Cleaning hardwood floors is one of the simplest chores in the world. Go over them whenever needed with a soft broom, and every couple of weeks, vacuum them with the soft brush attachment. Should you spill something on the floor, clean it up immediately with a damp mop. Aside from a rotary tiller running at full speed, the most dangerous enemy of a hardwood floor is water or any other kind of liquid that’s allowed to soak into the wood.
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Natural wood can be protected against this kind of damage by giving it a coat of polyurethane clear finish, but it’s still best to keep liquids off the floor. Only when a floor is properly sealed in this way should you consider following up vacuuming with damp mopping the entire floor. If you don’t like the shiny finish of polyurethane, use a penetrating seal, which consists of wax or oil finishes that penetrate the wood and protect from within. Applying a floor wax is one more possibility to protect the surface.
Shoes Off!
A high percentage of grime found on floors is carried in from outside on shoes. So a good way to limit the amount of cleaning you need to do is limit the amount of grunge that finds its way to the floor. Use area rugs, throw rugs, and runners over high traffic areas. You might also consider adopting the Asian habit of having people remove their shoes before stepping inside. Of course, the considerate host provides slippers and an area by the door where shoes are stashed.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning and Care
No matter what preventive measures you take, however, or how often you vacuum, there are times when a damp mop just won’t do the job; cutting through grease, removing odors, mildew, or wax buildup. On those occasions, add some white vinegar to the mop water.
The most common and difficult to solve problem regarding hard wood floors is accidental staining with substances like coffee, wine, juice, or ink. Here again, if the floor has been sealed, cleaning up the stain may entail nothing more than picking it up with a dampened rag or paper towel. But you may have to rub the area with a nylon rubbing pad to remove scuff marks and use mineral spirits to remove crayon smears. Commercial products will help in removing paint spills and chewing gum.
Stains
Stains that go deep into the finish must be attacked more aggressively. Cleaning suggestions for various types of deep stains:
- Blood: Sponge it with cold water, if it’s extra tough then sponge it with a solution of ammonia and cold water.
- Dye: Rub with a cloth dampened with a 1:3 solution of bleach and water. Do not soak the area.
- Liquor: Rub with a cloth dampened with warm water and detergent; alternate rubbing with a cloth dampened with denatured alcohol.
- Grease: After causing the grease to congeal by applying a bag of frozen peas, scrape it off with a knife. Remove any residue by putting a rag on it and carefully ironing the rag.
- Crayon marks: If mineral spirits doesn’t do the trick, try applying tooth paste and rubbing with a dry cloth.
- Fruit: Warm water and detergent should work; if not, rub it with a solution of water and oxalic acid.
- Nail polish: Detergent solution, scouring powder, water, and a plastic mesh pad.
- Ink: If warm water and detergent doesn’t work, try a commercial ink remover.
- Lipstick: Detergent and warm water; use light pressure with a plastic scouring pad if it’s a tough stain.
- Scuffs: Use a pencil eraser on them. If stubborn, rub gently with 000 fine steel wool and the type of liquid wax usually used on the floor. Mr. Clean magic erasers work wonders on these.
Spills
- Oil: Soak up as much as you can with newspaper or paper towels. Cover for five minutes with a cloth saturated with a dry cleaning fluid. Then wipe dry and clean with a detergent.
- Shoe Polish: Rub gently with ultra-fine steel wool.
- Tar: Place bags of frozen peas on it to freeze it and make it brittle. Then scrape it off with a plastic spatula. A light stain may remain, which can be removed with dry cleaning solvent.
- Pet Urine: Immediately rub with a hot, damp cloth and scouring powder. A 1:10 solution of bleach and water can be used on old stubborn stains, but always rinse well with rags dampened with clean water. Take care not to get the solution below the finish; this will discolor the wood.
After removing any stain, rinse the area thoroughly with a damp cloth, dry completely, and, if the floor finish has been removed in that area, recoat with appropriate finish or wax.
It’s recommended a professional floor finisher be called to handle rust stains, dark spots, or stains that cover an extensive area. Sometimes the best response to a stain is to refinish the entire floor.
