What product do you use with water to mop hardwood floors, that doesn't leave a dull film?
Carol from Fairview, TN
Swiffer Wet Jet has a wood floor cleaner that I use regularly on my wood floors. It cleans great, smells great, and doesn't leave a film. (01/30/2006)
By Robin
I use Murphy's oil soap and it doesn't dull the shine on the floors. (01/30/2006)
By Susan
Best cleaner I've found is 1 gallon warm water and 1/4 cup white vinegar. It recommended by the contractor that installed our hardwood dance floor.
E (01/30/2006)
By Ellen Wagner
Promise me that you will never mop your hardwood floors. Unless they have been polyurethaned. Wood and water don't mix. I use the Swiffer mop with a wet wipe from the dollar store. It picks up all the dust and grime. It's rather like using a damp rag on the floor only better. (01/31/2006)
By Carol
My sister uses plain Windex. Just spray on floor and wipe off. It works wonders to bring back the shine. She swears by it. (01/31/2006)
By dtmiddle1
I just used Swiffer wet jet for wood floors for the first time on my beautiful new wood floors and what a mistake. You can see the spots I missed because they are still shiny and beautiful, but the Swiffer left a horrible film that shows footprints where we have walked. I will stick to just damp mopping with a little vinegar thrown in when they are really dirty from now on. Guess Grandma knew best. (07/01/2007)
By Cindi
Mrs. Meyer's natural soaps and floor cleaners are new and maybe that will give your floor a shine. Otherwise scrub brush and mild detergent to strip the wax and reapply the shining agent. (02/15/2008)
By Deborah
All that stuff has oils in it. You can use vinegar and water, pine sol and water, and even bleach water. If your hardwood floor has a good coat of urethane on it, there will be no problem. The flooring companies want you to buy their products, so they tell you not to use the others. My husband and his family have been in the flooring business for years and they use the products listed above.
You don't have to use a dry mop or spray it on. You can put water and the cleaning product in the bucket and damp/wet mop the floor. If there's a good amount of finish on the wood no harm can be done. You don't have to dry the floors afterward if you mop it, only if you basically leave a substantial amount of water on the floor. It can't hurt it if the coating of urethane was done right. If you don't have any urethane on the floors and it's extremely dull or grainy to the touch, you need to get it screened and coated and don't dare put water or any other cleaners on it at all until it's fixed.
Never wax hardwood floors. It causes it to loose the shine quicker, even though that is supposed to do the opposite. Only use polyurethane to coat the floors. My husband mostly sands and refinishes hardwood, and that will cost you thousands of dollars to get off if you ever decide to do your floors the right way.
(06/05/2008)
By Beth
You will think me a brilliant. I use distilled water with a little Windex then mop dry with one of those 7X12 inch terry cloth flat mops ($12 Home Depot). Why? Because normal water has calcium which leaves white deposits, dullness on that nice glossy urethane. (11/02/2008)
By Ann J.
We bought our hardwood from the company, "That Old Flooring".
Make a gallon of strong tea it doesn't matter what kind. I use the cheapest. Use hot water to bring out all the acid in the tea. You will be amazed at how shiny your floors will become. The acid in tea is the key to cleaning and shine. You do not rinse. Use 6-12 bags depends on how much cleaning you will be doing. This has worked for the past 6 years. Our floor color is called "gun stock". Let me know what you all think. Of course, do not add sugar. (01/14/2009)
By Sharon D.
I have always used a sponge mop and hot water with a bit of methylated spirits, just a few capfuls to around 6-7 litres to help the water dry quickly and prevent streaking. My floors have a high gloss hard sealer and have been polished for about 14 years. They have held up unbelievably well. I reckon the real killer of these floors is allowing sand to be ground in to them. (02/01/2010)
By eagleau
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