Cleaning Wood Floors - Owasso, OK

Hi D.: I work for a restoration company. We do a lot of cleaning on wood floors. We actually use a water and vinegar mixture on the wood floors. We never use brooms - they cause scratches. Use only a swiffer to sweep and warm water and vinegar to mop. I'm not sure of the exact mixture of the two, but I wouldn't put too much of the mix on the floor.

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K.

D.,
Wood floors are beautiful, but they're a lot of work. If they're older, or origional wood floors, then they may not be shiny to start with. The main thing that makes shiny floors shiny is the the polyurethane coating put on them after they're stained. The poly gives them a clear coat that usually has a shine to it. It usually comes in a satin, semi-gloss, or hi gloss finish. If the finish is worn down, then the floors just aren't going to shine unless they're wet, and even then it's iffy. You may need to refinish the floors, which is a lot of work. Refinishing them would also take care of the scratches and dents you have in the floor. If you have any questions on refinishing a floor, you can email me at ____@____.com and I'll tell you what's all involved, or you can hire someone to do it. I hope this helps.
S.

I can't imagine mopping nearly every day so in order to cut down on the funk that enters our homes via shoes we have started leaving shoes just as we enter the door--a boot tray or a wire rack works great. We have old pine floors (from 1925) in the house that were refinished after Katrina, but to keep them clean and shining we use a mixture of white vinegar and water to mop them weekly.

I would check with a flooring center and see what they would suggest for a cleaner that would have a shine to it. I lived in a house with wood floors and I bought a Swiffer for everyday use. It really helped to keep up with the dust that seemed to accumulate with kids in and out. I also have boys so I know how much they can track in. I dont remember what I used on my floors as it has been awhile since we lived in that house.

WAIT!!! Don't use anything else until you figure out what kind of wood floor you have. Wax sealed or polyurethane (?) makes a difference. Also, I used Orange Glo and it was an absolute disaster. Try it in a small corner or out of the way spot if you are determined to use it. I am currently using Bruce's cleaner for wood and laminate (Lowe's) but am switching to the Bona system soon (it has a polish for shine). Online I read about a test to determine the finish on your floor using water drops (you should google this). Many of my friends use a steam mop and then wipe with Bruce's or Bona. Just be careful before mixing products on top of each other or before knowing the finish. Always test in a discreet spot or you'll end up like me - scrubbing build-up off you floor on your hands and knees!!!

Good morning - I have hardwood floors in my house - I use old English and a Swiffer pad. If you want a shine, put polyurethane on them. It's a chore, but will hold a shine for a very long time. Also, the swiffer pad gets everything out of corners, etc. Damp mop as needed - with active kids, 2-3 times a week probably. As for the scratches and nicks, etc., these can be buffed out - unless your wood floors are laminate.

Hi D.,

I use vinegar and water sometimes and Murphy's Oil Soap others. They are both great, mild and cheap (you dilute the Murphy's). Also, we have a Roomba, and it does a better job than mopping and sweeping combined (unless you are dealing w/sticky stuff--time for the vinegar or Murphy's) and doesn't scratch. I had just swept and mopped one day, and I saw my hubby w/the Roomba, and I was kind of offended. Alas, the Roomba still picked up a bunch of stuff that I somehow hadn't. They say that nothing ages a wood floor like dirt. I guess dirt is the real culprit in scratching away at them as we grind it w/our feet, so I'm pretty convinced that the Roomba is saving our floors. They do look shiny after (and they are kind of squeaky), but like someone else said, they have to be clean and have a fresh shiny finish on them to shine.

L.

Hi D....you have some good advice on this already, but just to reiterate--DAMP mop...vinegar is good because it helps the water to evaporate faster. Any long term wetness is damaging to wood floors. I work in janitorial supply, and we sell very little for wood floors because they are so easy to damage. I have known of many people using floor finish (which is really for vinyl tile-aka "floor wax" but actually has not contained wax for decades) on wood floors, but you can never strip it off because you have to use water and ammonia to do that, so beware of any "polish" or "wax". It is correct that polyurethane is what give the floors their shine, and once it starts wearing off (which takes years) the only way to restore is to refinish, so unless they look really bad, you may want to stick with just knowing they are clean and not worrying too much about shine. If you are ready to refinish, Home Depot carries a product called Liquid Sander that removes polyurethane easily without using a floor sander. Will not remove dents or gouges that are in the actual wood of course, but if you can avoid a floor sander you are much better off, you can do more harm than good with one of those if you are not a trained professional. Laying polyurethane is also a fairly precise skill, as any uneven application will probably show once it dries. You could cut down on finding gunk at the edges by starting there instead of inside perimeter, therefore drawing the dirt away from the wall instead of pushing it to the edges. These are just a few tips I have learned over the years, I am NOT a wood floor professional, but I hope it helped! Best of luck!