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I clean houses professionally. I was told that Windex diluted in a bucket of water and damp mop works well and keeps the shine. I have been trying this and so far it seems to be working. I just need to know if long term will harm the floor (shine).
I use a Swiffer wet jet. They actually make the bottle of cleaning liquid for hardwood floors only. It works wonderfully. I do it about once a month.
I have owned my home for 18 months and my floor is starting to get a buildup. I have always used the Swifter Wet Jet wood floor solution. Once you mop it, let dry, then walk across the floor, it will leave prints and smudges across the surface. Any idea how to fix my smudgy, filmy buildup?
I use the Swiffer wet jet to pre-clean and then I finish it off with a mix of baking soda and cold water on a soft sponge to give it a nice clean shine. I have been doing this with the same trick on the same floors for 12 years and they still look beautiful :]
To get rid of scuff marks try using a tennis ball and a broom handle. Make a cut in the tennis ball just big enough to screw the tennis ball in to it.Then go back and forth over the scuff.All the black scuff comes off on the ball.
I need a tip how can I keep the footprints off the floor? I’ve used everything the minute we walk on them it’s there!
Sandy, I have the same problem. I have never found a solution. I have Brazilian cherry which is dark, and I wish I had gone lighter.
I have inside dogs and sometimes they have accidents inside. I have used Muphy’s Oil, Orange Glo, Swiffer for hardwoods, and I have used Bruce Cleaner but I’m not sure which Bruce Cleaner is the best. Also, which mop is the best to use? Can you use any kind of scrub brush?
I have really pretty wood floors that are original and I only use Holloway House floor cleaner and quick shine and I never have any trouble with smudges they are just sparkling clean!
I have brand new floors and have been doing a lot of research on cleaning them. All of the professional floor people if you will have told me to stay away from wet jets and Murphy’s Oil, as there is to many chemicals, oils, something or other. Anyways over time they build up on the floors and damage them. Most places recommended BONA products, or the dry swifters.
I really like the Bona hardwood floor cleaner. I was told by 2 different hardwood companies and installers that Swiffer and Murphy’s Oil soap actually damage your hardwood floor finish over time so I would not recommend using those particular cleaners. The Bona cleaner is really nice and quick to use.
I have black dots on the floor in the wood how do I get rid of them.
I have used pledge hardwood floor cleaner on my floor and now have a dull gray haze on my floor. I have re-mopped using vinegar and water to remove the residue with no luck. Please give me some tips to fix my floor.
One correction on the pet urine from above. It’s 10 parts water to 1 part bleach, not the other way around (yikes!). Most people would know this, but probably best to correct it.
Unfortunately, I have used the pledge cleaner and the Bruce cleaner on the floors and now they have the grayish residue that Ti speaks about in her inquiry. I see that Ti tried the vinegar recipe and it didn’t work. does anyone have any suggestions on how to remove that gray look and make the wood shine again?
First of all, you need to know how your hardwood floor was finished. Not all hardwood floors are finished with polyurethane. Mine was finished with a waterborne finish. If you have a waterborne or the epoxy finish you can not and must not use anything that has oil in it. It will dull the finish and your floors will have to be sanded and refinished to recover. The hardwood floor cleaner by Magnus Anderson is pH neutral, cleans all finished wood floor, is water-based, non-toxic and leaves no dulling residue. It is also very easy to use – spray a little on and wipe if off with the Magnus Anderson floor pad (which is washable). Please note that you can not use this product if you have waxed the floors. You can get the product online or look up Magnus Anderson in your phone book. Also note that you may think this product is expensive, but it’s not. It lasts a very long time and is really easy to use. One spray bottle (32 oz.) lasts me over a year. You’ll know if you’re putting down too much because the floor pad will drag, rather than pull smoothly. I have all hardwood floors in my house except the kitchen and bathrooms and would recommend this product highly to anyone who has hardwood floors.
A friend has been using a mix of vinegar and water, no soap, since installing hers floor last year. I can attest no footprints as I have and no deterioration or discoloration to the shine. I will be trying the same and will let you know personally.
