How to Clean Hardwood Floors with Vinegar

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Hardwood floor is an excellent flooring option to make your home more appealing. We know hardwood floors are beautiful, cost-effective, and durable. 

But to keep it long-lasting, cleaning is essential. If you don’t do the maintenance and clean the hardwood floor fairly, it can be damaged before it has to.

Cleaning hardwood floors is a little tricky. Harsh chemicals can damage hardwood floors. So you have to be very careful in choosing the cleaning products. Some prefer using a DIY natural cleaner to clean the floor as it doesn’t have any chemicals and is safe to use on the hardwood floor.

There are many DIY natural solutions to clean the hardwood floor, but the best is using vinegar. Vinegar is an acidic cleaning agent that can deeply clean the hardwood floor without damaging it. And very simple to clean with.

How to clean hardwood floors with vinegar? Interested in knowing details? 

Read below; we will tell you the simple steps of using vinegar to clean wood floors

How to Clean Hardwood with Vinegar

Floor cleaning with vinegar isn’t a difficult task. To keep your floor a beautiful luster, taking special care of the hardwood floor is necessary. What can be better than vinegar?

Vinegar is a combination of natural food bi-products, organic substances, grains, and vegetables. Vinegar is an acidic acid, not a dangerous toxin, so you won’t have to worry about your family’s health. It can clean all buildup dirt, dust, mold, and bacteria. 

Let’s know the process of cleaning the floor’s vinegar solutions in easy three-step.

Prepping the Floor

Before you clean the hardwood floor with vinegar, you have to prepare the floor. If there are any spills, clean them first. And always try to clean the spills immediately.

Now broom the floor and clean all the loose dirt, dust, and debris. You can take help from a vacuum cleaner or steam cleaner also.

If you choose a steam cleaner, then remember you can’t use any chemicals. You can clean the floor with a warm water stream, which is safe for the hardwood floor.

Regular Cleaning

Cleaning with vacuum or steam, in a saying dry cleaning isn’t enough to clean the dirt. After doing dry cleaning now, it’s time for some wet cleaning.

Don’t be afraid; we won’t let your hardwood floor warp. Take one bucket of plain warm water; no need to add any chemical, commercial cleaner, or DIY solution.

Only warm water is enough for regular cleaning. Take a sponge, dip it in the warm water. Now wring the sponge and make sure the sponge is dampened and doesn’t have excess water.

Mop the floor with the dampened sponge, and your floor is free of dirt and germs. Regular cleaning is a daily chore; you can mop the floor in this process once a day or whenever any spills on the floor. 

Applying Procedure with Vinegar 

Using vinegar and water to clean floors is simple. Take one-gallon warm water or 16-ounce warm water in a bucket and half a cup of white vinegar.

Use two or three drops of lemon juice or orange essential oil; it will help the floor shine and leave a beautiful fragrance. Remember, there are many types of vinegar available in the market, but not all of them you can use to clean the hardwood floor.

When you mix white vinegar with warm water, water will reduce the acid a little and clean the hardwood floor without any damage. 

You can use apple cider vinegar or vinegar cleaner (vinegar-based floor cleaner) instead of white vinegar also. But never use Balsamic Vinegar or Red wine,m these are meant only for the kitchen.

Take a sponge or a piece of microfiber cloth and dip in the vinegar and water to clean hardwood floors. Mop the entire floor with this and leave it to air dry.

Or you can use a microfiber cloth or towel if you want the floor immediate dry.

FAQs

Is It Safe to Use Vinegar to Clean Hardwood Floors?

Yes, cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar is completely safe. Vinegar is a natural cleaning agent that is very effective in cleaning hardwood floors. It can remove all types of dirt, stubborn stains kill 99% of bacteria, and stops mold growth. Vinegar will deep clean the hardwood floor and will make the floor shiny. 

Does White Vinegar Damage Wood Floors?

No white vinegar doesn’t damage wood floors. Be worry-free that vinegar will damage your wood floor. Vinegar is a safe cleaning agent that is effective in cleaning all types of floors. It will clean the dirt and will remove the stubborn stain without damaging the wood floor. And white vinegar doesn’t leave any residue behind, so worrying about water touch is worthless.

What Is the Ratio of Vinegar to Water for Cleaning Hardwood Floors?

The perfect ratio of white vinegar to water is half a cup of white vinegar in one gallon of water for cleaning the hardwood floor as vinegar is acidic. If you add more than this quantity in one gallon of water, it can damage the hardwood floors. If you take less, then it won’t be effective anymore. So be careful about the ratio.

Is Murphy’s Oil Soap Good for Hardwood Floors?

Yes, murphy’s oil soap is good for hardwood floors. Some consumers said it doesn’t go well with the hardwood floors. But as Most of the consumers have given a positive response so we can say it’s good for the hardwood floor. 

How Can I Make My Hardwood Floors Look New Again?

Making your hardwood floors look new again is simple. Add a few drops of baby oil/orange essential oil/lemon juice to the commercial cleaner or DIY cleaner you use. Or take some jojoba oil in a towel and mop the floor with it. This will make your floor shine and look new again.

Conclusion

We have shared the simple, tested process of cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar. Follow the three simple steps we shared above and get a cleaned, shiny hardwood floor in a few minutes.

Let us know your positive response. Did you like the cleaning process? Have you tried yet or not? Leave your comment below.

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