Simple and Natural Ways to Clean Hardwood Flooring

05.04.2020 GREEN LIVING 0.0 0

natural cleaning

We always want our hardwood floors to look clean and shiny all the time, but cleaning it is a bit complicated. There are cleaning materials that you can find in the market to help you clean your hardwood floors, but most people prefer to use natural cleaning methods.

Hardwood floors are very expensive so you cannot just use any kind of cleaning material. If you used the wrong cleaning method, you will end up damaging the floor.

Most people are now opting for do-it-yourself methods and it makes sense since it is more affordable and most of the items used are readily available in your house.

If you want to make sure that your hardwood floors are always clean without using commercial cleaning agents, here are a few simple tricks on how to clean your hardwood flooring naturally.

Mild Soap Wood Floor Cleaner

Hardwood flooring is very delicate and you cannot use regular soap to clean it as it may cause discoloration. This mild soap wood floor cleaner is a better alternative as it helps clean your hardwood floor and remove the dust and debris without damaging it. Here are the things that you need:

1 teaspoon mild soap
10 drops of essential oil
4 cups of warm water
Microfiber mop
Spray bottle

Combine the four cups of water, mild soap as well as your chosen essential oil in a small container and transfer it to the spray bottle. If you are using a bigger spray bottle, then you can combine all of them and shake it vigorously to make sure that all of the ingredients are mixed well.

Before you use the solution, you should test it out in a hidden area. Make sure that you only test it on a small area and check if there are discolorations. If you see any issues with the solution, you can add more water to make it less concentrated.

To apply the solution, spray a small amount to the floor and wipe it very carefully. You have to make sure that you do not spray too much as it might damage your floorboards. Use the microfiber mop and scrub the solution gently.

Vegetable Oil and Vinegar Solution

If you don’t have any essential oils in your house and you only have the basic stuff, this is the easiest and the simplest solution that you can use. Here are the things that you will need:

1 cup of vinegar
1 cup of vegetable oil
Spray bottle

These ingredients are easily accessible in your kitchen and it is an effective solution to naturally clean your hardwood floor.

Before you clean the hardwood flooring with the solution, remove the dust and dirt by sweeping the floors. After that, combine the oil and vinegar and place it in the spray bottle. Shake it vigorously and start applying the cleaner to the floor and use a soft cloth to wipe it.

The main job of the vinegar is to remove the dirt from the floor and the vegetable oil will serve as the protection to the wood to make sure that it will not dry out.

Black Tea

The other two methods at the top are both using vinegar, but this time, we will be using black tea. This is also an effective method to clean your hardwood flooring and you just have to combine it with water and it can clean your hardwood floor and make it shine. Here are the things that you will need:

Four cups of water
Three bags of black tea

The process is very simple. All you have to do is boil the four cups of water and remove it from the heat afterward. Put the three bags of black tea on the boiled water and let it stay for about 10 to 15 minutes. Let the water cool down as well before you start cleaning.

Get a piece of clean cloth or cotton and dip it on the black tea and water mixture. Start cleaning the hardwood floor and make sure that you remove all of the dirt and dust from the surface. Don’t scrub too hard on the floor as you might scratch or damage the surface.

Vinegar and Dish Detergent Solution

If you don’t want to waste your vegetable oil, you have another natural option. You can use a mild dish detergent along with vinegar as a cleaning agent for your hardwood flooring. Here are the things that you need:

1/4 cup mild dish soap
1 cup white vinegar
Spray bottle

The first thing to do is to mix all the ingredients inside the spray bottle. Shake vigorously and make sure that the ingredients are mixed well. The next step is to sweep or vacuum the floor to remove the dirt and dust sticking on the surface.

Use the cleaning solution by spraying a small amount on the mop. Gently use it to clean the hardwood flooring and don’t scrub too hard.

Lemon Juice Solution

Lemon juice can also be an alternative cleaning solution for your hardwood flooring. Here are the things that you need:

One lemon
One cup olive oil
One cup of warm water

You don’t need to use a spray bottle for this. You just have to mix all of them in a small container. Make sure that they are mixed well. Remove the dust and dirt from the hardwood floor and use a clean cloth to clean the floor. Dip the cloth on the solution and gently scrub the hardwood flooring.

Conclusion

Cleaning your hardwood floors is not really too difficult and there are so many natural solutions that you can create. All of the ingredients mentioned above can be found in your kitchen so you don’t have to use commercial solutions to clean your hardwood flooring.

You have to clean and maintain your hardwood floors because their appearance would fade over time. Like everything else, their beauty will start to deteriorate over the years, but with proper cleaning, you can at least improve their appearance and make sure that it won’t be damaged easily.