Best hardwood floor/cabinet cleaner?

[anna08]

We just moved into a new home with nice hardwood floors and kitchen cabinets - I'm curious if you all have a floor cleaner and mop that you really love and if you have a cleaner that will get fingerprints of the cabinets but not hurt the finish? Thanks!

 

[angierae]

I use a spraybottle full of water with a splash of vinegar and occasionally a drop or two of Dawn on my hardwood floors. I then use a "Swiffer" mop with my own rags on it.

 

[whoopsiedoodle]

White vinegar! It's amazing for pretty much anything

 

[CTdiznymom]

I bought a product at Home Depot called Rejuvinate. It's in a spray bottle, and I did my cabinets with it. They look like new and we're talkiing 20 plus year old oak cabinets. I even put some on a dry mop and used it on my kitchen floor which is original to our 100 plus yr. old house.

 

[anna08]

Thanks ladies! White vinegar sure is cheaper than almost all other cleaners! I was tempted to buy a fancy steam mop but this is definitely worth a try first.

 

[HLAuburn]

Thanks ladies! White vinegar sure is cheaper than almost all other cleaners! I was tempted to buy a fancy steam mop but this is definitely worth a try first.

I'd be careful with a steam mop- most hardwood floors don't do well with excess moisture and I know my steam mop leaves the floors pretty wet (I use it on tile). For our hardwoods, we used a regular ol' mop with water and vinegar and they went over them with a towel to get up the extra water.

 

[C_leen]

I too clean with a spray bottle with vinegar/water mix. Since I have two dogs trekking the indoors in, I also use a steam mop periodically. It is a Hahn brand and there is a control to limit the water flow.

 

[maggs1035]

I have 100 + yr old hardwood floors with a glossy finish on them, that is until I mopped with Murphy oil soap the first time. Now they seem to have a film on them? Do you ladies think that if I use white vinegar that will get rid of that film and make them shiny again?

 

[travisx4]

My trusted floor refinisher swears by a vacuum then a good cleaning with window cleaner and paper towels. I have done this for years and the floors still look amazing. It requires getting on your hands and knees so I only do it every few months and a dry mop for the rest of the time.

 

[poohguys]

We use Halloway House. DH found it in the grocery store. Just mop on and let dry. Makes the floors look nice again.

 

[StregaNona]

Before we remodeled our kitchen and got new cabinets, I tried Murphy's Oil Soap on the old cabinets. I agree with a previous poster who said it left a film on the cabinets. I would not recommend it or use it again.

 

[anna08]

I too clean with a spray bottle with vinegar/water mix. Since I have two dogs trekking the indoors in, I also use a steam mop periodically. It is a Hahn brand and there is a control to limit the water flow.

I have two dogs and we have lots of footprints that gather in just a few days, so the vinegar mix sounds like a good option with how frequently I'll need to do it.

At our old house I tried the Murphy's product too and got that filmy dull look to the floors. I was really surprised at how it looked like it stripped the finish off, especially since it was designed for wood floors.

 

[meier56013]

My entire house has hardwood floors, and I swear by Norwex dry and wet mop pads. No chemicals or residue and the floors shine like new. While they do cost a little, they last a very long time.

 

[mistysue]

You can try contacting the manufacturer of your cabinets for recommendations. That will tell you what sort of finish they use and how safe harsher cleaners are. Some use sealants that only recommend water/vinegar and some you can use whatever.

DO NOT use steam on cabinets unless you know how the cabinets were made!!! Most brands of wood cabinets actually use a wood veneer- the "hardwood" grainy part you are looking at is actually a thin coat applied similar to a laminate, it can buckle and peel from the heat of steam. I would be careful steaming floors right under the cabinets for this same reason. I imagine that many hardwood floors are probably made in a similar fashion but due to the seams you would never be able to tell. It is unusual for it to come off, but I've seen it happen and it sucks to try to fix.
(can you tell I work with cabinets?)

 

[kid-at-heart]

Love my Bona mop, with or without the Bona cleaner. I use the dust mop on my wood floors, the microfiber mop on both wood and ceramic floors.

http://www.amazon.com/Bona-WM710013...8?ie=UTF8&qid=1343958538&sr=8-8&keywords=bona

 

[MrsDoubtfire]

I bought a product at Home Depot called Rejuvinate. It's in a spray bottle, and I did my cabinets with it. They look like new and we're talkiing 20 plus year old oak cabinets. I even put some on a dry mop and used it on my kitchen floor which is original to our 100 plus yr. old house.

I have used Rejuvinate on kitchen cabinets and also high quality paneling that I have in one of our rental apartments - and the results were super. (I just wish the tenants would take care of the woodwork as I do )

As far as floors - my rentals are full of hardwood floors as is my own home - some have oak, some have Ponderosa pine, and I use warm water and vinegar and they clean up beautifully. I stress to my tenants to never use Murphy's Oil Soap on the woodwork in my apartments as I find it leaves a dulling residue.

 

[sksjasams]

We don't have wood floors, so no ideas there...

I use Scott's Liquid Gold on our cabinets - works great!