Sealed hardwood floors can withstand the moisture and heat from a steam mop, and they clean really nicely with a streak-free finish. However, avoid using a steam mop on unsealed hardwoods, as they're more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture.
You can use a commercial wood-cleaning product, like Bona or Murphy Oil Soap. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions. You can also make your own cleaner by mixing one part vinegar to 10 parts warm water. Add a few drops of liquid Castile soap.
Avoid Hardwood and Laminate Floors
Avoid using a steam mop on any type of flooring that should not have hot water on it or on adhesive tiles with lifting corners. It's common for steam-mop manufacturers to warn against using steam mops on "unsealed" floors, a vague direction.
For deep cleaning and disinfecting wood floors, you should give the surface a more thorough clean every 1-2 weeks. To disinfect your floor, use Lysol® Clean & Fresh Multi-Surface Cleaner at full-strength (or dilute 1 oz to 5 oz of warm water in a bucket) and be sure to pre-clean the surface.
Don't use straight ammonia, alkaline products or abrasive cleaners. They'll dull or scratch the finish. Don't rely on lemon juice or a vinegar-and-water solution to clean hardwood floors. "I don't recommend using vinegar or lemon juice, at least not in large quantities, as these can damage the floor's seal," said Wise.
Dry-mop at least twice a week using a microfiber head, focusing on corners. Avoid using water to clean your hardwoods, and never wet-mop, as the moisture can damage the material. To avoid staining and cracking, blot up spills immediately with a dry, clean cloth.
It's safe for wood and hard, nonporous surfaces. You can apply it to the floor directly from the bottle. For more information about the Pine-Sol® lineup of products, visit our FAQs page.
Don't use vinegar or baking soda.
Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or baking soda, but these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.
It is safe to use on many different types of flooring
The mop heats up fast and is easy to handle. I used this Shark steam mop on my ceramic kitchen floors, but it is also rated for use on sealed hardwood floors, marble, and stone tile.
Soap only lifts dirt and oil into water, making them suspend in water. Therefore, the more soap you use, the more your mop gets saturated with dirt. So, if you do not remove all the soapy water from the floor, the dirt remains, forming streaks on the floor.
A steam cleaner is dependent on water and steam and does not use chemicals. How often should you steam clean your floors? Make steam cleaning your floors a weekly cleaning chore.
Is Swiffer Safe for Hardwood Floors? As per the wooden floor repairing experts of a renowned hardwood floor company in Los Angeles, the Swiffer is absolutely safe for prefinished hardwood floors when used with either wet or dry refill cloths.
Manufacturers and industry experts advise against cleaning hardwood floors with water because wood naturally expands when it's wet and can cause your floor to crack or splinter.
Whether you're cleaning one area or all of your flooring, Murphy® Oil Soap is safe to use on hardwood floors.
Dish soap is a gentle cleaner that won't damage the natural wood, and it's perfect for light jobs and daily upkeep alike. In a large bucket, mix two to three tablespoons of dish soap with one gallon of warm water. Dip your mop and wring it over the bucket, then gently mop the surface of your floors.
Once a week, wood floors should be cleaned in high traffic areas with a damp mop. Low traffic areas can be done less frequently, like once a month or once a quarter. Unsealed wood floors are more susceptible to water, so make sure that the mop is just slightly damp.
Here's a secret: Tea's tannic acid makes for an excellent surface shine, according to HGTV. Boil a couple of teabags in some water and dump the tea into a bucket. Wring out a rag or mop in the solution and use it to mop the floors.
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is an effective choice for keeping sealed hardwood and wood laminate floors clean and in good condition.
Bona products are specially designed to protect floors and the environment. Bona cleaners won't dull your floors or leave behind any residue.
An area rug can only damage your hardwood floor if it doesn't have a proper rug pad underneath it. Choosing a proper rug pad is as important as choosing a good area rug itself.
Now that your floors are clean and dry, applying a coat of polish is a great way to revive your hardwood floor's finish. A coat of hardwood floor polish can even out a floor's look, filling in any micro scratches and adding a new protective layer on top of your floor.
Rugs protect your floors.
Daily life, along with heavy furniture, can cause permanent damage to your hardwood floors if you're not careful. So keep your floors in good shape by adding a rug! Rugs (plus a rug pad) will eliminate any potential damage a heavy piece of furniture can do.