Recs for Wood Floor Cleaner

For Cleaning floors: Try using Mr. Clean (Yellow) - 1 cap full to a bucket of hot, hot water. Or Fabulose (Purple) - 1 cap full to a bucket of hot, hot water. Remembering to keep your water hot at all times.

Wood floors are beautiful, but can be challenging to care for at times, especially in bad weather. My family has had wood floors for years. My grandmother, mother, aunts, etc. all use Murphy's Oil Soap. I use it myself to clean my wood sufaces in my home. I don't have wood floors. It also has many other uses. It can be used on painted wood surfaces. Cleaning cabinetry, tile, linoleum, and is great for cleaning the car as well. Dilute it in a bucket of water and there will be no need for rinsing. For your wood floors, I recommend hand mopping and wring the rag out to just damp and immediately dry with a dry towel or rag. It also has a most pleasing clean smell. I hope this is helpful.

Hey K., I have a great cleaner for wood floors and more. It is effective and safer for your family.Most of the wood floor cleaners that you find in stores are extremely toxic.If interested in learning more about creating a healthy clean home, check out www.WELLNESS4OURFUTURE.com good luck, M.

With 5 large, long-hair dogs and living in the country I wouldn't survive without my hoover floormate and murphy's oil soap. There is a special murphy's for the floormate, but for using a regular mop, nothing beats the regular murphy's oil soap. I also use it on my wood cabinets.

I try to avoid using Pledge on my floors as they get very slippery. Great fun for kids in their socks.

BONA BONA BONA!
This stuff is fabulous! I bought mine online but have since seen it at Bed bath and beyond... I purchased the gallon of concentrate, the already pre-mixed spray bottle (SO much easier than a bucket!) and the mop for $33 I think. My neighbor had let me try hers after my vinegar and water spots sent me on a tirade one day. For 6 months I had been secretly thinking I'd ruined my floors, and my first use of BONA made them look as good as the day we moved in. I use once a week all over - almost daily under our kitchen table (3 and 1 year old mess makers). In addition it is fairly green as cleaners go...

Check out GET CLEAN by Shaklee. It was featured on Oprah 4 times last year. Cleans great and is safe for your family and the environment. www.shaklee.net/carrie_claypool

How about Murphy's Oil Soap. I use the stuff on my laminate all of the time plus I use it on my hard wood. It cleans well and smells good. Give it a try if you haven't already I think you will be impressed.

D. B

We had the same problem and finally found something that works. Actually my husband found it. It's called the Shark and it's made by Euro-Pro. We bought it at Bed-Bath and Beyond for about $70. It uses distilled water and 'steam' cleans the floor along with cloth pads that come with it (they are to be washed and reused). Our floors have never been cleaner. Hope that helps.

Hi K.,
i use holloway house quick shine and they have a cleaner as well. I really like it. They have web site www.hollawayhouse.com check it out.

Good luck

M.

When I cleaned houses, I had a client who would have us use bleach, Dawn dishwashing liquid and hot water to clean her wood floors. Of course she had 10 (yes 10) coats of polyurethane on her floors. Her floors stayed clean and shiny. You can try the Dawn and water, but the bleach will strip your floors.

I have Pergo wood flooring. I use two baby wipes side by side on a swifter and wipe over my floors each day or sometimes I use the swifter wet floor wipes on my swifter and clean it. The baby wipes seems to pick up the dirt on the wipes. I really do not anything that will give it a shine. Be sure to sweep your floor first to make sure there is no rocks or grim that will scratch it.

K.,
Have you tried Murphy's Oil Soap? It's an excellent product.

Try Murphy's oil soap... its cheap and it works wonderfully. I had the same problem with haze and film with every product I tried. One word of advice... wear rubber gloves.

Follow the directions on the bottle. Works for me... my grandmother even asked what I was using to keep my floors so clean.

I always used to use Murphy's liquid oil soap. It's good for leather and wood. Smells good too. Doesn't smell like a cleaner.

We have a swiffer wet jet - just the regular kind... After we used up the cleaner in the bottle, my husband broke the seal on the top so we could re-fill it with our own product. I refill it with Murphy's Oil Soap mixed with water.

I have to agree with Sally G. The Hoover Floormate ROCKS!! I used to have 2 great danes & in their old age experienced both kinds of incontinence... I could not have gotten through that time w/out it! I just used the cleaner that came with it & it leaves both hard wood & linoleum looking great. It is no more difficult than vacuuming. Totally worth the investment. I think there are several models, I got mine at Target for around $140 2 years ago. There was $99 model at the time, as well. Oh, and the floor dries in less than 30 seconds - amazing.

