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 Hardwood floor cleaner
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quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl

7546 Posts

Linda
Terrell TX
USA
7546 Posts

Posted - May 21 2015 :  9:44:27 PM  Show Profile  Send quiltee a Yahoo! Message
I live in a 112 year old farmhouse with hardwood floors. I can't seem to get the floors clean without streaking. What floor cleaners do you use? Do you make your own solutions?

Thanks for your comments.


Farmgirl hugs,
Linda O
Lone Oak, TX
Farmgirl #1919

"Women are Angels, and when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly . . . on a broomstick - we're flexible, like that."

Song Sparrow
True Blue Farmgirl

1010 Posts

Amy
Talleyville Delaware
USA
1010 Posts

Posted - May 22 2015 :  05:19:50 AM  Show Profile
I have a floor steam cleaner that uses only water and does a beautiful job. In between I use a damp microfiber mophead that you can throw in the washer, kind of like the swiffers, but not disposable. The only thing you have to make sure of is that your floors are sealed. If I get a gooey spot I get it with my old white vinegar solution. Hope this helps!

Peace in our hearts, peace in the world
Amy (Sister#6098) www.danaherandcloud.com

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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl

4759 Posts

Dawn
Naperville Illinois
USA
4759 Posts

Posted - May 22 2015 :  05:26:20 AM  Show Profile
I do the same thing as Amy. I wish I could find an easier way to clean my hardwood floors since they are throughout the house, but the Swiffer products were awful. I tried a few others from the home improvement store and like you experienced, streaks. Steam seems to be the only way to clean and shine them up.

Dawn in IL
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ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl

899 Posts

Carole
New York
USA
899 Posts

Posted - May 22 2015 :  09:21:07 AM  Show Profile
I too live in an older home, build around 1885. Love my wooden floors. I wash them with a solution of water, white vinegar and a squirt/dash of dish liquid detergent . Half a cup of vinegar to 2 gallons of water. I use only hot water. Works great and I get no streaking!

Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
http://www.fibrejunction.com
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quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl

7546 Posts

Linda
Terrell TX
USA
7546 Posts

Posted - May 22 2015 :  09:25:12 AM  Show Profile  Send quiltee a Yahoo! Message
Thanks, Carole, Amy and Dawn - I will definitely try that. Need to spring clean the entire house floors. LOL! The floors are sealed; however, there are cracks between boards in some places - not completely through. Guess steam would not be good, but I can probably just use hot water?


Farmgirl hugs,
Linda O
Lone Oak, TX
Farmgirl #1919

"Women are Angels, and when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly . . . on a broomstick - we're flexible, like that."

Edited by - quiltee on May 22 2015 09:27:55 AM
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ceridwen
True Blue Farmgirl

899 Posts

Carole
New York
USA
899 Posts

Posted - May 22 2015 :  11:22:17 AM  Show Profile
Dawn, if I'm not mistaken, you can put vinegar in your steamer. I do, not a whole lot but I have done it. I use the steamer for spot cleaning!

Carole
Farmgirl Sister 3610 - Nov 7/2011
http://www.carolesquiltingetc.com
http://www.fibrejunction.com
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ddmashayekhi
True Blue Farmgirl

4759 Posts

Dawn
Naperville Illinois
USA
4759 Posts

Posted - May 22 2015 :  2:27:23 PM  Show Profile
Thanks Carole. I'm always looking for a better way to clean my floors. My kitchen one has the heaviest traffic since the garage entry is there and it is the most difficult to keep clean and shiny.

Dawn in IL
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Rosemary
True Blue Farmgirl

1825 Posts


Virginia
USA
1825 Posts

Posted - May 24 2015 :  08:28:38 AM  Show Profile
Dawn, I have an old farmhouse with a combination of the original heartwood pine floors and more modern oak. The kitchen is the newest and has a type of stain/sealer on it that I got at Home Depot and didn't smell at all. We did two coats, each of which dried in an hour or less. It's expensive -- like $30 or so for a half gallon -- but we didn't even use half of that jug. It could probably do the whole rest of the first floor, if I ever got around to sanding the old finish off. Anyway, I use a steam cleaner on all the wood floors. I got the cheapest Shark model, which you can find at different places for around $75.

Before I got the steam cleaner, I used to use Mop 'n' Glow after old-fashioned mopping with the same solution Carole uses. You just squirt it around and spread it out evenly with a damp sponge mop or other applicator. It dries to a nice shine without buffing and smells very nice, sort of orangey. It isn't sticky, either, even in out hot humid summer weather. Honestly, though, since I got the steam cleaner, I haven't felt the need to use anything else.
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quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl

7546 Posts

Linda
Terrell TX
USA
7546 Posts

Posted - May 24 2015 :  11:17:45 AM  Show Profile  Send quiltee a Yahoo! Message
Thanks for all these comments and ideas. I love the hardwood floors - just harder to keep them clean. Here in Texas they seem to be dust and cat hair magnets. LOL!


Farmgirl hugs,
Linda O
Lone Oak, TX
Farmgirl #1919

"Women are Angels, and when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly . . . on a broomstick - we're flexible, like that."
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl

13055 Posts


Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts

Posted - Jul 26 2015 :  11:27:25 AM  Show Profile
Linda, you are so right! Wooden floors are, indeed, a magnet for dust AND especially cat hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marly

"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross
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naturemaiden
True Blue Farmgirl

2569 Posts

Connie - Farmgirl #673
Hoosick Falls NY
USA
2569 Posts

Posted - Dec 31 2015 :  01:28:53 AM  Show Profile
an elderly lady told me recently to only use cold water on hardwood floors. I'm not sure if cold water really cleans them though

http://www.naturemaiden.com/ Handcrafted Soap & Candles
http://saratoga-rose.blogspot.com/ My published books & other writing.
http://modern-day-laura.blogspot.com/ Filled with everything I love!
http://www.thriftyfarmgirl.com/ Vintage Sewing Machine Parts
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quiltee
True Blue Farmgirl

7546 Posts

Linda
Terrell TX
USA
7546 Posts

Posted - Dec 31 2015 :  08:03:16 AM  Show Profile  Send quiltee a Yahoo! Message
I hadn't heard that yet, Connie - Hmmmmmmmmmmmm - have to look into that.

Farmgirl hugs,
Farmgirl #1919
Farm Girl of the Month August 2015
Linda O
Lone Oak, TX

"Women are Angels, and when someone breaks our wings, we simply continue to fly . . . on a broomstick - we're flexible, like that."
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