How Do You Clean Your Hardwood Floors?

I use "green" product that's a walnut based wood fl cleaner.

I do not use a steam mop all that often. I was told that it dulls the shine--- and it did.

I wash them lightly on my hands and knees---and dry them (immediately) with a dry cloth !

Vinegar and water is great, too !

I don't use anything fancy...a big push broom and and old towel.

Wet the towel down (if you want, you can put some murphy's oil soap in the water that you wet the towel down with), then wrap the wet towel around a push broom.

Then just push the broom over the floor. It goes sooo fast...I have a large main level with all wood floors...I get it done in just a few minutes. The murphy's soap really makes them shine too. You don't need much, just enough to dissolve in the water.

If your floors have a lot of food or stuff on them, you might need to sweep a little first.

Vinegar and water.

Murphy's will leave a build up.

I also use my steam mop.

I use my steam mop on our hardwood. For a quick touch up I use a mixture of a couple drops of Shakley's Basic H, warm water and white vinegar.

I too just recently bought a house that have mostly hard wood floors and I hate moppig also! I too have been wandering how to clean them. I use something called "Murphy Oil Soap". It's a wood cleaner and it contains 98% naturally derived ingrediants. The most I have ever mopped in life was my kitchen and bathrooms. And I now have this entire house to mop! OMG! I do it the lazy way..lol. The solution is concentrated so I mixed it up in a spray bottle and purchased one of those hardwood floor mops from home depot. This mop reminds me of the Swiffer, only except it dont spray out a solution and the mop is waaay bigger, wider and longer. You can change the pad when it is super dirty. Refills are sold seperately. I spray and mop as I go. Spray the floor and mop it up. So easy and simple. My kids mop their own rooms. Even my 8 yr. old. Again, I know this is not the best way to mop. BUT it works for me and my floors are always clean and shiny.

I use my Norwex wet mop. It uses water only...no cleaners needed. A cleaner can leave a residue which dirt and dust will cling to and will leave your floors looking dull. The Norwex mop has silver woven into the microfiber and silver kills bacteria. I've been using it for a year and love it! I cringe when I come home and my hubby thinks he's done good by mopping our kitchen floor w the old sponge mop and soap. I rewash it ASAP when he's not around!

You can use the steamer on the hardwoods as well, we've done that on ours a few times a year.

In-between the steam cleanings, I just fill up a bucket with hot water and add a cup or two of white vinegar. I also add some lemon juice and sometimes a few drops of essential oil to make it smell nicer and cut the odor of vinegar. I mop with that and it works great! And it's cheap too!

White vinegar (never, ever cider vinegar) diluted with very warm water, plus elbow grease.

Swiffer wet pads (NOT the "wet jet" swiffer which was lousy) are fine in between vinegar and water cleanings. I have never used a steamer, but if you do call the maker and get them to assure you it's OK for hardwood. If your hardwood is older, it may not have a finish designed to stand up to regular steaming -- wood hates moisture, so check it out first.

If you mop, use a dry mop afterward! Like I said - wood hates moisture. I always dry the floors after washing! It only takes moments but will help preserve them.

Hardwood is far better than carpet -- carpet traps and holds so much dirt, allergens, etc. Gross. I feel I can get hardwood cleaner much more easily, and I can see small items on the floor that would get buried in carpet.

My friend just told me about a Rubbermaid product. It's a handle with a microfiber (washable) pad and a reusable spray bottle attached. It comes empty, and she just uses a mix of white vinegar and water which sprays lightly and she mops off. She raves about it.
Right now, I use a microfiber mop and Method wood floor cleaner which you squirt directly on and wipe off, but her way sounds even easier and more "natural"!

we have real hard wood floors, and I use a steam mop. It does a great job and it's fast drying and easy!

Murphey's Oil Soap

Unless they're the new 10' thick polyurethane coated hardwoods. Then they clean like plastic, because they are plastic.

But for old style finished hardwood floors... Murphey's Oil Soap.

I have laminate floors. I sweep, then use a swiffer-type mop with a tank for liquid on it. I spritz the floor with straight white vinegar, then hit the spray nozzle on the mop, and immediately swiff it dry. I have washable, reusable microfiber cloths for the mop. No noxious cleaning fluids or polishes/waxes.
My neighbor, who installs floors, told me that Murphy's is one of the worst things you can use on a wood floor.

I just use pine sol (diluted of course) and wash on my hands and knees once every few months (sometimes it goes longer). I wash with the diluted cleaner, then wipe with warm water, then finish with a towel. I do the kitchen and dining room much more regularly.

I vacuum daily though.

Our WHOLE house is hardwood floors. If I was going to do it more often than that, it would be a giant job.

I vacuum using suction only then mop - using a swiffer wet jet is fine on them. They actually have one that is for hardwood floors.

I have contemplated buying a steamer - but haven't yet.

To care for them over the years - make sure you treat them. About every six months - I put the OrangeGlo Hardwood Floor liquid on them - it's simple - I actually use the pad from the Wet Jet to spread it around.

I use Bona hardwood cleaner