Using Vinegar to Clean Hardwood Floors

So you got the hardwood flooring you always wanted for your house? It is the jewel in your house's crown and the apple of your eye. But even as you were installing it, the thought must have crossed your mind, "Yes, this hardwood flooring looks beautiful alright, but isn't it going to be real hard work to have it look beautiful over time? What if I stain it? Will I have to spend a fortune to get it removed?"

Not really. Using vinegar to clean your hardwood floors will effectively clean it without leaving horrible marks on the surface. The reason? It has just the perfect concentration of acetic acid (30%) that will clean your floor but not leave any visible damage to the surface. Commercial cleaning products may contain substances that may harm your floor. Not just that, they'll burn holes in your pockets too. Vinegar helps remove grease stains, foul odors, mildew and build up of wax. It is cheap, you probably have it around the house at all times, and it smells good too. It also won't harm your lovely floor.

The Procedure

1. Before you start, you have to make sure that all the dust is removed. If the dust is not removed, it will only spread around, nullifying the effect of cleaning. You can use a vacuum cleaner for removing the dust.
2. Dilute the vinegar in water. The ratio should be approximately 1 cup of vinegar to 2 gallons of water. Don't spread this mixture directly onto the floor as it may warp the wood. Spread it slowly and wipe the floor with a damp mop.
3. Next, to polish the floor and to make it look lustrous, mix equal quantities of vinegar and oil on the floor. The vinegar will help remove the stains, while the oil will polish and moisturize the floor.
4. It can also be used to nullify the harmful effects of bleach. We all know that bleach, although effective, is a pretty sticky stuff. If you have applied bleach on your hardwood stains, let the bleach work overnight and then apply vinegar to remove the bleach. If the bleach is not removed, then the stains will go alright, but it will take the luster and natural color off the wood.
5. Alternatively, we could also apply vinegar directly onto the stains. It will probably work for an hour on the stains, and before you know it the stains will be gone. But once done, make sure that you wipe the spot with a damp cloth so that all traces of the acidic substance will be removed.
6. You can also use it as a deodorizer. If there are some conspicuous smells around the house, especially the ones related to babies, vinegar can help you remove them. You can use undiluted white vinegar to clean the hardwood floor. Make sure that the room is well ventilated so that both the smells disappear. And if the smell of vinegar doesn't go, don't we all like the smell of Chinese food?

Again, just be sure that you got all the dust off the floor. Remember to use a vacuum cleaner, as if you dust with a mop or a piece of cloth, scratches might appear on the floor surface. Also, before embarking on the vinegar-cleaning program, consult your hardwood floor supplier, just in case.