How Do I Get My Wood Floors Cleaned?

Updated on August 18, 2008
R.H. asks from Ypsilanti, MI
24 answers

Hi!

I have wood floors...laminated not the real thing. I also have an extremely active and messy 3 year old. I used to dissolve lysol in water and then clean my floors except that left a waxy residue. Now I just use warm water...it juist isn't quite what I had on mind. Does anyone know of something I can use? Something I can mix with water and use with a mop or cloth etc since I have a pretty big floor? Thanks!

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So What Happened?

Thanks everyone! I already use swiffer but since I go through a whole bottle within a couple of weeks I was looking for an alternative. The vinegar worked great but I'll try a couple of other things too!

Featured Answers

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J.B.

answers from Detroit on

Try the H20 mop from www.thane.com. It cleans with steam and disinfects. Safe for wood and you are not using any chemicals, just the heated water. You can get it for 3 $33.00 payments. It works really well.

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J.S.

answers from Detroit on

I use a brand called method that is available at target. The cleaner is called wood for good, it is non-toxic, smells yummy, and all you do is squirt it on the floor and rub it around with a dry mop pad. Its very easy to use, works great, and gets the floors shiny.

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P.P.

answers from Detroit on

I work for Cleaning and restoration co. i suggest you to use for 2 gallons of warm water, Mild soap and half cup of vinegar . any more questions message me ..!

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T.M.

answers from Detroit on

Apple cider vinegar works great and it won't mess with your floors or put any residue on it.

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K.O.

answers from Detroit on

I have the laminate floors in my entire house (2000 sq. feet) and I use water and Spic and Span. It has been great. No streaks or funky residue. Plus I use it on my wood furniture, kitchen cabinets and ceramic tile. Beleive it or not I have been finding it at the Dollar Store. You can also find it at Wal-Mart etc but the Dollar Store has the best deal!
Good Luck!

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B.J.

answers from Detroit on

Hi, R.. I have not tried this myself yet (I have wood floors too and will try it at next cleaning time), but I have been told that a 50/50 blend of Hydrogen Peroxide and water will do the trick as a cleaning product on practically everything; even as a glass/mirror cleaner, surface cleaner and toilet cleaner (but use 100% HP for toilets). It can be used 50/50 to sanitize toothbrushes, or 100% as a bleach substitute in clothing. I just learned these tidbits a few days ago and am excited to try them out. HP is safe for little ones crawling around on, too, as it does not have the chemical blend of most cleaning agents. Good luck and God bless, B. in Flint

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A.M.

answers from Grand Rapids on

A great natural cleaning agent is plain white vinegar. You can mix it with warm water and it does a great job of breaking up greasy buildup or sticky spills. The vinegar smell goes away as the floor dries, and it leaves a clean fresh smell.

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T.G.

answers from Detroit on

Check with the manufacture and see what they recommend, but on a daily basis we use just a little vinegar and water to clean up with the key to wood floors is to make sure you dry them after mopping, then on a weekly or every 2 weeks we use murphy's oil and water for a good scrub down, again always try to dry the floor after mopping.

Best of luck
~T.

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E.S.

answers from Detroit on

I have the Swiffer Wet jet and I love it! They have a liquid for hardwood floors, and it works great. It is so fast, and easy. Just throw on a pad, and press the button to spray the liquid out and mop it up. If I am only doing a small job I just leave the pad on to use again.

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B.M.

answers from Detroit on

I have wood floors through out my whole house and i use murphy's oil soap to clean them. it works great on my floors. hope this helps.

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S.

answers from Detroit on

I use Bruce floor cleaner from Lowes. I have both wood and laminate, and it can be use for both. They have mop that came with the cleaner.

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D.R.

answers from Detroit on

I use the swiffer of course, but someone just told me that there is a Pledge product that you spray on and wipe off. Now, I must tell you she has had trouble finding it, but maybe you can do some research and hopefully find it!

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L.B.

answers from Detroit on

I use a Swifter daily on my floors - they make a wood floor cleaner, and that's what I use. Then when I give my floors a good cleaning, I use hot water w/a little Murphy's oil soap.

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L.V.

answers from Detroit on

I used to clean house with cleaning services for about 5 years. We would use warm water. Everyone uses something different. On the laminate floor we put in our own house I would use water and a bit of Murphys oil soap. Laminate is the hardest to clean w/o leaving streaks. You need to clean a small area and dry it by hand.

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L.H.

answers from Detroit on

White vinegar and water does a great job with no residue!! About 1/4 cup to a gallon of water. Also, use a Libman mop. Saves your back!!

L.

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N.U.

answers from Detroit on

Hi - I have both real wood and laminate flooring and I use a steam cleaner. It cost me about $30 and is made by bissel. It is great for all my flooring, even tile and does not leave any streaking. It is a great investment and gives you peace of mind because you are not using any chemicals.

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T.V.

answers from Grand Rapids on

I also have wood laminate and love the Swiffer mop. It's the regular swiffer and you just buy the mop pads. Quick and easy and it actually does quite a good job.

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L.N.

answers from Benton Harbor on

Hi there~
I went ahead and purchased a steamer. It has already paid for itself. My little ones can crawl right at my feet while I steam the floors and I know they are not in any chemicals. The attachment brush works amazing for grout! (this I discovered AFTER I already drilled out some of the grout to replace...oh well) The steam really gets in there and blasts out the dirt!
Good luck~
~L.

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L.P.

answers from Saginaw on

I bought a large microfiber mop (WalMart) and I just sweep the floor like usual and then go through with a bottle of Windex Anti-Bacterial and spray a fairly large area and then wipe it up with the microfiber mop. It leaves my floor beautiful. When washing the mop cover -- make sure that you don't use any fabric softner -- I made that mistake -- not good!

This method works for me and I have about 1000 square feet of Pergo and a large hairy dog.

Good luck!

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R.S.

answers from Detroit on

It's so funny, I just responded to another mom trying to clean up a mildew mess, and I had the same advice for her as I have for you. Vinegar and water. Add about 1/2 to 1 cup of vinegar to a bucket of water and scrub away. And the good news is that vinegar is not hazardous like Lysol or any of those harsh, smelly chemicals. Good luck!

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J.N.

answers from Lansing on

i have just what you need!! And it's eco-sense friendly, and non-toxic for your little boy!! The cleaner is called Mela-Magic it's $5.24 for 32 oz. and all you need to use is 1 oz per gal. water!! i love it i get it from this wonderful wellness company. I also work from home for them. you can find out more at www.workathomeunited.com/julien. hope this helps.

J.

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K.L.

answers from Grand Rapids on

Hello, R.,

I looked this up online since I just moved into a home with laminate floors. The best thing to do is actually just use plain old hot water and a mop or towel. Then make sure you dry it with a towel as you go since sitting water on the surface isn't a good thing for laminate. What I do is just use a mop a large section of floor with a and use my foot to dry the area with a really big beach towel. The whole thing take only about 10 minutes, it's super-clean and there is no residue.

K.

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M.C.

answers from Detroit on

I use Murphy's Oil Soap mixed with water. It cleans well and leaves the floor sparkling. The only suggestion I have is that you should dry the floor with a towel after you mop, otherwise you'll get water spots.

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K.W.

answers from Detroit on

I had Pergo floors in my old house and I bought the specifically made cleaner for laminiate floors made by Pergo. We got it at the Home Depot right by the flooring.

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