A mixture of 1 part Chlorine Bleach, (Clorox) to 32 parts water (½ cup bleach per gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water) will need to sit on surfaces for 5-10 minutes in order to disinfect them. We found this did not harm either of our wood finishes.
Household disinfecting wipes, such as Clorox or Lysol, are safe to use on most finished wood surfaces. You should always do a quick spot test and read the label before wiping down your chairs or tables. However, commonly treated or painted wood is likely safe.
For a quick and convenient solution, use Clorox® Scentiva® Disinfecting Wet Mopping Cloths1 to disinfect hardwood floors. They kill 99.9% of germs2 and are bleach-free and safe to use on sealed or finished hardwood floors.
Using water or harsh cleaners on these floors will warp the wood or cause discoloration. However, there are three highly effective products that will help to sanitize and clean your unfinished wood flooring – mineral spirits, white vinegar and Murphy's Oil Soap.
For everyday spot cleaning, Dettol Antibacterial Floor Wipes are suitable for use on sealed wooden floors and can provide tough cleaning action to remove grease and dirt.
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.
Mix a half-cup of white vinegar with one gallon of water in the bucket. Dip a mop into the cleaning solution in the bucket and wring it well to ensure that you don't apply the solution in excess onto the floor. Wipe out the wood floor gently in a circular motion.
Just like hardwood floors, vinegar can eat away at the wax finish on wood furniture, leaving it looking dull and cloudy. But, you'll frequently read that vinegar is ideal for cleaning all types of wood. If you would like to use vinegar on finished or waxed wood furniture, use it extremely infrequently and at your risk.
Solution 1: Clean dirty wooden furniture with just water, vinegar and olive oil. This cleaning solution is great to freshen up and gently clean varnished wooden furniture. Olive oil adds moisture and shine to wood, while vinegar cuts through sticky grease and acts as a mild disinfectant.
A solution of warm water, vinegar and about five drops of dish soap can clean and disinfect the furniture if soiled. Remove dust and protect using a soft cloth and non-abrasive furniture polish. Avoid polish build-up by applying furniture polish sparingly to a soft cloth and gently wiping wood surfaces.
Vinegar: Mix three tablespoons of white distilled vinegar with one cup of water. Dampen a soft cloth with the mixture and dab on a test spot. If it has no negative effect, continue cleaning. Buff with a dry cloth afterward.
Try mixing a weak solution of water and dishwashing soap. Dip a soft cloth in the solution, wring it out and wipe the entire piece. You want a damp cloth, not a wet one. Don't saturate the wood, and rinse your cloth often.
D10 & other similar sanitisers are not at all suitable for wooden restaurant tables as their corrosive nature destroys the protective layer the lacquer provides. Sanitisers that contain abrasives, ammonia, bleach, spirit or other aggressive chemicals will all corrode the lacquer and so ruin the table top.
Begin by creating a diluted solution of warm water with mild dishwashing liquid. Next, clean any dust off the table and chairs by wiping it down with a cloth. After that, dip one of the microfibre cloths in your solution and begin wiping your furniture, working from section to section.
Avoid using any chemicals, even natural products like vinegar. Bleach can damage the finish and seep into natural wood, causing it to become discoloured. Again, the best thing to use for cleaning timber is just water- applied to a damp mop.
Cleaning with vinegar and water is cheap, safe for the environment, and generally does a great job at cleaning many items in your home. Just please don't use them to clean wood floors. Using vinegar and water as a homemade wood floor cleaning solution can have a negative effect on your wood floor.
You should also bear in mind that baking soda is an abrasive and can scratch the wood as well as stain it. Bicarb could also react with some laminates on wood too and cause bleached spots.
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.
The best way to clean hardwood floors is to adopt a regular routine. Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for cleaning wood floors daily. A microfiber dust mop pre-treated with a dusting agent will pick up dust and dirt and prevent scratches. Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week.
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.
Floor Cleaning Tips
For small spills, try Clorox® Disinfecting Wipes. They even work on wood floors! For a deeper clean, vacuum or sweep the floor before mopping to remove the excess dirt, crumbs and other floor-dwelling particles.