The type of wood floor you have will determine the type of floor cleaner you need to use. It is very important you choose the right cleaner because the wrong one can cause permanent damage to your wood floors. If you are unsure about the type of wood floor you have there are a few simple ways you can test it to find out. Most likely your floor has either a wax or surface finish.
What you want to do is find an inconspicuous area of your floor to test, usually a in a corner of a room. Apply 2 drops of water directly to the floor. If white spots appear under your drops within ten minutes your floor has a wax finish. If the white spots do not appear you probably have a surface finish floor, to be sure take a coin and scratch the surface of the wood. If it does not scratch then you can be sure that your flooring has a surface finish. More details can be found at .
Cleaners for Wood Flooring with a Wax Finish
You must dust mop and vacuum regularly, usually once a week. You also want to buff the floor every now and again to keep it shiny. Eventually buffing won't be enough to shine the floor, that's when you know it is time for a waxing. Before waxing, clean the entire floor with a cleaner made specifically for your type of hardwood. Apply the wax evenly across the entire area and when it is dry buff it out. You should only need to wax your floor once or twice a year.
Cleaners for Wood Flooring with a Surface Finish
Sweep and vacuum your floor regularly. Never use wax on a surface finish floor. Instead, use a surface finish to recoat a dull wood floor. Depending on the amount of traffic on the floor, you may have to apply the finish every couple of months.
Homemade Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Many people like the idea of mixing their own homemade floor cleaner. In addition to saving money, many people like the idea of using natural products to clean, rather than toxic chemicals that can harm your health and damage the eco system. There are many different ways to mix every day products to make different cleaners.
General Purpose Floor Cleaners
If you want to make a basic floor cleaner that can be used in your bare floor cleaning machine, mix 1/3 cup of Borax with one gallon of warm water. Add one teaspoon of liquid dishwashing detergent and a tablespoon of ammonia. This solution makes a fine floor cleaning product that will not only remove tough stains, but will disinfect your kitchen and bathroom floors.
To clean your wood floors, go to the pantry and mix ? cup of white vinegar and ? cup of vegetable oil. This natural solution will make your wood floors shine like new. The vinegar acts to remove stains and the oil helps to maintain the luster of the wood.
If you have Pergo floors, you can mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar, 1/3 cup rubbing alcohol, 1/3 cup water and three drop of dishwashing liquid to make a fantastic floor cleaner. This solution can also be used in your bare floor cleaner, or with a mop.
To clean a linoleum floor, mix one tablespoon of liquid soap, a quarter cup of baking soda to two gallons of hot water. Add ? cup of white vinegar to the mix and you have an excellent linoleum floor cleaner. This solution also works very well on tile floors.
Scented Floor Cleaners
To make a nicely scented, homemade floor cleaner, mix 1/3 cup of white vinegar to two gallons of hot water and add drops of orange essential oil or lemon essential oil to the mix. Essential oils can be found in craft shops where candle supplies are found. Even if you do not have the oils, the vinegar and water makes a great cleaner and costs a fraction of what a store bought floor cleaner costs.
Disinfectant Floor Cleaners
To disinfect a floor, use ? cup of borax to two gallons of hot water. Borax can be found in your supermarket next to the laundry detergents and is a powder. A large box of Borax can go a long way in developing many different cleaning products. The Borax solution does not have to be rinsed after applied. It will disinfect any floor, even the bathroom.
Chrome Cleaner
Toothpaste, for example, makes a great chrome cleaner, as does crumpled up aluminum foil. White vinegar is, by itself, one of the best glass cleaners available.
Dusting
You can also use re-used dryer sheets in place of magnetic cloths, such as "Swiffer" cloths. Dryer sheets are also great for dusting, particularly television screens.
A Warning About Bleach and Ammonia
If you are mixing your own floor cleaners, never mix ammonia and bleach, as the fumes are toxic.
Once you have made a homemade floor cleaner, you will probably want to try to make other cleaning products. You may even enjoy using some every day products in ways to clean your home.
Both Michael Granger & Wilhelm Williams are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Michael Granger has sinced written about articles on various topics from Air Filters, Home Management and Computers and The Internet. and everthing you need to keep your wood floor shining like new can be found online.. Michael Granger's top article generates over 5400 views. to your Favourites.
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