Baby Safe Hard Wood Cleaners

I've also heard of (and used) vinegar & hot water - it works well. But then I got the shark steam mop and I love it! I don't have wood floors, but my parents have borrowed it to do their wood floors and now they're going to buy one for themselves. I just like that it heats up quickly, there's no bucket, no chemicals and it dries super fast. I believe someone said that some germs are good, and I believe that as well. I use my shark most often in the kitchen and am a little less diligent about other rooms. Good luck!

Hi,

I have hard wood downstairs and use Bona on it. I like it because it does not have a strong smell. I did try the Shark and it did not work. It was hot, the cord got in the way and it did not clean well.

The less you clean them the better! For the floor and the kids! Our whole house is wood floors. All we do is sweep and dry swiffer them. If something gets spilled and more is needed, we do a tiny amount of natural soap dilluted in lots of water and wring out a rag thoroughly-almost dry-to wipe up stain, sticky stuff whatever, not allowing enough water to set into the varnish. If we're going away for the weekend or something, my husband might do a rinse with Murphy Oil Soap for wood floors, but we've only done that once in 2 years.

The steam mops are great for engineered HARD wood floors. DO NOT EVER use them on Bamboo or natural floors, they will ruin them after repeat dose.

Bona - It's the only one certified by the GreenGuard institute. It has no odor (smells like water), won't hurt your kids, and is actually good for your floor. I sweep, use the spray about once or twice a week on spots, wipe it with a microfiber cloth, and it's dry in about 5 minutes. I do it before bed so no one walks on it, but my daughter has run barefoot on it wet with no issues (and she's got sensitive skin). I've seen it at Ace, Costco, and the supermarket...

http://www.bona.com/en/US/Concepts_and_Systems/GREENGUARD/

I have the H20 mop that only uses steam and i love it. no chemicals and it works great.

s.

I use Method's Omop with the Wood for Good cleaner. It is natural...nothing toxic and smells awesome!! You can pick it up at Target or check out www.methodhome.com

Happy mopping!!!

We use the Method wood cleaner (smells like Almond-- delicious!) and a microfiber mop. I've been very happy with it... just throw the mop head in the wash and reuse. Personally, I don't worry about the germs so much-- especially if you are taking your shoes off. Kids need to be exposed to a bunch of germs, but I DO get sick of scrubbing dirt out of knees and socks!

ps the daycare vs. homesitters... there are good and bad points both ways, but for us (my ds in in daycare 2-3 days a week) we decided on a licensed center-- which my son LOVES. My reasoning was that the social interaction is good for the kids, and if one person is sick at the center there are others to take over, so it is more reliable. The downside is that if the kid is sick, he has to stay home. So I think the ideal system is either a babysitter and you identify a drop in daycare center that you can use in an emergency (if you REALLY have to be at work), or a good daycare center with a back-up plan for when he is sick or gets sent home sick.

Have you heard of cleaning products called Method? They sell it at most target stores. They carry a product called the O mop. All of their products are non toxic and safe. The O mop is around 30$ and comes with reusable/washable and biodegradabl pads. And they have cleaners specifically for wood floors and linoleum. I am not sure of the website address but if you google method cleaning it will come up. I have not used the wood cleaner on a floor, but I have used it on filthy antique furniture and it worked great. In conjunction with the wood polish the piece looks amazing. Good luck! I love these products!

I used Pledge hardwood cleaner without any problems.

Dear M.,
I completelyl agree with your concerns. When my children were young, I was constantly cleaning the floors because that it what they were touching. I know that you will be pleased with the Shaklee Basic H2 product line. I sell the product becuse after 25 years of using the product I have not spoken to anyone who has convinced me of anything better. I want to help moms have healthier children because I learned the hard way. Basic H was the first Earth Day product in 1990. It was used by Cousteau on the Odyssey, used in the Biosphere II project, but most important, it is safe and mild, it is green and it works. It now comes in wipes.
E.

Love the shark floor steam cleaner. Comes with pads and uses only water.

