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Honored Contributor
Posts: 19,658
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean


@Hoovermom wrote:

The less water you use on your hardwood floors, the better.  I have red oak  and it still looks great after 20 years in this house.   I use Don Aslett's microfiber mop/duster along with Bona.  I would be afraid the steamer would be too harsh for my floors.


 

@Hoovermom 

 

I agree wih you wholeheartedly about not using a steamer on real hardwood floors.

 

If you google it, most experts agree.

 

Our entire house is all hardwood floors and I vacuum with the beater bar turned off, then mop with a microfiber mop, using Murphy's Oil Soap, but Bona is very good too.

 

Ours are 40 years old and still looking very nice!

You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only choice you have.
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 7,213
Registered: ‎03-30-2014

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

Once thing I would recomend is to see if you need to have them refinished prior to moving in.  The sanding makes so much dust and then they have to dry.  Well worth it if needed.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 8,583
Registered: ‎06-25-2012

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

Wow all of you that are using steam on your harwood floors are doing it all completely wrong!! You should never use water on wood period. I have hardwood throughout my home, expect bathrooms, and dyson vacuum daily and Swiffer when needed. My floors are now 5 years old and look fabulous!!

"Pure Michigan"
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 5,506
Registered: ‎03-20-2012

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

Here's what I use (and I have dogs): Hahn floor steamer which I love /Dyson cordless V10 /Don Astlett wide mop with dusting cloths. They all do a beautiful job on my floors. You need the right tool for the job or you are just working against yourself and wasting your time. The Don Astlett mop is great because you can use it dry or damp. It dosen't leave streaks. It also has an oversize mop head so you are covering a larger surface than a Swiffer mop. The Dyson is an investment but the cleaner head is non abrasive on floors. It has a modern bristle free brush head that also polishes the floor as it's vacduming up the dust, etc. I waited for the V10 because I wanted the long run time/larger bin etc. I have a lot of floors so tht's why. The other models still perfrom well but check the run times and size of bins.

Hope this gives you a few choices.  

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,206
Registered: ‎09-18-2010

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

I grew up with wood floors and have had them my whole life.  I'm 73.  Long before Bona or Swifter was ever invented, my mother used water and a little vinegar to clean the wood floors.  No, she did not scrub them with tons of water, sometimes they were done be hand and sometimes with a mop.  Either way, it was a very well rung out cloth.

 

My steam cleaner has 3 settings, I use the lowest setting when I do my wood floor.  It is a gentle steam and dries quickly.  Using Bona is a liquid, you squirt and then use the mop pad.  The mop pad becomes very wet, so it is the same to me as using my steamer on it's lowest setting except Bona has chemicals.

 

The wood floors in my present house are 20 years old and have only been cleaned with water and vinegar and I have used a steamer on them for the past 10 years, they look brand new and no damage to my floors or to the ones I grew up with!

Honored Contributor
Posts: 69,391
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

@Suzeecat.  I don't have hardwood but Ive heard a million times that steam cleaners should be used on sealed hardwood so you'll want to make sure that's what you have.

 

Bissell makes a machine that vacuums up debris then scrubs with rotating brushes.  Again, I'd be sure it's suitable for use on hardwood.

New Mexico☀️Land Of Enchantment
Honored Contributor
Posts: 12,886
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

I have all hardwood at both houses except for bathrooms and foyer at the one house.

 

First,I vacuum my hardwoods. 

 

Then I dry mop my hardwoods with microfibre mops (they aren't flat like swiffer pads---they have hundreds of long *fingers* on them) made by Libman.  They're about 18"x6" mop heads.  Love them.

 

Once a week I'll use Bona cleaner on them.  I changed the Bona mophead about 2 times each room.  

 

Every once in a while, I'll use my Shark spray and mop steamer on them.

 

We don't wear shoes in the house.  And only one house has cats.  Please don't tell the cats about the other house.

Super Contributor
Posts: 354
Registered: ‎10-17-2010

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

I've never had wood floors in my life.  I so want to have them in my condo.  So sick of wall to wall carpeting.  My sister suggested bamboo because least scratch resistant or so she says.  I want the most maintenace free of course.  I've got to do this.  lol 

Respected Contributor
Posts: 3,994
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean


@KingstonsMom wrote:

@Hoovermom wrote:

The less water you use on your hardwood floors, the better.  I have red oak  and it still looks great after 20 years in this house.   I use Don Aslett's microfiber mop/duster along with Bona.  I would be afraid the steamer would be too harsh for my floors.


 

@Hoovermom 

 

I agree wih you wholeheartedly about not using a steamer on real hardwood floors.

 

If you google it, most experts agree.

 

Our entire house is all hardwood floors and I vacuum with the beater bar turned off, then mop with a microfiber mop, using Murphy's Oil Soap, but Bona is very good too.

 

Ours are 40 years old and still looking very nice!



@KingstonsMom wrote:

@Hoovermom wrote:

The less water you use on your hardwood floors, the better.  I have red oak  and it still looks great after 20 years in this house.   I use Don Aslett's microfiber mop/duster along with Bona.  I would be afraid the steamer would be too harsh for my floors.


 

@Hoovermom 

 

I agree wih you wholeheartedly about not using a steamer on real hardwood floors.

 

If you google it, most experts agree.

 

Our entire house is all hardwood floors and I vacuum with the beater bar turned off, then mop with a microfiber mop, using Murphy's Oil Soap, but Bona is very good too.

 

Ours are 40 years old and still looking very nice!


    Agree. We had engineered hardwoods in our last house and the builder's floor guy said to never steam or use water on them.   Of course, that was after I'd been steaming them for several years.  I never saw any damage done to them but I stopped with the steaming.

Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,257
Registered: ‎05-05-2010

Re: Keeping hardwood floors clean

Thank you to all for your input and recommendations!  The current owners describe the flooring as "real oak", so I think I need to get further clarification on it.  It's beautiful and I want to keep it that way.  I'm so excited to move!