Cleaning Hard Wood Floors! - Hesperia,CA

I have kids and dogs. I have found the best is to use the dry swiffer first - then, with a fresh dry swiffer - spray on Bona Hardwood floor cleaner. You can get that at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. That stuff is wonderful!!!!! I think you can also order it online. I also use a mop from BB&B that has a removable terry cloth cover that you can wash.

Good Luck!

I use powder in the corners of the house...in every corner you can put a little be of powder, that way all the hair will go to the powder...works for my cat?Maybe worked for you dogs.Good lucky

Hi C., You've gotten a lot of really great advice but I just wanted to add my two cents about the Swiffer - DON'T get it. I had to put my cat down because his kidneys had failed. I was mystified as to where he'd picked up the chemical the vet found in his system and then a friend found out it was in the Swiffer.

First off, I am a flooring contractor who specializes in hardwood floors. I have seen major damage done to floors that were not properly cared for. The maintenance procedure's are different on different types of floors. DO NOT USE A WET MOP, WET SWIFFER, ETC.!!! The wet mop and swiffer produce too much moisture and will cause the wood to expand over time. You may not see it happening at first, but over time the wood will expand and cup. Your floor will be ruined and no manufacturer will honor the warranty. Do not use wax on factory sealed hardwood flooring that was sealed with a urethane finish, the wax will ruin the finish.

I will give you the maintenance procedure for a factory sealed urethane finish here. If you have a different type of flooring, refer to my website for the maintenance procedure of your flooring type. The proper way to care for your wood floors is to sweep daily to pick up the loose dirt. Loose dirt causes the flooring to scratch. A dry microfiber mop head works best. You will need to have a few mop heads on hand, they are washable. Just do not use fabric softener or dryer sheets when cleaning. They will coat the microfiber and decrease the cleaning ability. Our company recommends the Bona line of cleaning products. We carry the mop heads, handles, and cleaning products. About once a week, you will use the Bona cleaner after picking up the loose dirt. Lightly mist about a 1 to 2 foot section, then using the Bona MicroPlus mop wipe using a back and forth motion. Finish one area before moving on to the next. For stubborn spots, rubber heel marks or sticky spills, spray cleaner directly on the areas and wipe clean. When mop covers, pads or cloths become soiled, replace with clean ones. I typically do the dirtiest parts of the house first, like the kitchen - areas with the most traffic. When that area is finished, get a clean mop head. The dirty one will cause streaking on the rest of your floors.

If you would like any more advise, we have a whole section on maintenance of wood floors on our website. Visit www.elliottfloorcovering.com and click on the Maintenance page. We also have a blog with some good advise on it.

I hope this information helps. With proper maintenance your wood floors will last the lifetime of your home.
J. Elliott
Jason Elliott - President
Elliott Floor Covering, Inc.
We serve all of Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire.

Hi C.,

I have cleaned houses for a living for many years and have found some tried and true things for hardwood floors. I had a house will all hardwood too, so I've lived it.

First, a good vacuum with a hardwood floor attachement. Do not sweep your wood floors, all you're doing is moving the dust and hair around. I don't like the Rumba or automatic type vacuums, they are round, corners are not. Vacuum your floors first, it gets up all the hair, dust, crushed cereal and toast crumbs.

Second, microfiber, microfiber, microfiber. It's going to be your best friend. Don't bother with a cheap version of a microfiber mop. Spend the money and get a good quailty microfiber pad. The mop handle its self doesn't matter, the mop head does. Good quality microfiber is amazing. Make sure you have more than one head, you will want to change them often. Use them to wet mop your floors when needed or to do a dry mop/quick pick up when you don't want to take the time to break out the vacuum.

Do not use a steam cleaner on wood floors. Steam/moisture will expand the wood each time you clean the floors. When it dries and contracts, the wood is damaged. Over time, your floors will be ruined.

Don't bother with swiffer wet jets or anything like that for cleaning, they don't do the job that microfiber does, and worse, they leave a coating on your floor that only attracts more dust and dirt. Good old microfiber, water and a little disinfectant will do the trick. I use lemon Pine-Sol, I like the way it smells.

