highly recommended is
Bona-X. They have an entire cleaning system just for wood floors. They also carry one for laminate floors. The system includes a "cleaner" and a "shiner" which are to be used SPARINGLY.
Your daily routine would should only include sweeping your floor with a soft bristle broom,soft cloth "sweeper" or DRY swiffer-type mechanism. Any liquid spills should be wiped up IMMEDIATELY! Liquids can cause your boards to swell, warp, and discolor.
You should only be putting "cleaner" or "shiner" once a month to every two months, as excessive use can cause build-up that will dull your finish.
Hope that helps.
I've heard a small amount of oil and vinegar for wood floors and water with vinegar for tile....but I've always used Murphy's Oil Soap, too! So, I don't really have any first hand experience on the vinegar thing!
I am curios to see if anyone thinks something is better than the oil soap, though! I'm fighting the same uphill cleaning battle with a 4 y/o and a 2 y/o, too!! I feel your pain!
=) S.
I don't have any hardwood floors, but some of my friends do and they use Solumel. It cleans without streaking and it's safe for your small children and pets (near the floor). It's all natural and safe and works great. It also works on alot of other things too...
T.
We have bamboo floors and we use Orange-Glo and it works and smells great. HTH
I use a water and vinegar mixture on my hardwoods. I had maids one time who did this and it worked great so when we moved I started doing it. I just fill the bucket with water and pour a glug of white vinegar in there. I use it on wood, linoleum (sp?) and tile. It seems to work fine, but I am curious to try some of the other products listed in other responses.
I have not heard of the water and vinegar, but now that I think about it I have had someone tell me that Windex works great. I have not tried it, but I guess it would be about the same as water and vinegar. I use the oil soap and love it. I did try a product called Bruce dura-luster no-wax floor cleaner (got it at Lowe's, the man there recomemded it when we pulled up the remaining carpet in our home). It cleans great (doesn't leave as good a shine as oil soap), but you have to have good ventilation to use it. I accidentally inhaled some and coughed for hours.
