Cleaning old hardwood floors naturally.
Vinegar and water good or bad for finished hardwood.
Cleaning with vinegar has many advantages it is cost effective deodorizing and nontoxic to humans and pets.
Vinegar can clean all kinds of wood.
The deodorizing and disinfectant nature of vinegar makes it effective in removing such stains.
The acetic acid in vinegar can wear away or etch the polyurethane finish which over time will make your once gleaming floors seem dull.
It has anti bacterial properties.
Some will even void the warranty if there are any signs that vinegar was used.
The following method works well for cleaning tough stains and extra dirty hardwood floors without using a store bought cleaner.
Standing water and wood are not friends so remember to use a dry soft cloth to dry the floor after you finish cleaning it.
Hardwood floor cleaners are neutral ph cleaning solutions which is why they are better than the old method of vinegar and water.
Cleaning with vinegar is a green alternative to the sometimes toxic and expensive cleaners offered at the store.
Add a few drops of lemon lavender oil or grapefruit oil to help get rid of the bad odor.
But no hardwood floor is waterproof no matter how many layers of coating are used.
Many flooring manufacturers including lumber liquidators warn against using vinegar to clean your hardwood floors.
It s important to remember that when you clean your hardwood floors you aren t actually cleaning the wood you are cleaning the chemical finish on the wood.
You should use the specific hardwood floor cleaner recommended by the manufacturer of the finish used on your floors.
Just don t use vinegar and water to clean hardwood floors.
Too much water can warp your boards cause a ripple effect permanently discolor the wood and produce nonrepairable damage.
Second a mixture of vinegar and water typically isn t as effective as a neutral ph soap or cleaner formulated for wood when it comes to pulling up dirt and grime.
It is true that polyurethane is the most common finish applied to raw hardwood flooring because it is a powerful barrier of protection against fast and permanent damage to the wood.
Prepare a homemade hardwood floor vinegar cleaning solution by mixing a cup of white vinegar and warm water in a bucket.
Cleaning hardwood floors with water or.
So by using vinegar you are doing something good for the environment.
Vinegar is acidic so it can wear down finish over time even if it s diluted with water.
Using vinegar and water as a homemade hardwood floor cleaning solution can have a negative effect on your hardwood floor.
Wood floors can be warped and damaged if left wet and result in costly repairs.
And wood and water do not mix.
While it is a natural substance it is also acidic which means it is a powerful cleaner.
A frequent concern about the use of vinegar to clean hardwood floors is that it must be diluted in water.
There are many distilled white vinegar uses and cleaning old hardwood floors naturally is one of them.