One quick note on microfiber. Microfiber is designed to pick up dust and dirt by naturally using a bit of the static electricity in the air to grab the dirt. Wash them in the washing machine, but do not use fabric softener. You can dry them in the dryer if you choose, but no static dryer sheets. I hang dry my rags and mop heads. If you use fabric softener and/or dryer sheets, they coat the microfiber. Dryer sheets are designed to repel dust, (hence that's why we use the used ones to dust our tv and computer screens). The coating on the microfiber will repel dust, not attract it.

I'm happy to offer any other suggestions if you need more answers. Happy cleaning!

We use Roomba daily and Scooba every couple weeks. Based on other responses I'm not sure the moisture is the best for it so I will have to do some research myself!

Hi C. -

I live a in a home with all hardwood floors and, until recently, we had a dog too (husky type breed). After trying many things (& vacuums like you mentioned) I have these things to recommend:

1. consider investing in a Meile vacuum - the one that handles pet hair, pet hair in almost any other engine will muck it up over time and you will loose suction. Any other vacuum I have tried just hasn't satisfied me over the years and this one is WORTH the $$ and it will pay for itself over the years!

2. consider having a "no shoe" policy - this seemed like a pain at first but now it's just part of our routine and it has cut down on *SO* much dirt coming into the house. I have a polite sign up by the door and no one ever minds, they just say, "oh what a good idea!"

3. When I need to wash I use a diluted Murphy's oil soap and a mop.

I hope that helps & good luck!
A. :)

I have hardwood floors too. I finally broke down and bought an extra swiffer and gave it to my two yo. she kept stealing mine. Now we do it together, or she breaks hers out and does it when she wants to play... I was like 'Score!' she still thinks it is a toy and I have given her a few rules and let her go. one rule in that it has to have the pad on it. another is not on the carpets, and the last is not in the air. it works out really well...
then we vacume once a week and I use the swiffer wet pads once a week, or if there is a mess, it is usually wet and I just use a towel to clean it up...
Good luck!
R.

I feel your pain!! I have been using the plain old Shark, purchased from Target, and have had wonderful results and NO chemicals. I love cleaning my bathrooms with it, just seeing all that steam you know your sanitizing everything. Good luck. J.

I HATE the swiffer wet jet.. it does not get your floor cleaned. If you just moved in I would highly recommend that you have the floors steam treated and then re-sealed. You should be able to just dust mop after that or get a vacuum that does bare floors. You have to be careful with chemicals on hardwood as it can damage them. If worse come to worst then call a flooring store and ask them how to care for the floors.

Don't use Swiffer Wet Jet!!! Someone told me that it's really toxic and that dogs were getting sick from it. I've been meaning to google it.
I use a floor cleaner from Whole Foods. I don't know what advice to give...I have a similar problem and just vacuum a lot more often. Maybe have a broom to make little spots quicker and easier?

Please be careful about the chemicals used in these mops. I have seen studies about small pets developing cancers and organ failure in homes mopped with these toxic chemicals. We have to think about how those chemicals affect our little ones still crawling around on these floors.

Hello, I got laminate flooring in my kitchen a couple of years ago. I was wiping it with a wet towel and drying it with a dry towel. I thought chemicals would ruin it. Then my daughter moved home with her baby and DOG. We have a little dog and this one is bigger. It has skin problems and licks itself constantly. Guess where it wants to hang out? When it is not leaving lick marks and hair all over the kitchen and laundry room, she is stinking up the rest of the house. The smell it horrible. Anyway, I found the Swiffer Wet Jet with Fabreze. This is safe for laminate flooring. I know there is one for wood floors. It also has a great smell. It dries well (non-streaking). I use a Swiffer dry before the Wet Jet. It works very well. I am thinking of investing in Fabreze. :-)
Good Luck.
K. K.

Go to buygreengoods.com they have a great floor cleaner. Use a terry cloth mop with it. I wouldn't recommend a wet mop at all especially a swiffer one with all those chemicals. I am really happy with the natural floor cleaner and all their other products.

A.