I know exactly what you mean. Try Quick Shine Floor Finish by Holloway House. I get mine at krogers.

Bruce's cleaner works well, but if you want to look for an inexpensive solution that is also toxic free (great if you have children and/or pets) I have two for you. The Shark mop works great (uses only water)and Shaklee's Basic H cleaner. The bottle of Basic H is HIGHLY concentrated. You use only 1/4 tsp of the solution in 16 oz of water. It cost around $12 for a 16 oz bottle.VERY EFFECTIVE!!! You can also use it for 1000 of other purposes. Good luck finding what you need.
Here is a link: http://www.shaklee.com/00015.html

Feel free to contact me about it if you like. I use both the shark mop and basic h because I do not use toxins in my house.

I use some floor cleaner from Target called "Method". They have a whole line of products at Target now and I've been impressed with the hard wood cleaner. You use a soft mop and just squirt it on the floor and go over it. It has a nice scent and seems to really get up the sticky yogurt and all the other stuff up my kiddos spill on it.

I use a product called MelaMagic. It's manufactured by a company called Melaleuca. If you'd like to try it out visit my website and contact me it's www.homeofficemamma.com I can arrange for you to receive some samples.

K.,

I've got the same flooring, and strangely, I find that water with just a little bit of Palmolive works pretty well. As long as it's not too soapy, you don't have to give it a rinse, either. And dishwashing liquid is a great antibacterial, so....

I am curious to see what responses you get on this one because I too have been looking for something easy to use. The only thing I have found that works is to get a bucket with water and pine sol, on my hands and knees and wash with a sturdy cloth, then dry with a another soft cloth. I would love to find something that I could use with a dust mop or something similar!

Go to Weaver Street in Carrboro or Whole Foods. The Ecover Natural Wood Floor Cleaner works well on my polyurethane floors.

http://www.target.com/Shark-Steam-Mop-Gray-Purple/dp/B000...

This thing is fantastic - cleans and sterelizes using only water. It literally steams your floors clean. YOu can also buy them in most target stores so you don't have to pay shipping.

I use Bruce's hardwood cleaner. I got it at a local Deaton's Carpet store. I tried all those others, too. I really like Bruce's. Hope that helps.

Have you tried Fabuloso? I love this product-Smells great and it's cheap too. I like the purple one.

I used to clean houses and I use murphy oil on wood floors and they looked great.I ask a floor busness about using it and they said it was good for floors. Hope this helps you
Linda

Try Murphy's oil soap. Works great and leaves a shine. Follow the directions on the bottle for amount to use.

I clean houses and I have two customers that have wood floors that use Williams Lustra Oil. It retains luster and controls dust. Address on spray bottle is Williams Flooring 201 W. North St. Akron, OH. 44303 ###-###-#### One of the customers also uses something called squeeky clean and it gets other grime off of the floor. The lustra oil bottle lasts like a year or so. You only spray a little on your mop and it really makes the floors beautiful. This was recommended by the installer of their wood floor. One of the customers owns a wood company so I think he knows what he is doing...I have used some of it on some of my other customers and they also have purchased some. It really makes the floors shine. A little goes a long way! I think he also bought a wood cleaner from them that you mix with water and then you put the lustra on afterwards. Hope this helps. L.

Murphy's Oil Soap-I have used it on my hard wood floors for 20 years.

Murphy's Oil Soap. Cleans most stubborn things around te home and smells great, too.

Have you tried Murphy's Oil Soap that works very well and I have even used Pledge Furniture Polish also.

I like Method's Wood for Good (or is it Good for Wood?). You just squirt it on and mop it off (I use the O-Mop). you can get them as a kit (to get started) or separately at Target.

-K.

Windex diluted with water - same way you do your vinegar.

I have always had wood flooring. I use Bruces wood floor cleaner. I lived in Michigan for years and never had a problem finding it.Since I moved back to N.C. I haven't always found it easily. I would imagine that places like Lowes or Home Depot would have it.They have the cleaner and wax.Good luck

Hi K.~

We use Bona Swedish Formula Hardwood Floor cleaner. It works wonderfully & leaves the most beautiful shine! We use it with a large mop with a machine washable terry cloth mop cover.
http://www.bonakemi.com/shop/products.asp

If you know the brand of your floors, try checking their website for recommendations. We also have the hard polyurethane coated hardwood flooring & our manufacturer recommended avoiding Murphy's Oil Soap because it can build up on the coating & dull the shine. I have also read that the wet swiffers or soapy water can cause premature aging in hardwood floors (too wet.)

