Hard wood floor cleanin'

greg_n_ga · #1 10/17/12, 07:33 AM

The folks that I care take their lake house for (maintence/outside stuff) is fixin to fire their cleaning girls for not doin their job. They rent this house out and the renters pay the cleaning bill. Anyways, the owners came up and they found the house to be not up to their standards as clean !! Windows were dirty, cob webs everywhere. SHE took a shower and got some water on the floor. Wiped it up with a wash rag and the rag was very dirty. They want the house "DEEP" cleaned, then it looks like they are gona let my better half and myself do the cleaning on a regular basis after they and the renters have left. What would I use on these hard wood floors to get them "clean" ?? They furnish all the cleaning supplies !! Also what could I use to give the house a "clean" smell ?? Febreze maybe ??

starlady · #2 10/17/12, 08:49 AM

I like the Orange Glo 4-in-1 hardwood cleaner as it adds a very nice shine, but I do clean with a bit of dish soap in hot water first before using it. I don't do my floors as often as I should - maybe if I did I wouldn't have to "double clean"

If you build up a bunch of layers of the Orange Glo you do eventually have to strip it off with ammonia.

majik · #3 10/17/12, 11:30 AM

For a deep clean, I would vacuum first, then use a cleaner like the one WIHH suggested. Then buff dry. For maintenance, periodic vacuuming and a vinegar and water wash, buff dry with a soft cloth. Works for us. We have no carpet.

okiemomof3 · #4 10/17/12, 12:55 PM

i have had several houses with hardwood floors and Murphy's Oil Soap is the best! with as dirty as it sounds, it might take several scrubbings until it is cleaned and then after that, just maintanence will work...it will leave it nice and clean, good smell, and nice and shiny too! everyone always raved about how nice my floors looked when i had them, when honestly all i ever did was sweep with a regular broom (dust mops never got up all the filth, IMO) and used an old fashioned cotton head rag mop and mopped. they just looked great!

mildblue · #5 10/17/12, 01:15 PM

A shock treatment of ozone would help a lot

Ozarks Tom · #6 10/17/12, 03:13 PM

One part white vinegar, five parts water on a DAMP mop. Same formula you pay $6.95 for a quart at Big Box store. Only difference is theirs has a little lemon essence to keep you from smelling the vinegar.

I was in the wood flooring business for many years, and never found anything that would clean better. Some people use Endust, or similar products, that eventually leave a film. The above formula will take it off.

jwal10 · #7 10/17/12, 04:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ozarks Tom

One part white vinegar, five parts water on a DAMP mop. The above formula will take it off.

I also use the same in my cannister steam mop once a month for deep cleaning....James

gone-a-milkin · #8 10/17/12, 05:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wind in Her Hair

forgot to say -I always vacuum first - THEN mop -and then buff with my socks!

Oh? This explains a lot.

Bearfootfarm · #9 10/17/12, 07:02 PM

Get 5 Persian cats, spray them with Endust, and then dump a box of mice in the house

opportunity · #10 10/17/12, 08:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by okiemomof3

i have had several houses with hardwood floors and Murphy's Oil Soap is the best! with as dirty as it sounds, it might take several scrubbings until it is cleaned and then after that, just maintanence will work...it will leave it nice and clean, good smell, and nice and shiny too! everyone always raved about how nice my floors looked when i had them, when honestly all i ever did was sweep with a regular broom (dust mops never got up all the filth, IMO) and used an old fashioned cotton head rag mop and mopped. they just looked great!

I finally figured out that they had cleaned our wood floors with murphys oil soap it was why it always smelled so good when we looked at it. It worked better then any of the other stuff I bough and it was cheaper.

CaliannG · #11 10/18/12, 12:34 AM

For super-dirty wood floors:

Get a shop vac, a long handled, soft bristle scrub brush, and regular dish soap, and a large bucket of HOT water. Add dish soap to hot water, plunge brush onto bucket, apply vigorously. Do NOT be shy with the soapy water! Use LOTS of it!