We too have a very sheddy dog. The one product I can really get behind is the Furminator. It's a brush that you can buy at Petco or on Amazon.com. The first time we used it on our labrador retriever, we filled up an entire grocery store bag with hair! It's a little spendy, but I'm much rather brush her outside once per week for 5 minutes than contiunally have to vacuum up her hair inside.

I've also heard that Dyson is a great vaccuum for pet hair.

Good luck!

Orange glow mop set works good for cleaning and it puts a seal and shine on floor. love it

Bissel makes a vaccuum for families with tons of pet hair I found it at costco. Also they make a hard floor cleaning machine- it is white and red and cleans Great! It is amazing how dirty hard floors can get! We have 3 kids and 2 labs...quite the mess makers!

Get your self a swiffer and an empty squirt bottle put half water and half vinegar. Spray and mop! It wont leave a residue on the floor that makes it sticky. This is what I have used on my wood floors for years!

Good luck!

Miss C. ~
Are they sealed wood floors, or laminate floors ? the swiffer wet jet seems to leave streaks and a film on the laminate. I would go for the floor mate, works wonders on laminate and tile. I'm not sure about sealed wood floors. Good luck and try and remember you children will remember all the good times you had not how clean the floors were ....

C.,

I have 3 kids, 3 dogs, and 3 cats, all on tile floors! Not to mention the remodeling we are undergoing for a mold issue in the bathroom, WE HAVE DIRT!!! I have a small (but tall so I don't have to bend over all day) broom and dust pan, and a Shark, and I LOVE the Shark!! I limit food and drinks to the table, and try to enforce shoe wiped well at the mats (or off when possible) and then let it go! Clean the big stuff but let the little things wait till naps or bedtime. The Shark has a new "flippable" model that I just got for my mom and she LOVES it (she had the original Shark too, but it broke after 3 years of usage). Enjoy the new house, and remember that a lil dirt won't hurt :)

I have an older model of the hoover floormate. It cleans better than mopping and it leaves the floor nearly dry. I use it on wood floor and ceramic tile. It's great for small spills too. Costs around $100 and is safe for most wood floors.

Hey C.. I just got the shark recently for a housewarming gift. Our new house has tile and hardwood floors. I'm kinda missing carpet! But I think it's great. I can see the dirt that comes off my floors. I think it works great and really cleans without using chemicals. But the other side is my girlfriend tried it on her bathroom tile floor (that really shiny tile) and said it left a film on her floor. But it's just water and steam so I'm not sure what made that happen. But she wasn't happy with it so she took it back. You can probably go online and search for reviews on each of the ones your looking at. Good luck, I know what your going through. The vacuum was so easy!

First I "swiffer" the whole thing especially the corners. Really gets the fur !
Then I use Bona floor Cleaner (available at Bed Bath and Beyond) and follow with the Refresher. There is a special kit that comes with squirting hand held "mop"and cleaner.

It is child and pet safe!

I don't like the swiffer wet jet either. I do like the regular dry swiffer, which is kind of like dusting the floor. It's good for getting dust, hair, etc. You can use it to sweep the crumbs into a pile and then just sweep them up with a dustpan.

Bona is a good cleaning product for wood floors. It's available at Bed Bath and Beyond.

K.
http://oc.citymommy.com

At the Orange County Swap Meet, I bought a microfiber dry mop that I love!!! The mop heads are machine washable, so they can be used again and again. I dry mop the house daily, then wet mop (starting with a clean mop head) using Bona wood floor cleaning spray. It is really easy. If you're not near the OC Swap Meet, the mop is similar to the one seen here: http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&... Good luck!

I would say keep your outside entry way as clean as possible and have a mat in the front of the door that way anytime someone comes in the house they wipe their feet and it will eliminate allot of the dirt being tracked in from the outside. I would do this for the entrance from the backyard too. Good luck = )

I have 3 kids (8,5 and 2) and a lot of floors, too. I could not survive without my Swiffer Sweepervac (http://www.swiffer.com/en_US/sweepervac.do) or my Hoover FloorMate (http://www.hoover.com/product.aspx?model=H3030&ds=false). I love the swiffer because it picks up the big crumbs with the vacuum and the little stuff with the swiffer cloth. I love the floor mate because it doesn't just push around the dirty water in a sponge or cloth but sucks it up in the canister. After seeing what I pour out of that canister at the end of a cleaning, I've never returned to a mop. Good luck!