Best wishes~
M.

I really like Holloway House Quik Shine.

For polyurethane covered floors; no-wax products are readily available (Fuller Brush # 631907 Multi-Floor Cleaner).
http://www.fuller-brush-products.com/fuller-articles/wood...

Bruce's Wood Floor Cleaner

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=2007102219364...

http://au.answers.yahoo.com/answers2/frontend.php/questio...

my friends husband installs wood flooring for a living..he does custom homes..she has beautiful floors and advised me to us 1/2 water to 1/2 windex....i had cherry wood floors in my previous home and it worked great...good luck

Check out the products at www.Melaleuca.com. When you login, click on Product Store. Not only are the products safer for you and your children as well as being better for the environment, they WORK! I have hardwood floors as well and am thrilled at the results that I get from these cleaners. If you would like a catalog, feel free to contact me or go to my website at www.200Green.com/jhowell

P.S. Stay away from Pledge!!! It is one of the most dangerous source of toxins that you can use in your home! Check out the 10 minute video at www.atoxicbrew.com and click on the camera to watch the video. -J.

Sorry. I'm looking too. D.

I recommend amonina and water. I prefer vinegar and water, like you, but need amonia every now and then!

I use Wood for Good by Target. It's their Method brand and it's brown liquid in a clear container and it cleans real well and smells terrific!

Try Meyer's all purpose cleaner. The lavender scent is amazing and we use it on our wood and marble floors with no haze left at all.

Hello. I also have wood flooring in my home and have four girls. So, my floors do get very dirty! I tried many cleaners and found the Bruce Hardwood Cleaner is the best. It does not leave any film and cleans the floors to a beautiful shine. I got the complete kit which includes the microfiber cloth mop and a bottle of cleaner from Lowes. It was not very expensive - approx. $25 for the kit the first time. Then you can just buy the cleaner for approx. $5 if you already have a mop. I just dampen the cloth and follow the directions on back of the cleaner bottle. I hope this helps!

I have the same problem, andwill be checking here to see what others respond with. Just don't make the mistake I did--I tried frniture polish on the floor at the foyer of my house. BIG MISTAKE--I was very slippery! Very shiny and attractive, but killer treacherous. I had to remove it with a detergent--so back to clean but not so shiny. Good luck!

How about Murphy's? I too have wood floors and only use vinegar. Murphy's was always used on the pews and floors of our Catholic church....those women knew how to clean wood and that was what they used. I'm not impressed with anything but vinegar...but if you're looking for a good soap and cleaner for wood, that would be my suggestion.

I love that you are using vinegar and water! Natural, home-made cleaners are best, especially in homes with babies. I use vinegar and water with a little essential oil in it, too. However, sometimes I too, want something more heavy duty. I usually just add a little bit of castille soap to hot water (usually Dr. Bronner's tea tree oil soap so that I know there's some extra disinfectant action happening) and mop with that. If there is any build-up, you can always use the vinegar and water on the next cleaning. Sounds simple, I know, but I wouldn't waste money on any commercial stuff, especially since manufacturers are not required to list all ingredients, and you really don't know what your getting.
Good luck!

Try Murphy's oil soap.

We use a product we get at Home Depot. Not sure of the name but it comes in a green bottle. You spray it on the floor and then wipe it off with a buffer (can buy this with the spray). This works well for us-we have 2 large dogs that slobber!

I have wood flooring also and I use Bruce wood floor cleaner. Works well on mine. I also had wood floors when I lived in Ohio and I ended up putting a clear coat on that and it was easier to clean without leaving a flim.

I have had the same trouble I recently got a steam mop and am very impressed but it takes a couple of cleanings to tell a huge diffrence depending on the amount of residue left on the floor

I have always just used Murphy's Oil Soap diluted with water on my hardwoods. It works great and smells good too!

Good Luck!
Cris

have you tried murphy's oil soap. it's made especially for wood furniture and flooring. it cleans and moisturizes wood surfaces. you can get it walmart and it's not too expensive.

I have 2 suggestions. Target sells a brand called Method. You will need to use quite a bit of it in an area and then use a microfiber cloth to mop or wipe it. But, my favorite is floor cleaner by Restoration Hardware (in Green Hills). I LOVE it. It is a spray bottle that you do the same with.

I've used Bruce hardwood floor cleaner, Murphy's Oil Soap for hardwoods and Method's Wood for Good with great results. I also LOVE the O-Mop made by Method - it really takes the strain out of mopping.