Foot prints on floors
I have been having problems with footprints on the hardwood floors. Even when wearing socks prints will appear. I have tried the vinegar and water and that seems to help some. Any other suggestions on what to use to keep footprints from showing up on hardwood floors?
Worn floors
My hardwood floor is not in very good shape. What is the best way to clean it an possibly restore shine?
Cleaning hardwood floors
I clean my hardwood floors regularly but they always seem dirty. I have tried swifters, murphy soap and when we walked on them with white socks they are still filthy. I don’t know what I can use to deep clean the floor so that they do not feel and look dull and dirty.
Dark hardwood floors
I am so glad that someone else has problems with footprints on dark hardwood! It’s a constant battle keeping it mark-free. I have used Swiffer wet but it does leave a film. I use a hot [so it evaporates quick] damp cloth weekly, but it doesn’t really remove the foot film. I am going to try a bit of vinegar with the hot water.
Hardwood floors and Mr Clean magic eraser.
I have maple hardwood floors and one day it got black marks from shoes. I tried the magic eraser, it cleaned the marks but it left some marks that you can see them from far when the sunlight goes direct to the floor. What do I can do? Do i have to refinished the entire floor?
Detergent stain on hardwood
Sadly, a bottle of dark concentrated detergent leaked on my hardwood floors. I’ve tried blotting with light cloth but it’s starting to strip away the finish. Any suggestions?
Film on Hardwood Floors
I mistakenly used a couple different cleaners on my hardwood floors. Now it appears dull and smudgy in parts. I can’t remove this film.
Cleaning Harwood Floors cont.
Adrienne,
I’m new to this website and have the same problem as you with the white sock issue. Any chance you could share what feedback you received? I’m dieing to reach a conclusion to this ongoing issue. Thanks!
Hardwood floors
I have purchased the BONA products and they work good. But my socks are still dirty. SO I still have not found the perfect solutions.
Cleaning Harwood Floors
O.K. Thanks for letting me know. I guess we’ll just have to trudge on with wearing indoor slippers and save our socks for the next house that has carpet :0) I appreciate the feedback Adrienne. Good luck to you.
Clean Floors Still Leave Dirty Socks
The dirt that is ground into the flooring can be difficult to remove. Even though the surface appears to be clean, the floors need to be deep cleaned to really get all of the dirt out. One cleaner that has worked well is Method floor cleaner. Apply following the guidelines on the package. A second option is to utilize a steam mop. These mops use steam to loosen and remove the ground in dirt. The steam also dries quickly so there is no concern about water setting on the surface. Beware of cleaners that leave a residue on the floor. This residue attracts dirt and collects it much faster – leading to more dirty socks. Hope this helps and good luck!
Method Floor Cleaner is designed to be used regularly on the floor. Whether you clean your floors weekly or a couple of times a week, this cleaner is safe to use. This product does not leave a residue (if used in appropriate amounts), which is when footprints become most visible. it has helped keep footprints away, but it’s important not to use too much or the residue will lead to footprints developing. Hope this helps! Good Luck
Oops! Simple Green was accidentally used on my hardwood floors
My housekeeper picked up a green bottle (same color as my Mohawk hardwood floor cleaner), and cleaned all my hardwood flooring. I noticed a horrible film and footprints galore. I asked what she used and she pulled out the bottle of Simple Green which my husband uses to remove mildew on the outside of the house. Now I’m trying to find something to remove this awful film. Every footprint shows. You can even tell what brand of tennis shoe someone wears by the print left on the floor! I’ve used ammonia & water, but to no avail. Any suggestions? I’m heartbroken, as I had worked hard to get my floors gorgeous. Help!!!
Gummy reidue from chair protectors on hardwood floor
There always seems to be a gummy residue on the floor from the chairs no matter what kind of protectors I use on the bottom of the chairs. Also, what to do about small scratches on the floor from the chairs where the protector failed to make contact with them.
Betty
Dirty socks & cleaning wood floor safely for baby to crawl on.
