How can I clean really dirty hard wood floors?
Question:My neighbor who had a stroke last year asked me to help him clean up alittle, I've noticed that his beautiful hardwood floors are caked with food, dirty and possibly puppy poop. what's the best way to clean it up?
Is vinegar good? bleach?
Should I polish the wood after?
Answers:
I clean mine with pinesol and a tablespoons of Murphy's oil soap. Pinesol gets EVERYTHING off and the oil soap keeps them from drying out. For tough spots I let the pinesol soak for about 10 minutes then use a putty knife to peel up the loose stuff (being very careful not to scratch the floor). Don't use bleach, you could strip the finish and dry out the wood.
Murphy's Oil Soap is very good for hardwood floors. You can wax/polish them afterward, but be SURE that the floors are thoroughly dry before doing so.
I would use a steam cleaner and then yes re polish the floor
yes vinegar is good, do not use bleach, I would use a sponge mop with some mild dish soap and rinse the floor off that way,,
or call merry maids,, I think you might open up a box of worms when you start the cleaning job,
Fill a water bucket with 2-4 ounces of orange oil (sold as TKO or get any product that guarantees to be pure orange peel oil) and hot water. The water will turn light white, and that's good! Mop the floor and keep changing the water and oil mix, when it turns dark grey. You'll have those floors safely sparkling and the whole house smelling nice in no time!
If they're really terribly damaged, you'll have to have them sanded down. Otherwise, you'll have to get down on your hands and knees with a scraper and manually remove the grime. No fun, but there's no other way if you really want to get them clean. Once you've cleaned them, there are a few products (such as Zep) that will get them looking like new again.
I was told to use vinegar and water on our hardwood floor. There are also commercial products that you can buy at places like Lowes and Home Depot. Sounds to me like this could be a BIG project. This does not sound like a mop job to me. More like hours on your hands and knees. And when you are finished I bet you will find the floor needs to be refinished. It is very kind of you to want to help your neighbor but this is one of those things you should know how much time and effort you want to invest before you get started. Good luck and god bless.
attatch a food store cloth sponge mop to the mop holder with cotton cord so its secure,wet,scrub,rinse,guess orange oils good,,bleach is nasty stuff,don't use it on wood floors,,,,,,when floors clean use butchers wax to polish it up;a badly worn floor might need refinishing.thats a big job
I saw an ad this morning for Orange Glo,,,looks like it will restore any hard wood floor...you know the guy Billy Mayes!
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