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Hardwood floors in high-traffic areas of the house need frequent cleaning if you want to keep them looking brand-new. However, commercial wood cleaning solutions can be expensive. If you’re looking for a way to keep costs down, you can make your own hardwood floor cleaning solution with items you probably already have at home. There are a few simple DIY cleaning solutions solutions you can make that are effective and gentle on your floors.
Oil and Vinegar
A combination of oil and vinegar can disinfect your floors and give them a brilliant shine at the same time. The oil acts as a wood conditioner while the vinegar disinfects and cleans.
To make a cleaning solution, get a spray bottle and add one part oil and one part white vinegar. If you like, you can also add a few drops of lemon. This will give your solution a pleasant scent, and lemon is also an effective cleanser. Spray the floor, then use your mop to massage the solution into the wood. You can remove any residue with a clean, dry towel or mop head.
Don’t make more of the oil and vinegar mixture than you need – the mixture will separate if it sits too long, and the oil can turn rancid. Throw out any unused solution, and make a new batch the next time you clean.
Black Tea
Black tea can make a very simple, easy cleanser for your hardwood floors. It’s especially useful for floors that have scratches, as the tannins in the tea can create a mild staining effect that can help hide scratch marks. Black tea also has antimicrobial compounds that can fight germs that may be on the wood surface.
You can create a cleaning solution simply by steeping a number of tea bags in half a gallon of hot water for 10 or 15 minutes. Eight teabags is enough for most floors, but you may want to use a few more if your wood is especially dark, or a few less if you have very light wood. Make sure that you wait until the tea has cooled to lukewarm before you begin mopping it into the floor. Mop in the direction of the wood grain, and take extra care to work the tea mixture into any scratched areas. Use enough of the liquid to cover the area, but don’t soak the floors.
These natural cleaning solutions are safe for pets and kids, and they’ll help you maintain the beauty of your hardwood floors without breaking your budget.