August 15, 2007 | Floors, Cleaning tips
They’re gorgeous. They add value to your home. They’re delicate. But they get dirty just like anything else in your home, and they need to be cleaned.
There are different schools of thought when it comes to cleaning hardwoods. Some people prefer expensive specialty products, some prefer to do it all on hands and knees with a gentle microfiber cloth. But pretty much everyone agrees that you should use as little water as possible. Our recommendation?
Sweep first. Having those dust and dirt particles on the floor when you start to mop could scratch your floors. Once you’ve swept, put a small amount of water in your mop bucket, and add a couple sprays of a gentle all-purpose cleaner (like Seventh Generation, Method, or Barefoot Home Essentials). A dollop of vinegar or lemon juice would do just as well - they both disinfect and clean well. Dampen your mop, wringing out as much water as possible. Then mop along the grain of your floors. Ventilate if possible, not because of the chemicals - we recommend using safe products that don’t require ventilation. But the ventilation will help your floors dry more quickly, and that’s good for the hardwoods.
That’s what works for us. Head over to Rocks in My Dryer for more helpful tips.
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Lana G! says:
Have this bookmarked. This is my project for this weekend!
August 15th, 2007 at 9:17 amThanks for the tip!
Laane says:
After I discovered vinegar as a cleaner I use it so often.
August 18th, 2007 at 10:14 amIt takes away strange smells too.
Broomhuggers » More on hardwoods says:
[…] I love ‘em. So naturally I’ve developed a renewed interest in maintaining them. I had a recent post on cleaning hardwoods, but I tried something new this […]
September 2nd, 2007 at 9:27 pm