M., good old vinegar and h2o is what we always used on our hard wood floors. It doesn't damage teh floors and still disinfects them.

Two quick notes about other people's recommendations:

1. Windex is most likely NOT SAFE if you have kids around, perhaps even if you don't. It contains a chemical which is known to cause cancer.

2. NEVER use products with Lavender or Tea Tree oils if you have kids! Lavender is an estrogen mimic, and can interfere with proper development. See the NIH report here:
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/jan2007/niehs-31.htm

Sounds like White Vinegar is a good choice.

If your floors are indeed "wood" with a sealed finish, you can use water with vinegar & dry the floors with a towel.
Although I've heard the Swiffer legend about it being harmful to animals & kids, I believe that's a myth if you check it out on snopes or truthorfiction.com
The Method products are awesome.
I would also feel comfortable using Murphy's Oil Soap & water.

Hi M., Thank goodness you aren't using the swiffer wet jet stuff anymore...did you know that it is actually harmful to animals and small children? Have you tried old fashioned soap and hot water? Like murphy's oil soap? Good old soap and water are your best defense against dirt and germs. Remember, some germs are healthy! Best wishes.

I always mopped my wood floors with Murphy's oil soap in warm water and dryed them with an old towel. I would stand on it and do "the twist". I even remember letting the toddlers take turns sitting on the towel and pulling them around the floor by their feet to polish it at the same time. That was a lot of laughs.

I use about 1 cup white vinegar to a bucket of water and then mop. Your house smells like vinegar for about 30 min, but it is environmentally friendly, kid and pet safe, and really gets hardwoods nice and clean!

When I had new floors installed, after my house was destroyed by fire, I was advised (at the flooring store) to use ammonia and water. If you are concerned about safe product usage for your little boys, you might want to watch this video to learn more. http://linkbee.com/toxic12

Vinegar and hot water is the best hard wood floor cleaner. Dry immediately with a dry towel. Natural and safe and not harmful to the wood.

I myself do not have hardwood, but my neighbor does. Her cleaning lady uses a mixture of white vinegar and water to mop the floors with. They shine beautifully, do NOT smell like salad dressing by the way, and it is perfectly safe for her 1 year old and 3 year old. Vinegar is a natural antiseptic, so it kills germs too.

I found a book at Target that had a lot of suggestions for replacing household chemicals to be more environmentally and child/pet safe. It's called "Squeaky Green" I highly recommend it!!

M.,
After we had our hardwood floors refinished, the company that did them told us the best way to clean the floors is to dilute Windex - 1 cup to a gallon of water, to mop on the floor as the cleaner. You don't need to rinse after washing and it should not affect the finish and is safe for kids.

Hope this helps.
Maria

We love our Steam Shark (just pour in distilled water). It got top rating from a local news station's 'Test It Tuesday', so we bought it. Does great on hardwood (no streaks either) and tile/grout.

For other homemade recipes, Clean House Clean Planet is the best, imo. She explains everything and gives the cleaners a rating, so you can decide if its worth replacing or not. We've been using homemade things for almost 2yrs and have zero complaints. My husband does manual labor, coming home with all kinds of gunk on his uniform - the homemade laundry detergent gets it all.

There's a few things you can use. Vinegar and warm water.Never use hot water on hardwood floors! You'll ruin them. Don't drench the floors just damp mop them.They sell Mr.Clean swiffers at any dollar general for about $10. buy that if you feel you need to dry the floor afterwards.
Warm water and a little bit of Dawn dish soap. That'll cut the grime on the floor and clean them up really nice.
Murphy's Oil is Veg. Based so it won't harm kids or animals and will make the floors shine.
I have hardwood throughout my house. The cleaner I like the most is the Murphy's.
I would never waste money on any of those so called oraganic products on the market.They don't clean as well and are over priced. Good Ole Borax,Baking Soda,Vinegar,Beeswax,Alcohol,Lemon oil is all you need. If you want to get a little creative use essential oils such as lavender or tea tree oil. mix a couple drops with a spray bottle full of water this is a great disinfectant.
Good Luck