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How to Clean Wood Floors without Chemicals

How to Clean Wood Floors
 
I get asked, all the time, what I recommend for how to clean wood floors.  My answer is always the same so I figured it was time I wrote an actual post on it!
Let me start by saying that I have tried a lot of different products, always in search for a product that wouldn’t leave my floor with a nasty residue, one that was easy to use, a product that wasn’t harmful for my floors or my family, etc.
 
After trying just about every product on the market I was pleasantly surprised when Jennifer, from Blissfully Ever After, introduced me to Basic H.  I had been using Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Cleaner for a few years and I had always been happy with it.  However the hardwood floors we have in our current home are a different type of hardwood then we had in our other home and I had started to notice that the Orange Glo was leaving a waxy residue on my floors.  I had never had that problem before, but there are so many different types of hardwood flooring and each one is a little different.
 
So… when Jennifer told me about Basic H I was excited to give it a try.  I have been using Basic H to mop my floors for about 8 months now and I am still loving it.  It is an all natural product so it’s safe for my floors and my family, it doesn’t leave a waxy residue, and it’s super easy to use!
 
Here’s my “mop the floor” routine:
 
First I vacuum.  One of the things I love about my Dyson is the hard floor attachment.  It makes it very easy to vacuum up the floors before moping!
 
How to Clean Wood Floors
 
Then I pull out my Scotch Brite Microfiber Hardwood Floor Mop.  I absolutely love this mop!  It has a swivel head which is great for mopping around furniture and toilets and the microfiber cloths are removable so when I am finished mopping I can pull it off and toss it in the washing machine!  The best part is that this mop is less than $20 and it lasts forever {I’ve had mine for almost 2 years}!
 
How to Clean Wood Floors
 
Then I pull out my Basic H, All Purpose Blend.
{It’s a Shaklee product; you can purchase it here.}
 
How to Clean Wood Floors
 
I start by getting the mop head wet and then wringing it out.  Then as I mop I spray the floor with the Basic H and then mop that area.  I spray about a 3 foot section at a time.  Let me tell you, this is such a fast and easy way to mop the floor and because there are no chemicals in the Basic H it dries very quickly!
 
I actually love this combo {Basic H & Scotch Brite Mop} so much that I’ve started giving it to my friends as house warming gifts.  My friend Tricia moved into a house that is all wood flooring and she was ecstatic when I gave her this as a gift!
 
I hope this answers all of your questions about what I use, and how I mop my wood floors.  The last thing I want to say is that if you have hardwood floors that are supposed to be waxed, then I would still highly recommend the Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Cleaner.  If your wood needs wax then this is a great product because it’s not too waxing like a lot of products on the market are.
 
NOTE: If you do not have Basic H you can also use a mixture of 1 part water to 3 parts white vinegar.
 
 

About Anna

"Hi, I'm Anna! Wife, mother, child of God, and the founder of Ask Anna. I have always enjoyed cleaning, organizing, decorating and helping people, so I've put that all together on the pages of this blog. I truly hope my tips help you in your home and make sure to contact me if you have a question!"

Comments

  1. Diane says

    Anna, you say you begin to clean hard wood floors by getting the mop head wet. You mean with WATER, right?

     
    I start by getting the mop head wet and then wringing it out. 

    Thanks, Diane

      • Gina says

        how many drops of basic H per spray bottle since Basic H is very concentrated (eg we use more when its for grease, than for windows)

      • Anna says

        I don’t remember, it has been so long since I used it. I think it tells you on the bottle how much you’re supposed to use for each purpose. I would use the amount is lists for degreasing because floors can be pretty dirty.

  3. Genevieve says

    I have had a dyson for several years and have all the extra cleaning solutions but didn’t really know how far I could go with the cleaning till I saw your clip. Thank you so much!
    I am a homemaker, mother of 3 (a boy/man 21 and two girls 13 & 15). I am very busy with all their activities so I’m always on the move. I have the girls clean as much as possible but still like to keep up the cleanliness of my home. I have a overstuffed home office that is tight on space and filling up with alot of stuff. Any suggestions for streamlining my office clean out project?

  4. Jenna says

    Hi! I am excited to try this product! I was using orange glow too and started to get a film…we just built a new house and i am leery to use that and mess up our brand new floors! i use a seam mop which works great for getting any spill spots and dog prints up ( two kids and a dog, i feel like i need to mop every day to keep up with it!!) so my question is can i use this product along with my steam mop? spray then steam over it?