Adrienne & Melissa: I am so glad you mentioned about your socks being dirty after cleaning. My 9 months baby gets dirt spots on top of her tiny feet – even after I’ve damp mopped my finished wood floors. I feel so bad, but even cleaning my floors daily doesn’t seem to help. Does anyone know of a baby safe cleaner that will finally get my floors clean so our feet don’t get dirty?
Always has a black film
I clean my floors all the time I have scrubbed them w/ orange cleaner and it has taken some black dirt off, but soon after it gets black, I sweep everyday when we walk around the house in socks they turn black, I used a wipe that had hand sanitizer on it to wipe a little spill & it took off so much black film & my floor looked brighter after I did a small area, is it safe to use something w/ alcohol in it because it sure worked better than anything else I’ve used.
Dull residue on hardwood floor
Terry,
I have the same problem with the gray dull residue from different products.
Anyone know how to get back to the original shine?
Mixture of baking soda and water for jake the snake
What should the ratio of baking soda to water be?
I have unsealed dark walnut (walnut colored) hardwood floors that a cleaning person used products that dulled the floor. The floors are 70 years old. I also have 3 large dogs that carry in a good bit of dirt. My floors never seem clean. My new maid has been using this high performance sealer-finish that is some sort of pure thermoplastic copolymer. At first, my floors looked wonderful but now after 6 cleaning visits later, my floors have horrible scratches from the dogs that I never noticed before. I think that there is a great deal of build up on the floors now. What can I do to remove the build up without removing the dark walnut finish. I am most grateful for any suggestions. I really want to be able to give them a good deep cleaning and restore their luster. I don’t need high shine, just a nice deep color. Thanks so much, Tracy
Hi Monica,
The baking soda mixture does not need to be strong. Typically about one cup of baking soda with one gallon of water is sufficient for most cleaning purposes.
Zep works wonders
I read through all 38 comments today trying to find the solution to the build-up on my hardwood floors.Tried Windex; did not work. We live in a house that’s approximately 15-20 years old so I had my doubts. I had been using Murphy’s soap and now know why they looked dull. I found and highly recommend ZEP a professional strength hardwood and laminate floor cleaner I found at Home Depot. The clerk recommended it. It costs less than $5.00 and is worth $50.00. Yes, I got down on my hands and knees to clean my kitchen, but it was extremely dull and dirty. The rest of the house I used a flat mop with the removable cover to apply it. The whole house looks wonderful and the floors look richer and cleaner than they have in a long time. It cannot be used on oil finished wood floors and floors that require waxing. It CAN be used on varnish, acrylic and polyurethane-finished wood and laminate floors, baseboards, cabinet doors and crown molding. I sound like I’m a rep. of the company, but I’m not. Just someone who highly recommends it.
Residue on floor
I have a awful residue on my floor nothing will work and every time you walk you can see footprints – HELP!
Steam cleaning wood floors
Is the Haan Steam Cleaning System good for wood floors?
Oops, dulled the hardward
I think there is some oops residue on the hardwood floors. Any ideas as to how to put the shine back on?
Footprints on hardwood
I am very frustrated with the footprints on my floor.
I feel like I am a slave to my floor, I clean it a few times a week and the footprints look awful. We have a new home and putting in the hardwood was the biggest mistake we made. Anybody have some Help?
Desperate.
Haze and fixed it.
Just swifter mopped my 3/4″ cherry wood floors. Terrible. When they dried there was a haze everywhere. I realized that there is some kind of oil in their product. What cuts oil? Dish soap. I used two little squirts mixed with hot water. Put my mop in, wrung it out really good. Went over the floors 15 minutes after I swifter them… Dried with a bath towel and presto – they look just like they did when we installed them, and no haze!
Water spots
Probably my fault for not knowing better, but my cleaning lady has been wet mop cleaning my floors with a bucket of water/pine-sol and a string mop. Same that she uses on the tile.
Obviously when it dries, there are water spots all over. We have very dark hard wood floors. I don’t know how they are treated just know we spent over $5K on them. Guess I should have asked.
Anyway, any ideas what to use to clean from here on out? I need to get the water spots off, and would like to start cleaning them properly. Cleaning lady comes in three days… I need to give her an alternative solution.
thanks in advance!
