Hardwood Floors... Tell Me All About Them!

[AKL_Megs]

How do you clean them? What cleaner do you use? What type of vacuum do you use? How do you keep them up?

So, the house we HOPE to buy has hardwood floors in EVERY room. worship: We hear about our appraisal today and are in the underwriting stage!!!) Thankfully they are just refinished, but i want to keep them up. (We WERE going to put in an offer on a house with Pergo in every room, don't know if this is better or worse! ) I've never had them before, have no idea what to use or buy to keep them up, but want to purchase a proper vacuum and cleaner BEFORE we move it!

 

[sue1013]

The only thing I use to clean floors with is vinegar and water. You only use a damp cloth or mop too much water could cause problems. I don't think you need a special vacuum I've never heard of one and have hardwood in every room except kitchen and bathrooms.

 

[golfgal]

We had them in our old house and I REALLY miss them. We put them in and they were sealed with 3 coats of Poly. I used a dry Swiffer on them to dust them and every once in a while would clean them with Orange Glo for hardwoods. It is a microfiber mop with a spray bottle of cleaner. It worked great and didn't dull the floor. They are really low upkeep if they have a good sealer on them. They hide dirt very well too so they look clean for a long time.

 

[Frantasmic]

We vacuum with a floor attachment without the motor.

We use Bruce hardwood cleaner from Lowe's. You vacuum the floor and then use a special mop (like a large swiffer, but dry). Then, you spray a 2x3 area of the cleaner on the floor and use the mop to clean. The mop head is pretty dirty by the end.

We do this 2-3 times a month. Vacuum weekly.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We do the vinegar and water too.

We use a BIG dust mop for daily cleaning of the dirt, grit, dog hair. It is quick and easy. Although you have to vacuum the mop after.

I do use a Dyson as well. I have to get the corners and hard to reach spots with the attachment.

They are a pain to keep clean at this house. We are in new construction with silty dirt blowing around and the dog hair is a nightmare. Good thing I love my dogs.

 

[RUDisney]

I sweep my floors a few times per week, mostly because Prancer sheds and the birds drop their seeds on the floor. When my Dyson Animal vacuum was working, I'd use that since it actually sucked up the dirt and didn't blow it around like my Hoover Wind Tunnel. I really need to get that Dyson fixed. It just needs a hose on the bottom of it.

I used to wet mop with vinegar and water, but now I use the Swiffer WetJet. When I had a Clorox wet mop, I would fill the old bottle with vinegar and water.

BTW, we have HW flooring in every room except the kids' bedrooms (I installed new carpeting before I knew how easy HW was and can't bring myself to rip out good carpeting) and the bathrooms.

 

[Rafiki31]

We went from carpet to Hardwood, the biggest surprise for me was the cat fur. We have two cats (not fluffy, just shorthair) and with carpet we vaccumed them, but with hardwood we get these cat fur tumbleweeds. They are impossible to keep up with, lol. They drift behind the furniture and travel across the floor. Cat fur tumbleweeds haunt my dreams! They never go away!!

So I would also like some advice on how to keep up with the tubleweeds. lol. I have been using a little dustbuster for day to day and a big vaccum for the big clean.

Overall the hardwood floors looks SO MUCH BETTER then the carpet, they are beautiful and I love them!

 

[AKL_Megs]

Good thing I love my dogs.

Good thing I don't have one! I couldn't handle the hair!

 

[RUDisney]

We went from carpet to Hardwood, the biggest surprise for me was the cat fur. We have two cats (not fluffy, just shorthair) and with carpet we vaccumed them, but with hardwood we get these cat fur tumbleweeds. They are impossible to keep up with, lol. They drift behind the furniture and travel across the floor. Cat fur tumbleweeds haunt my dreams! They never go away!!

So I would also like some advice on how to keep up with the tubleweeds. lol. I have been using a little dustbuster for day to day and a big vaccum for the big clean.

Overall the hardwood floors looks SO MUCH BETTER then the carpet, they are beautiful and I love them!

You realize that the tumbleweeds were present before, too. They were just captured into the carpet so you couldn't see them. At least this way, you know they are there so you can easily sweep them up into a dustpan between cleanings.

 

[sunnyday123]

You realize that the tumbleweeds were present before, too. They were just captured into the carpet so you couldn't see them. At least this way, you know they are there so you can easily sweep them up into a dustpan between cleanings.

It's so much easier to maintain. When I moved into my house, I had all the floors refinished ( they were 30 years old) and the guy told me to use nothing but a mix of vinegar/water so there was no build up on the floors. That way, instead of having to refinish again if needed from wear, they could just put a coat of poly over it again unless there were deep scratches, etc. Now don't quote me because this was 106 years ago-ok 14- but I do remember him telling me not to use commercial cleaners because they will dull the shine.

Also make sure your shoes, especially heels, have the little rubber thing on them or that will damage your floor.

 

[AKL_Megs]

So... what is this vinegar water recipe... and, doesn't it STINK?

 

[donald&daisy]

I use a dustmop and then I use my Bissell steam mop.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

So... what is this vinegar water recipe... and, doesn't it STINK?

Vinegar is a natural deodorizer. Once it dries you cannot smell the vinegar. There is no "scent" left behind as with other chemicals.

No formula here, we just mix it up. I will use more vinegar than dh though.