Cleaning a hardwood floor demands the use of a safe and secure cleaning agent that has no detrimental impact on the floor finish. With numerous types of finishes used on hardwood flooring, you should first ascertain the type of finish applied on your wood floor. If you don’t know the kind of finish on your flooring, run your finger on the surface.
If your flooring doesn’t smudge, then your floor is surface-sealed. This kind of hardwood floor finishing is one of the easiest to maintain, and many modern wood floorings come with this finish. Since the surface-sealed finish is water-resistant and stain-resistant, you can easily use white vinegar and water to clean and maintain the appearance of your hardwood floor.
Read on to know the cleaning guidelines you should follow to get the best results.
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Which type of vinegar should you use?
Are you considering using vinegar to clean your hardwood flooring but you’ve no idea which type of vinegar is suitable for this type of floor? Experts recommend using white vinegar for all cleaning purposes. Basic white vinegar doesn’t have any specific color, which means it will not stain your hardwood flooring.
Some other types like apple cider vinegar will leave a brownish tint which can potentially damage floors. Besides, white vinegar is known to be the most economical option.
Process of cleaning wood floors using vinegar
Cleaning your hardwood floors with white vinegar and water is a pretty easy process, which consumes less time when compared to using a store-bought, chemical-based cleaning solution. Here are the simple steps you should follow during the cleaning process:
1. Remove all objects from your floor
Start by removing all objects on the wood floor. If possible, move the furniture or carpets out of the way.
2. Block off the rooms
After removing objects out of your way, block the rooms being cleaned to prevent pets and kids from walking across your wet floor. Even though white vinegar is non-toxic, footprints or paw prints on the clean floor will not add anything to your decor. Blocking the room will ensure a smudge-free, beautiful, and shiny floor.
3. Vacuum or sweep your floor
Before cleaning your wood floor with vinegar, you should first vacuum or even sweep the floor thoroughly to remove surface dust and dirt particles. These particles can eventually lead to scratches, so it’s necessary to get them off the floor.
4. Prepare the cleaning solution
Using an average ratio of a half cup of vinegar to one gallon of some warm water, put some water in a clean bucket.
5. Mop your floors
- Plunge a clean duster or mop into the white vinegar/water mixture and wring it until it’s damp-dry before cleaning. Avoid using a soaking-wet mop on wood floors.
- Mop the floor in the direction of your floorboards to make any marks less visible in case the water dries with some streaks.
- Rinse your mop more frequently to clean your floor evenly.
- If the cleaning solution begins to look dirty, you can change the water.
6. Air-dry the floor
After cleaning, you can allow your floor to air dry. Nevertheless, if the wood floor looks too wet, you should remove the excess water with a dry and clean towel.Benefits of cleaning floors with vinegar
There are numerous benefits of using white vinegar and water when cleaning every room of your house:
- Vinegar is non-toxic, which means that pet owners and parents with small kids can rest assured knowing that no harmful chemical agents are being used on the floor.
- White vinegar is cost-effective, so you will have more money to use on other important things in your home.
- Vinegar is an organic substance created from fermented ethanol and it contains no heavy or harmful chemicals. So, by utilizing vinegar, you will also be protecting the environment.
- Vinegar contains anti-bacterial properties which help in fighting mold and bacteria.
Conclusion
Keeping hardwood surfaces clean is one of the main concerns for most homeowners since floors are cleaned more regularly than other parts of the home. A white vinegar solution is not only safe to use when cleaning all the floors in your house, but you can also use it to wash sinks, toilets, bathtubs, and counters. This cost-effective, multi-purpose cleaner leaves your home looking spotless and smelling fresh.