    • Anna says

      Yep, that’s what I do. I know you can’t use cleaners in a steam mop so I spray the floor with this mixture and then steam over it (I got a steam mop after I wrote this post).

      • Kimberly says

        So, can you use a steam mop on hardwood floors without it damaging them?

        And what would you recommend for removing vacuum cleaner scuff marks off of brown wood cabinet corners/furniture corners?

      • Anna says

        You can use a steam mop on hardwood floors but only one that is made to be used on hardwood, like the Oreck VersaVac. I usually recommend to people what I did in this post, a microfiber mop with a spray, such as a Basic H solution or vinegar and water solution. As for the scuff marks try “erasing” them with a pencil eraser. If they are too scuffed and that doesn’t work you can use a Magic Eraser but that will most likely strip some of the stain so you’ll have to touch it up with a stain pen (Minwax makes them).

  5. Stephanie says

    Hi Anna,

    Any idea how to get dirt/dust out from between floorboards?
    We have beautiful hardwood floors, however during renovations in our house, lots of white drywall dust got into the cracks and is really noticeable.

    Any help would be great 🙂
    Thanks,

    Stephanie

  6. Emily says

    Thanks for the tips! What type of dyson do you have? We will be moving into a house soon filled with hardwoods. We have the dyson dc33 which says it can be used on hardwoods because it is multifloor and it has a dial with 2 options (carpet and bare floors) but I am still a little leery of using it on the brand new hardwoods. Do you know anything about that vacuum?

  7. Linda says

    Anna, we just added on to the house. I got a new kitchen the new floor is laminate. {The instrustion said no water just dust mopp. But that is stupid for the kitchen. So, will Basic H work on my floor?

  8. Marlette says

    Noticed you said you just bought a steam mop. What brand? I had a Shark and tossed…totally useless on my laminate kitchen floor. Once it was dam it was nearly impossible to move! I didn’t put pressure,as down force, on it. I just couldn;t get it to “work” for me.
    I tried one at an Expo and it seemed to work great but was leery esp. since it cost well over $100.00!
    It’s only sold at shows and on QVC.

  10. Eileen says

    I love Shaklee products. I use Bona on my wood floors and you use it just like your Shaklee product. I have been happy.

  11. Nicole says

    Ok I love my basic h too, but how do I get it to not leave streaks? I have smooth finish dark hardwood and while I get lots of complements on it I have 3 kids and 2 dogs so it is impossible to keep clean!

    • Anna says

      I’ve never had a problem with my Basic H making streaks. Maybe use a little less Basic H and a little more water.

  12. Christi Wilson: Founder, Girlfriends Coffee Hour says

    I LOVE Shaklee products! I’ve used the cleaning products for a few years now, and love how cost-effective, and great, they are!! 🙂

  14. Marlette says

    I have prefinished, waxed hardwood floors. They aren’t sealed with polyurethane or any other type finish.
    The only cleaning and polishing method I know of to use on these foors is Bruce Hardwood floor Cleaner and Wax. This is a very physically exhausting method of getting my floors to look their best. No hardwood flooring company will touch them.
    Do you know of any method or product that might be a little less tiring. I have 644 sq.ft of this flooring!
    Thanks,
    Marlette

  15. Diane Israel says

    I had pinned this on pinterest and decided to open it up and to my surprise I found out that you use Basic H. I have always used there products. We just installed wood floors and really could not find anything to use on them until now. Thanks for reminding me that Shaklee always comes thru.

  16. Lisa says

    I know this post is older, but I just wanted to say that I highly recommend the rubbermaid floor mop – it has the bottle attached so you can spray without having to bend down with the spray bottle, and you can fill it with any solution you want. I used to spray from the bottle then mop, and it killed my back! I love my rubbermaid and the pads that go with it are awesome. I have very dark hardwood – no streaks! I always add a little bit of vinegar to the mix too. We have puppies and it’s nice to know it sanitizes from dirty paws 🙂

  18. Joy says

    what is your ratio of Basic-H to water? I mix it in an old dish detergent bottle for a veggie wash, but have never thought of using it on my floors! I await to hear your mixture formula! Thanks!

    • Anna says

      I use the formula that’s on the back of the bottle but I cut it in 1/2 because I don’t make a gallon at a time. 🙂 Here’s the formula: 1 TBSP to 1 gallon of water.