Hardwood Floor Natural Cleaner

1MusicMaker

How can I clean my hardwood floors without using the toxic stuff (like Murphy's oil soap)?  I am a little worried about it damaging the wood, since they are real wood (not laminate) and I don't think they are sealed.  Thanks for the tips!

luvlieK

Method makes a hardwood floor cleaner, you can get it at Target

laurenbug

DH is in the hardwood flooring business, and Murphy's Oil is the worst thing you can use on floors!  He recomends the Bona floor cleaning kit, which you can get at BB&B, but isn't a natural cleaner (need to look into how bad it is...).  He says that you can use a LITTLE bit of vinegar mixed into warm water, and mop it onto floors (but don't allow to stand on the floors, just damp mop), but using too much vinegar can ruin your floors as well.  I'll see if I can find the correct ratio.

1MusicMaker

lauren--thanks for looking into the ratio!  I'll keep checking back.

laurenbug

Okay, I just talked to DH, and I didn't know this...the Bona Floor Kit is actually "environmentally responsible and non-toxic", so he really thinks that's your best bet.  Here's the website.  If you are set on using vinegar, use 1/2 c. in 1 gal. warm water, and just damp mop after you've swept or used a dust mop on the floor (you should do this no matter what you use to clean, because the dirt on the floor will scratch your finish when mopping).  The vinegar, he says, will eventually eat away the finish on your floor, so you shouldn't use it very often.

For our floors, we use the Bona dust mop daily or every other day (with no cleaner), and then use the microfiber mop with the hardwood cleaner to "hit the high spots" weekly or so.

Sorry this is so long and in-depth, but DH is kind of a freak about his floors

1MusicMaker

Thanks for the info!  I am pretty sure our ace carries this Bona product, so I'll look into it.