topic Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors? in Home

Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Daysgoby — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:32:30 GMT

We just had new hardwood floors installed. Gorgeous but very pricey. The installer's wife recommended the Swiffer vac for everyday use and quick clean-ups. Well, I bought one & just tried it out for the first time. It scratched my new floor! Thankfully, I noticed it in time & the surface scratches were contained to one small area. But still. I am not happy about this to say the least! She also recommended Bona cleaning products so now I'm questioning that as well. So...how do you safely clean your hardwood floors?

Sweep them? Swiffer them? (If so, any issues?). Vacuum them? - dry wet or both? What works best? What is the best stick vac that won't scratch/damage hardwood floors? What about a Shark?

How often do you mop? What products do you use when doing so?

Thanks in advance! I appreciate it!

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Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

lolakimono — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:34:56 GMT

When I had hardwoods, I brewed several gallons of tea (for the tannins, but no sweetener) and used that like mop water. I wrung the mop out so that it was almost dry and then mopped. I have pets, so the tea didn't bother them and it's inexpensive.

I have also used Murphy's Oil Soap for the floors.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Jessa9 — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:37:30 GMT

I use vinegar in water and squeeze the mop until it is almost dry.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

sunshine45 — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:44:19 GMT

i generally use the spin mop and a highly diluted fabuloso. i also have a manual swiffer.

i also use a stick vac to get up crumbs and dust that i have to use almost daily.

we have hardwood floors in almost every room of the house. kitchen, back door area, dining room, living room, family room, hallway 2 bedrooms the hardwood is exposed, 4 bedrooms the hardwood is covered by wall to wall carpeting. the rest of the areas are either tile or marble.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

StylishLady — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 22:51:38 GMT

I used Mop and Glo. worked well on the polyurethaned finish.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

ID2 — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 10:41:02 GMT

I have new hardwood floors throughout. I absolutely LOVE them but boy are they high maintenance! I have two long hair cats and always have to keep up with the fur balls flying! I have a Dyson vac that I use to vacuum daily. About once a week I clean them using my Swiffer. I tried Bona but it sort-of left my floors sticky feeling. Congrats on your beautiful new floors!

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

okiebug — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 11:31:18 GMT

They shouldn't have scratched that easily. How are they finished? Waxed or a polyurethane?

We had our solid oak floors sanded and refinished 17 years ago. We vacuum them with our Dyson, dry mop with reusable microfiber pads, wet mop with a damp mop and Murphy's Oil Soap. We don't baby these floors - we take care of them, put rugs on the outside of the doors, but we have 3 cats, raised 2 sons, had annual family reunions, moved furniture, leave our shoes on, etc. They don't scratch from a Swiffer.

Hardwood floors should have a hard durable finish. If mine had scratched that bad that soon, I would be calling the installer and asking them to fix the problem.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

gidgetgh — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 11:33:12 GMT

We use Zep Hardwood (and Laminate) floor cleaner and one of those Swiffer like mop things with a removable cotton cover.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Cardamom — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 11:45:54 GMT

I use the Bona about every other month. It's double the work because you have to vacuum, then mop and then put the Bona on the floors. I have a huge amount of square footage in hardwood. Mops have been trial and error. I've heard not to steam mop them. The spin mop catches in the wood. My floor is 40 years old so maybe you won't have this problem. I am now using a Hoover floormate. It takes forever but it does have a dry setting. I cut the cleaner in half or it leaves streaks. I use one capful of Hoover cleaner.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

I am still oxox — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 11:48:20 GMT

I use a microfiber mop dry, then either damp mop or steam my floors. I live in a 70 year old house and we recently re did the original floors

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Abrowneyegirl — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:08:39 GMT

Welcome to the world of constantly cleaning HW floors!!!!

I use the O'cedar dual action flip mop for dry dusting daily . I also use the one side of the mop misted with vinegar water for damp mopping several times a week.

Once a week I steam clean with a Haan floor steamer (they make a mop head for HW). Haan is the ONLY steamer I found that does not make the floors wet. Never use Shark on HW floors heat is too inconsistent and can leave wet spots.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Luv2Decorate — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 12:25:03 GMT

I use Bona every week. Works great, smells good.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

scatcat — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:07:46 GMT

I swiffer vac everyday and can't for the life of me figure out how it is scratching your floor. I use the shark mop to steam the floors (with distilled water).

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Lucylu12 — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:14:05 GMT

I highly recommend Bruce Hardwood Fllor Cleaner. You can get it at Home Depot or Lowes. I vaccum the floors then you just spray Bruce in 4x4 areas and mop with a micro fiber mop( also at Lowes). It drys in no time,cleans beautifully and is so easy and fast to do.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

slimjudi — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:38:51 GMT

We just built a new home and have hardwood floors. Use my central vacuum to clean up anything that is on the floor. Then I use BONA and just love the product!! I was told not to use water or vinegar on hardwood. Been doing this for the last 7 months of living here and the wood looks like the day they installed it.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Luv_My_Beagle — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:41:20 GMT

We have hardwood in all the living spaces and bedrooms. Our floors are older, but we use Bona, too. Works well for our floors!

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Janey2 — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 14:47:20 GMT

I have white hardwood throughout my house. I was told by the professionals never to use water as it dulls the shine. I vacuum and spot clean with Minwax. My floors are many years old and look pretty good. It sounds like something is wrong if you have scratches so soon. I would call the guys that did your floors and have them see what is happened.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Soushi24 — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 15:03:17 GMT

My installer said vinegar water and that's what I've used for almost 20 years. Floors look good.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Krimpette — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 15:08:13 GMT

Bona is available at my local BB&B. On my downstairs hardwoods (with urethane coating), I mostly use a damp microfiber mop. Periodically, I'll use Bona. I have a Mint robot cleaner that I run on my upstairs hardwoods. Periodically, I'll use the damp cloth on my Mint. But I don't get much traffic upstairs and I don't have pets.

To the OP: I'd be complaining loudly to the installer if your new floors scratched that easily.

Re: Help! How do you clean your hardwood floors?

Daysgoby — Tue, 28 Oct 2014 00:49:32 GMT

Thanks so much to everyone for all of your replies. It is much appreciated! I am going to call my installer in the morning about this issue.