Can i use vinegar to clean wood floors

Q: Is it safe to use vinegar to clean hardwood floors?

Dont 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.

Table of Contents Show

Great for Many Floors, Including Wood
How to Clean Hardwood Floors
Trust Jason Brown Wood Floors for All Your Hardwood Flooring Needs!
The Long-term Effects of Using Vinegar
Is it safe to use vinegar to clean hardwood floors?
What is the best thing to use to clean wood floors?
How do you mop hardwood floors with vinegar?

Keep your hardwood floors clean – use vinegar and water for a cheap, easy cleaner!

Cleaning your hardwood flooring regularly is the best way to ensure that it lasts a long time. However, there is no one size fits all solution to cleaning different parts of your home. Are you looking for the best way to clean your hardwood floors? Some suggest using white vinegar mixed with water as a cheap, easy way to keep your floors looking great. Using white vinegar and water is one of the greener (and cheaper) methods you can utilize to keep your floors clean and your home chemical-free.

Great for Many Floors, Including Wood

Vinegar and water have long been considered one of the healthier choices for cleaning. It is inexpensive, safe for the environment, and does a good job cleaning many items of your home. Recall that when cleaning your wood floors, you are actually cleaning the finish that seals the wood. As such, it is important to clean with a gentle, non-toxic cleaner. Leave the Murphy’s Oil Soap, Bleach, Dish Soap and other dulling products to some other surface. Your beautiful wood floors deserve better!

How to Clean Hardwood Floors

When searching for an effective way to clean your hardwood floors, it is important to keep these tips in mind. Prepare your flooring by sweeping or dust-mopping it in order to rid it of large particles of debris. Use a cleaner that is pH neutral or close to it – your cleaning methods will not speed up the process of the finish breaking down (which is inevitable over the course of several years of wear and tear), but you should be cautious in your maintenance of your floors. Clean the floor in small sections so that the liquid does not seep in and cause warping or swelling, and make certain to place your cleaning solution in a spray bottle, to spray sections at a time, and mop with a microfiber mop. Leave little to no excess water behind! Your best cleaning solutions are of the following: one gallon of warm water, to one cup of white vinegar. Adding 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oils, such as lemongrass, or lavender, are a lovely green alternative- and they have antimicrobial traits! Bona cleaning products are another trusted alternative, as is Squeaky Clean Cleaner.

Trust Jason Brown Wood Floors for All Your Hardwood Flooring Needs!

At Jason Brown Wood Floors, our commitment to quality installation is clear in all that we do, which is why our customers consistently rate us as one of the top contractors in the region. We have been awarded Baltimore Magazine’s Best of Baltimore Award 3 times and have been proudly serving the Baltimore Area for over 16 years. If you’re ready to speak with someone about your hardwood flooring project, we want to hear from you! Contact us at 410-668-9131 or send us a message here.

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This entry was posted on Friday, January 6th, 2017 at . Both comments and pings are currently closed.

The Long-term Effects of Using Vinegar

It’s important to remember that when you're cleaning your floor boards, you’re not actually cleaning the wood, but the protective coating or finish that’s been applied to the floor boards. Vinegar is an acid and it will slowly break down the protective coating on the floor, eventually leaving the floor looking dull. This will often start to become noticeable after 12 – 24 months of regular cleaning with water and vinegar.

A bamboo floor that became dull from wear and incorrect cleaning and needed re-finishing. Electrodry can fix floors that have dulled over time, giving your floor back its shine.

It’s also important to minimise the amount of water used when cleaning a wood floor. If water is left on the floor it will penetrate into the ends and sides of floor boards and worn areas. It can cause water-marking, swelling, rotting and discolouration of your floor boards. It’s often said that “water is the enemy of wood”.

Is it safe to use vinegar to clean hardwood floors?

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.

What is the best thing to use to clean wood floors?

In most homes, the best wood floor cleaner is plain old soap and water, and the only tools you need are a broom, vacuum, and mop. The best mop for wood floors is a microfiber flat-head or string mop you can easily wring out.

How do you mop hardwood floors with vinegar?

Combine 2 cups warm water and 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar. Dip a soft-bristled toothbrush in the solution and shake until just damp. Gently scrub the cracks and then wipe away the debris with a soft cloth or vacuum it up with a handheld vac or a vacuum with a crevice tool. Dust mop and clean the floor as usual.