Michelle
Try what I did. A couple drops of dish soap in hot water. Very damp mop and dry with a towel right away. Just put your feet and slide around drying the floors. I get a good workout; clean floors, and a tighter butt.
Just discovered wood floors
My house was built around 1950 and I’ve lived in it for a little over 3 years now. I’ve never taken up the carpet before, but glad that I did last night because I found hardwood floors underneath and the carpet was not put down with glue. It will take some cleaning up and I’m doing it in patches. I’m just glad that I found this link when looking for how to clean them the best way.
Called SC Johnson about the Pledge Problem
Whew! I’m relieved to know I’m not the only person with the Pledge problem. I tried a cleaning/stripping product by Bruce that did not work at all. After reading everyone’s post I tried the baking soda and water recommendation, and it seemed to be working but required A LOT of elbow grease (the baking soda & water recommendation is a hands & knees job and I have two stories of streaky/hazy/filmy mess to undo). So I decided to call SC Johnson the makers of the Pledge stuff and they are well aware of this problem. Here’s what they told me to do:
- mix 1 cup of ammonia, 1/4 cup of a non-chlorine all purpose cleaner (they recommended one of theirs of course, Arm & Hammer I think), and 1/2 gallon of cool water. Use cool water to keep the ammonia odor down.
They said to use a fresh mop free of any other cleaning products and apply the ammonia mixture in 1′X1′ sections. The mixture shouldn’t be left on the floor for more than a few seconds. Wipe it up and rinse with clean water. Change the mop water out frequently.
I haven’t tried this yet. . . I’m off to WalMart now to get the ingredients. Wish me luck!! Will post an update.
Film Problem Solved
I too was a victim of the film residue left by Orange Glo, Pledge, Murphy’s Oil, etc. Mineral spirits or paint thinner would not remove the film these so called hard wood floor cleaners left behind. After reading several posts from others I thought I would try Windex. Wow!! It did a fantastic job! Takes a bit of elbow grease but well worth it trust me. I sprayed it on a section of three boards wide and let it soak about a minute. Wiped it up with a microfiber cloth then dried the area with a clean microfiber cloth. Floors look like new again!
Going to pick up some Bona wood floor cleaner tomorrow and see how it does. Not sure what effect continued use of Windex will have on the wood finish. So if your floors have a film buildup get you some Windex and a bottle of Aleve. My legs and arms are soar today but I have shiny beautiful floors. Well worth it…
What product works?
I really need to clean my hardwood floors. My fear is leaving a soap or cleaner residue. What should I use that is commonly found in the Washington D.C. area?
Using Magic Eraser on Wood Floors
Be careful with using a magic eraser to clean your wood floor. I did it, and it took the finish off. Those magic erasers are very powerful.
Hardwood floors are dull
Janet,
Same here on everything you said about your floors. 3yrs old and looks like something has been sprayed on them and turned a dull gray. I have tried many things in small spots and nothing so far has worked. If you find an answer, I sure would love to know. My floors are a dark walnut stain and look awful. If i had it to go over… CARPET …lol!
We have a log cabin with light colored pine floors hroughout. We were told (and have faithfully followed the directions) to use white vinegar and water. To spot clean, I keep a spray bottle handy. When we mop, i mix it in a bucket. Use the cleaner and then IMMEDIATELY DRY the floor with a clean soft cloth. Any kind of liquid spils are the worst enemy of your wood floors. Our floors are about 4 years old and look like brand new. We instituted the no shoes policy (with a few exceptions) and I bought a good quality dust mop which i use frequently to prevent the sand and dirt from ruining the finish.
