A frequent concern about the use of vinegar to clean hardwood floors is that it must be diluted in water.
Too much vinegar on hardwood floors.
Again this is fine for most general cleaning but when cleaning floors excess water should be avoided since it can lead to moisture damage.
Then mix a 1 2 cup of white vinegar with a gallon of warm water in a bucket.
Since vinegar is an acid it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor and over time it will reduce the shine and leave a dull appearance.
There s certainly debate on that subject and you can find plenty of homemade floor cleaner recipes around the internet that use some vinegar but i ve always decided to remain careful and keep the vinegar away from my vintage restored hardwood floor.
To clean hardwood floors with vinegar start by sweeping your floors to remove any dust and debris.
Too much vinegar or too much water.
For hardwood floors water is anathema.
Plunge a clean mop into the water vinegar mixture and ensure it is thoroughly wrung out before mopping.
But they do warn against the use of water and vinegar for hardwood floors.
Allow the whole area to dry.
You can also add a few drops of essential oils to give the solution a nice fragrance.
Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor which can cause swelling and discoloration.
Using a ratio of one gallon of warm water to a half cup of white vinegar fill up a clean bucket.
The best way to clean hardwood floors.
When cleaning with vinegar the solution created is made up of mostly water.
Ideally it should be thirty minutes at most or slightly less unless you used too much cleaner.
And wood and water do not mix.
Too many people don t really know how to clean wood floors with vinegar properly and that causes damage to wood floors.
Vinegar is an acidic substance and over time can eat away or deteriorate the finish on a hardwood floor.
Avoid the use of vinegar on marble and granite as it can eat away at the stone finish.
Vinegar is acidic and i ve decided to heed the cautions that it could dull the finish and even possibly warp the wood over time.
Since vinegar is acidic it can have the negative effect of damaging the finish on your floor leaving floors looking dull or cloudy.
The process may be hastened if vinegar is used in conjunction with very hot water.
It s like kryptonite for superman.
White vinegar works well on practically any hard floor surface including all types of wood laminate linoleum and tile.
The main problem is that often people make mistakes by using too much water.
The water and vinegar will clean and disinfect the floor while the olive oil will restore its shine.
The key is to dilute the vinegar enough to hold its cleaning power but reduce the acidity that can cause damage to some types of flooring.
Too much water can warp your boards cause a ripple effect permanently discolor the wood and produce nonrepairable damage.
Next mop your hardwood floors with the solution so they re damp but not soaked.