When finished scrubbing, use the shop vac to suck up all of the dirty water. (It will also dry the floor as it goes) After it is dry, damp mop with vinegar and water, as suggested above.

That is the system I use if the floors are REALLY dirty. You can't let water sit on a hardwood floor, it will ruin it if it soaks in. That is why people are telling you to use oil soaps or damp mops. But there are just some dirt those things won't handle. By scrubbing the bejeebers out of it with lots of hot, soapy water, you remove dirt, old oil, etc. By sucking up the water IMMEDIATELY afterwards with a shop vac (Don't think to get to it after a lunch break), you avoid damaging the floor.

This method has worked when granddaughter, unbeknownst to us, trailed cajeta all over the living room floor JUST before we all left for the weekend. Do you know what cajeta looks like after having two days to solidify with heat, dust, and cat hair? It isn't pretty. This is how I fixed it.

jcatblum · #12 10/18/12, 02:00 AM

I used orange glow & loved it, smells good & makes floors shine. Best thing I bought for my wood floors was a HAAN steam mop. I researched them & it was rated the highest (3yrs ago). Cleans tile & wood floors without any effort. When our rental tenants move out the steam mop has always made the cleanout job quick. It will make your work MUCH easier. Just be sure to get some extra cleaning pads. Mine came with 2 & we wash the pad after each time we use the mop. Sometimes they would both be in the dirty clothes & I would be grumpy.

greg_n_ga · #13 10/18/12, 05:41 AM

Thanks everybody !!

meanwhile · #14 10/18/12, 01:33 PM

We use Murphy's Oil on the hardwood floors. Vaccum really very good first. Then, mop using the Murphy's oil in the water. It says no rinse, but we always rinse anyway.

We also use old towels on the floors. We just dampen the towels and rub them all over the place. We use bare feet and cram the towel up in the corners and rub good. Then turn the towel over and rub to see if the floor got clean.

I would not put steam on a real wood floor. The steam might be OK on the veneer type floors but if the floor is real wood, I would hate to steam the finish off.

Good luck.

jcatblum · #15 10/18/12, 02:12 PM

We have 2000+sq ft of oak. The steam isn't a big deal, just don't leave the steam mop sitting in one location. There is a rubber mat that came with the steam mop for it to rest on. My floors are sealed well & taking a steam mop across them a couple times a month isn't an issue. The mop doesn't leave the floor wet. It is dry in seconds.

jwal10 · #16 10/18/12, 02:21 PM

We made our own pads from towels. They don't get very wet at all, the steam passes through and we can control amount by using the trigger. Dirty or sticky places can be scrubbed then steam to sanitize. Our floors are pine with 7 coats of sealer on top of the stain. Some cherry and some medium oak stain....James

nc_mtn · #17 10/18/12, 06:35 PM

Tom is right. I do wood floors as well. Say what you want but in my contracts, if you use any kind of "rejuvenation" products (orange glo etc.) then you'll void it. They create a film on the finish, which doesn't allow real finish to properly adhere.
Wood and water doesn't mix. PLEASE don't "WET" the floor. Use a damp towel but not dripping wet. The more and more water you put on the floor will cause the wood to cup. This cupping will cause the edges to be higher, and the floor not as smooth. It also causes the finish to wear off on the edges of the board. Ugly, uneven floors.

But to each is own, and I need work sanding floors so, go ahead, pour the whole 5 gal bucket full of water on the floor and use every product that leaves a film you can get a hold of....

nc_mtn · #18 10/18/12, 06:38 PM

I've read studies that said Murphy's Oil soap is ok if the instructions are followed to a T. The problem is, people don't. They don't mop it on correctly, and instead of measuring out the cleaner, they just put a "plop" in the bucket, as they just pour out "about that much"

Woodpecker · #19 10/18/12, 08:21 PM

I just got my hardwood floors redone and the owner of the company told me to just use vinegar and water. I can't remember why though. He did say not to use Murphys Oil but agian I can't recall why.

ETA: my floors are Pine

Tricky Grama · #20 10/19/12, 04:52 AM

All sound great but maybe PM Willow Girl b/c she cleans for a living.