For my hardwoods I never use a chemical cleaner, very hot water to mop and have a wet vac set up with a plastic hardwood floor cleaner tool to vacuum it dry. Occasionally will add small amount of bleach to deodorize and disinfect. I have two dogs, and with a central vacuum installed and this cleaning method my floors stay very clean. I have also used a steam mop which works great on hardwoods, you will use no chemicals again and be amazed how your floors feel walking barefoot on them after steaming. Everyone in the house should wear socks or slippers because oil from your feet is transferred to the flooring, carpet or hardwood, and this is what attracts the dirt and dust that show up as footprints etc. This is how carpet wears, the dirt attracts sand and similar debris to the carpet which ends up at the bottom, walking on it after that causes cuts to the fibers and the carpets shed the cut fibers which leaves a worn path. Most soaps leave a residue which attracts more dirt than you leave with feet. A wet vac and clean hot water is what most cleaning companies use for flooring, some oils and stains can be spot treated but putting soap on a carpet or hardwood is not a good idea. Be cautious not to leave water standing which will soak in, I use a lot of water on mine, with a sprayer and/or mop, then vacuum it up. You will be amazed how dirty the water will be when you are done. It may take a few cleanings to get the previous buildup off of your floors. Steam cleaning would be the fastest way to remove that, plus it sanitizes for dogs and kids. Btw, Bruce cleaner is almost identical to Windex. Another thing you should do is hose off your driveway, sidewalks, porch, all paths leading to your house. I vacuum my porch along with the house. If you live on a city street use the hose to rinse out to the street. Any dirt or asphalt debris will wash along your curbs and be deposited in the front of your driveway. Your car tires pick it up and take it all the way to the garage where it gets tracked into your house. If you notice dark stains or a noticeable path on lighter carpet use a wet vac and plain hot water run from a hose to liberally saturate.spray a small area at a time followed immediately by being vacuumed up. Make sure you vacuum until the carpet feels damp, not wet. This method works on upholstery also, and once you get the feel of cleaning this way, your floors will stay much cleaner and the time it takes to clean is greatly reduced. I am installing 2″ pvc pipe in my house to make an outlet for my wet vac, which will be operating much quieter in the garage. Already have a tankless hot water heater which gives me instant hot water which eliminated mop buckets. Hope this helped!
I used to use clorox to bleach my wood floors clean, it worked but it stripped off the shiny finish. I used turtlewax and rented a floor buffer to put the shine back in and it worked like a charm. Now I like to use some chrome polish every other week to give it a spectacular finish, it’s quite slippery now but the mirror-like shine is very impressive!
Thanks for the recommendation on Zep Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner. We have laminate floor in our primary traffic areas (probably about 800 or more sq ft or more of our home has laminate flooring) and we have 4 male dogs that occasionally decide to mark their spot near couch leg, table leg, etc. We were told no warranty if you use a mop bucket of water to clean it and to never use a swiffer steamer on these floors (or no warranty). So, we have two things now that we use… the swiffer moist pad and dry pads which does not put much moisture on the floor. When our dogs have a urine spill (grin) we immediately soak it up with a paper towel, dry it, and put a light spray of Zep and wipe it with a paper towel after applied (or use the dry swiffer mop pad) on it and it is working great. Thanks for the tip on Zep Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner…. it leaves no spots and floor looks great after used.
Oh and I forgot to mention in 1st post on this forum… we were also told to never use any chemical cleaners, as well as never use one of the steamer cleaning machines (eg, Swiffer steam cleaner) on our laminate flooring or warranty is null and void. The non-steamer swiffer mop has moist pads and dry pads that you can use on the same mop head. So, now we use the Swiffer (non-steamer) two pad choices and the Zep when there is a spot to clean in the interim. Seems to work great without damaging the laminate flooring.
I just had bamboo floors installed and the installer left footprints from his shoes all over them. I have vacuumed, wet swiffered and rubbed hard with a microfiber cloth and pledge dust wax. Sounds like I compounded the problem. I so with I had read these comments before I chose my floors. I was under the impression that hardwood was easy care!
I’ve clean my 85 year old red oak floors that have recently been refinished with Bona products. In the past I’m tried murphy’s and water, vinegar and water, and then I tried Orange Glo. DO NOT use any Orange Glo products, they will make your floor finish dull and waxy with a film that will attract dirt and make it feel sticky.
To remove the other products and restore the wood to it’s new clean feel, I mixed ammonia (1-2 capfuls to gallon hot water) and used a microfiber damp cloth wiping in circular motion, then dry with towels until dry. Keep in mind, you are removing dull film, so this is slow, but the results will be wonderful.