Get a Roomba and let it run everyday to pick up the crumbs, hair etc.
Or, just run a quick dust mop.
And then just mop as needed with Bona wood floor cleaner.

I've lived in my house for 4 years with 2 huskies, 3 bodies, and wall to wall hardwood floors and I STILL can't figure out how to keep my floors clean. It is a constant battle and it drives me nuts! Good luck.

Dear C.:

I've had hardwood, laminate, tile and carpet in my homes and, of all of these, hardwood is the best. I know you think you're having a harder time keeping it clean but the truth is, though carpet seems easier, it's really hiding all the grossness that's flipping you out now! The good thing is that with the hardwood, you can see it and get it up easier.

This is what I did when my kids were small. Eating was done at their table (or, perhaps in your case, high chairs) only. Since the age of two, they poured their own pitcher and ate and then cleaned up their dishes and their placemats. I did not allow "grazing" because I did not want to spend all day cleaning. I'd much rather play with my babies!

So, the food mess was contained in one place. We did any art in that same place but mostly outside or in the garage. One thing we did to minimize mess was that we never permitted shoes on in the house. Shoes were left at the door. Of course, that's not going to help with your dogs!

So, you're left with my final recommendation. Get a little stick vac (they're only about $20) and just vac up whatever little mess pops up during the day. Also, have a fluff mop and just draw up all the hair blobs and whenever you go outside, bang it on something out there to dust it off.

I know it sounds like a lot but you really don't need to mop for dusty, gritty messes...that's overkill and the truth is, your environment is still CLEANER for your babies with hardwood floors...trust me! I now have an entire floor (upstairs) that's carpeted and it GROSSES US OUT! I can't wait to rip it out one day. :(

Oh, and yes, you're living with a mop in hand for now but in no time, THEY will be vacuuming for you (the kids, not the dogs!) and they will make a lot less messes. Keep enjoying your babies...it sounds like so much fun!

Best wishes,

M.

Hi C.
Last year we were in a house that had about 1800 sq ft of hardwoods (the entire main level). I didn't know how to keep them clean and it drove me nuts! My husband works in the cleaning industry (EVS at hospitals) and recommended microfiber.
So, we went to Lowe's, got the rubbermaid mop and mops heads. We got a couple of dust mop heads and about six of the damp-mopping, microfiber heads. The mop is about 18 inches wide and the heads velcro on to it. I love that you can wash them in the washing machine. I'd use 2-3 of the damp ones while mopping. Just keep the others soaking, so there's always one ready to go.
It took about 3 moppings to get the floors up to par. But, after that, it was easy to keep up. We also had a strict "no shoes" rule.
Now we moved to Cali and have horrible navy blue carpet that shoes everything. How I miss my hardwoods!

Hello,
I have a shark and my home also has all hardwood floors. The shark is okay but not a wonder product as it does not deep clean. I generally just mop the floors with water and vinegar solution to get a better cleaning.

I've got a 5,4,14 month old and someone's always spilling something!!

I switched from carpeted floors to laminate floors throughout and I was amazed at the daily buildup that occurs. I also keep my windows open, so all of the pet hair and other gunk just keeps floating around. I say, spot clean the wet messes, try to minimize those with rugs at the doors, shoes off policy, etc. Just get a good sweeper vacuum meant for hard surfaces (and with a long cord) and vacuum daily. The dust bunnies will all gather in the same places every day depending on the airflow in your house. Save the mopping for more infrequent cleaning - that is way too much of a hassle!

My Mom has been using the Shark Steam cleaner for over a year now on her kitchen floor and loves it! She likes that there are no chemicals to use and you can wash the pads.

My Mom just vacuums the floor then goes over it with the Shark.

I have hardwood floors in my house and we could never get them clean either. I asked the floor installer what to use on them and he said the best thing is white vinegar in hot water. That was five years ago and I haven't used anything else since. No streaking, no residue and environmentally friendly, not to mention cheap!