I have a Shark, and love the fact that there are no chemicals and the steam kills 99.9% of the germs, but it leaves a film and the print of the pad I use in the film!! I’m getting sick of seeing this everytime I clean the floors. I have heard that you should not use swiffers or any type of chemical on hardwood because overtime it can leave a film… BUT I am wanting my floors clean and just need to know a safe, effective product that will work! Any suggestions?!

I have to admit that I am surprised that your Shark leaves a film – I didn’t think that they did that!

You can try this…

1. Add 1 cup of vinegar to a pail of hot water. Mop with only a minimal amount of water, and buff dry with a soft towel if desired. Too much water can damage the wood. A high quality microfiber mop will keep the water to a minimum, and clean thoroughly.

Or a microfiber mop with just water. Used properly, it doesn;t leave any more water than a steamer.

I am just asking about every day cleaning, not when you need to work on a shine. There are hundreds of products on the market, all of which are expensive and I have tried….never finding one I liked. I just need something for a quick clean-up.

Use Banana Oil – its the best. Don’t use too much or you will have a skating rink! One container will last years and it doesn’t have nasty buildup like some waxes and polishes do. Buy it at your local janitor’s supply center.

Hello all, I’ve recently pulled up all of the rugs in my house and I’ve been thinking about just using area rugs or no rugs at all. Since it’s been SOOOO long since the hardwood floors have been shown, and I want the floors to have a really nice shine. Does anyone have any ideas on what products to use to clean and wax the floors? Thanks!

I’d worked in flooring for years. I always recommended Old English for hardwood floors.

Can anyone suggest a method or product that is good for spot-cleaning hardwood floors?

For example: If something liquid spills or drips on the floor, but I don’t notice until it is dry and/or sticky, what should I use to clean it?

I’m afraid to use an all-purpose cleaner for fear that it will ruin the finish, and eventually, the wood beneath.

Thanks for any advice!
How much vinegar/water? Half and half?

Vinegar and warm water not only will remove the spots but it will deodorize your room! And it will be squeaky clean!

Anyone know the best way to clean hardwood floors without stripping them??

Hot water and vinager

What can I clean my hardwood floors with? I have pinesol and murphy’s cleaner it all makes my floors soooo sticky! Any ideas?

Most wood floors can be kept clean by first sweeping or vacuuming with a floor nozzle to remove most of the surface dust and dirt, then damp mopping with clear water (dip a sponge in clear water, squeezing it out so that the mop is barely damp, almost dry). Use very little water and rinse your mop thoroughly after each use since excess water can dissolve protective coatings, alter the color of the wood and raise the grain to roughen the surface.

If your floors are not dirty enough to need mopping every week, then you should not do it, as it will wear the floors faster, not to mention waste your time. Simply sweeping is often all they need.

If need to restore the shine to your wood floor after you get it clean, try damp mopping it with 1/2 cup vinegar and 2 tablespoons furniture polish in a gallon of warm water. Vinegar is also useful for removing any soap residue or build-up, but should not be necessary every week…

Whats the best cleaner to add to a bucket of water when im mopping my hardwood floors? Just dishsoap or is there something better?

NEVER use soap and water on your hardwood floors. I’m so serious. Call any flooring professional and they will never recommend it. If you want to maintain your hardwood floors go here:

http://www.findanyfloor.com/hardwood/HardwoodFlooringCare.xhtml

That page gives you everything involved with care and maintenance for your hardwood floors. Don’t use oil soaps either… if you ever refinish your floors it will make it difficult. Never apply chemicals directly to floor, always apply to a mop. Also, these are all tips on how to clean and maintain your floors… if you do this youll have your hardwood floors lookin good for a realllyyy longgg time!
I use the Bona Hardwood Floor Mop. Its amazing, its eco friendly and its totally affordable. PLUS it doesn’t leak or leave streak like the Swiffer (yuck!) Here’s a great article that compares the two:

http://www.findanyfloor.com/article/BonavsSwiffer-TheBambooFlooringCleanerFace-off.xhtml

And if you decide that you like it try this site to buy it: youll get a discount:

http://www.findanyfloor.com/OnlineFloorStores/1877FloorGuy.xhtml

My mom is giving us 20 dollars if we clean the house but we don’t really have much cleaning supplies, what should I use to mop my hardwood floors?

Bruce Hardwood flooring puts out a good cleaner that you spray on and "dust mop" off to clean and shine your floor. I don t like ANY water on hardwood. And the use of any soap product will leave a dirt attracting residue. You don t use water and soap on your fine hard wood furniture do you? Why then of your fine wood floor. GL

Caring for Laminate floors. How best to clean them. Easy home made ways to clean laminate floors.

If you have laminate floors, you may think you have to get a commercial laminate floor cleaner to keep them looking good. This is not so, and as is often the case, a home made solution will work just as well. There is a very easy to make home made formula that will work as well as the expensive commercial types and save a lot of money over time.

There are a lot of opinions about which kind of cleaning works best for laminate floors, and each owner of a laminate floor seems to have his own opinion about which is best. To be sure to use the one that works best for you, try a small amount on an inconspicuous corner, or if you have any material leftover from the installation, you can use that to test your product on. Some people insist that you must use specialized products to clean laminate floors, but this is not necessarily true.

The store where you bought your laminate floor, or the manufacturer of the flooring are the best sources for advice on how to clean it properly. They will know the right kinds of products to use on the floor. However, you have to be careful that they are not just recommending a product because they want to make another sale. If they are pushing the product too hard, be wary.

This is exactly what happened to a friend of mine. She was told by a salesperson that not only did she have to buy an expensive laminate floor cleaner (that cost $12, instead of $2-3 for ordinary floor cleaner), but she would also have to buy a special mop to use with it. The mop cost an additional $30!

She became suspicious when the salesperson said that water should never be used on this kind of flooring. The reason she decided to install laminate floors was because of its easy care and ability to absorb spills without being stained by watermarks. She know something was not right, especially when she saw that the main ingredient in the salesperson’s expensive cleaner was, what else? Water. She steered clear of this ripoff.

Instead, she took someone else’s advice and used a tried and true home remedy for cleaning: vinegar and water. This all purpose mixture gets rid of dirt and grime and does not leave any residue on the flooring. It is a safe and easy cleaner to use.

My concern when I wanted to try this solution was the smell. I didn’t want my house to smell of vinegar afterward. But I gave it a shot, and I was very surprised to learn that the vinegar smell evaporates almost immediately. Inexpensive, non toxic and effective; I have found the perfect solution for cleaning laminate floors.

Mr.Andrew Caxton
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/hardwood-floor-cleaning-109626.html

I am using a hardwood floor cleaner, but it still feels like there is a film there now matter what I do, also how do I get that new shine back?

cleaner?i think your looking for a woodfloor sander?
it strips off about a 1/4inch of wood or less,that way it can be done more than once.after that is done use a finer grit of sandpaper as to achieve that new floor shine,with a thick coat of clearcoat for woodfloors,,,then wax and enjoy.