Test and area and feel the smooth clean surface. For my house, my whole first floor is wood, so this took 2 hours. but it’s shine and smoothness came back. Now I only use the Bona products and put a dry towel on mop head and just work it in. I’ve never had the film or dullness appear again. I will never make that mistake again. Also, if you have cleaning service, make sure to tell them never to use anything other than that as they could ruin all your hard work in just a couple of minutes.
I have used mop n glow, and murphys oil soap On my hardwood floors until I read that its bad for your floors. Just the other day I used vinegar and water to clean them, after I was done and the floors were dry they were really cloudy and felt so gross like kind of sticky and sandy feeling. It felt and looked like I didn’t even clean them. Does anyone know why and what can I do to prevent this? Thank you!
I had the exact same problem! I had used Pledge commercial wood floor cleaner, which left a great shine, but then, I switched back to Bona and had a horrible residue. I tried everything. Then, I called a wood floor distributer and she gave me the solution. I used a microfiber cloth and denatured alcohol, which you can buy at a local hardware store. I got on my hands and knees and cleaned each plank of wood. I could not believe it! It just cut right through the residue. Now, my floors are back to their beautiful natural color and shine again. I think this will work for you too!
Gray film: I called Mop n Glo and they told me to do ammonia/water solution. I did 1 part ammonia, 3 parts water. Let it set for 3 minutes then wiped up with a bath towel. It worked. As I dried it with a towel, I saw a glazed substance accumulating. Be sure make it very wet despite hardwood recommendations. Let it set the full 3-5 minutes without letting it dry. Most importantly, wipe it up. It won’t just disappear with mopping alone. It has to be removed. I only used this product once, so if you are dealing with removing several applications, you may have to repeat. It was a bit of a task, but worth it. I am only using Bona from here on out.
BTW…I am the Laura from the post above only. Not the Laura from above with the older house. My house is 4 years old and we have prefinished hardwood floors.
I have beautiful hardwood floors which we laid a few years ago, I love them and yes they do need a little TLC. Because I have pets and the floor is also in an way of our home where we enter daily , I purchased a nice industrial dust mop to remove surface hair and dust regularly , but when it comes to cleaning a good once over with a vac brush attachment works great to get down in the cracks and crevices , than once a month or so A steam Vac (mine is the Shark with a micro fiber washable pad ) does a great job no dirty socks and a shine like it was just laid. be sure the cleaning Pad is freshly washed and there are no chemicals on it just the steam and you should be a happy camper. Oh and by doors that you use for entry be sure you have a rubber backed rug to remove shoes and the moisture wont leak thru..( I use a restaurant grade rug they stay in place and last forever. We live in the snow belt of Pa. and deal with all kinds of weather. Good Luck hope it helps.
My new house has all hard wood floors (Brazilian cherry) except kitchen and bathrooms. The installer recommended “plain water with a little bit of white vinegar, simple as that!” (his words) haha. I have followed his advice and I’m happy with results, been doing it for 10 months now.
After reading all of your posts, I’m a little worried about the footprints, since my floors are dark like some of you that have that problem. I find this forum very helpful, hopefully I’ll never have problems with my beautiful floor (fingers crossed) but if I ever do, I know where to turn.
Good luck to all of you!
I only use distilled water on my hardwood floors. I buy a large jug and keep refilling a spray bottle. I use a Vileda mop head that can be used for dry or wet cleaning (the reusable, washable kind). Every six months or so, I use the vinegar/water treatment, followed by a cleaner my hard wood floor company provided (to rehydrate the wood).
For the person who has gummy residue from the chair pads, I use Goo Gone…works like a charm, followed by a spritz of distilled water to clean away the Goo Gone residue.
Thanks to Orange Glo, it looks like I will be on my Hands and Knees for 3 hrs. However, I hear the results of the ammonia sol. will be well worth my time. Thought I would have to replace my $9000 floors b/c they got so dull.
My wood floor is very slippery in spots. How can I safely rought the spots up?