How do you keep hardwood floors clean with kids? (hahaha)

[TheAttachedMama]

My husband and I built our house pre-kids.   We were only planning on living here a few short years.   We were definitely planning to move to another house after we had a baby.  So we had WHITE carpet installed throughout the house.   I repeat....WHITE.  We were two working adults without any kids.   So at the time it wasn't too impractical.....  (Although, perhaps white carpet is always impractical.)   

 

 

Flash-forward to 12 years later, and we find ourselves in the same house with three kids, two turtles, two cats....and lots of mess.   The white carpet hasn't been working out so well.  (Especially since we are homeschooling.   I've noticed that people tend to use and abuse their houses HARD while home all day homeschooling a bunch of kids.)   I've always liked the look of wood floors.  So, we have been saving for...well....it feels like forever....Probably shortly after my 9 year old started eating. hahaha   :)     And we are going to get engineered hardwood floors installed at the end of the month throughout our whole main floor.  (kitchen and main living areas)    I am super excited.

 

However, I have never lived in a house with wood floors.   I have no idea how to keep them clean.   When I asked the wood floor guy, he tried to sell me a bunch of bona cleaner for mopping the floor.   However, I am more wondering about everyday cleaning.   For example, whats the best way to clean up after my two year old spills half of his lunch on the floor?   How do you clean up big food particles?   What's the best way to clean up dust from outside?   We are getting about 800 sq. ft covered with wood---so I probably won't want to swiffer that everyday.  (Plus, I have read that swiffers are bad for animals.)    We currently own a dyson vacuum cleaner, but I read online that it can scratch hardwood flooring.  (Even if the agitator is turned off.)     I currently have laminate in my kitchen and I broom sweep it several times per day.   Will a broom scratch my wood?   

 

Tell me, O hive!  What tools do I need to keep wood floors clean on an everyday basis?

 

Edited August 11, 2016 by TheAttachedMama

[hornblower]

I have laminate & no small kids but lots of very hairy dirty pets. I either vacuum or use a flat head dry mop every day. Every few days I wash it. If I stretch it to a week it's really bad...

FWIW, while I'm glad we ripped up the carpets, carpets hide a lot more dirt.  I pretty much vacuumed daily when I had the carpet but if I skipped, it didn't show. My floors look dirty except for about 30 min right after I clean them. 

The darker the floor, the harder it is to keep it looking clean so if possible go for as light a stain as possible. 

[MEmama]

Just sweep it when you need to and mop occasionally. Wood is super easy and practical.

[zoobie]

Vacuum and Swiffer mop or microfiber mop and spray. So much easier than carpet!

 

ITA with Hornblower--don't go super dark on floors.

[Beaniemom]

We use a vacuum with a bare floor setting for everyday sweep ups (we have a short haired dog that gets hair everywhere). I mop with hardwood floor cleaner every few days.

[Storygirl]

I use a Swiffer as needed. We have also at times had a small stick vacuum that we had the children use to pick up the crumbs under the table after meals.

 

When I need to mop, I use a steam mop (Shark), because it only uses a little water that dries quickly. No cleaning solution. Just water.

 

I don't mop daily. I don't even mop weekly, because I hate to do it. I just do it periodically when it obviously needs to be done. Otherwise, I wipe up small dirty spots with a damp cloth.

[Storygirl]

In this house, our floors are dark, and they definitely show more than the ones in our previous house, which were more of a medium cherry color. I love both colors, but the medium tones definitely hide dirt better.

[EmseB]

I have a dog for mealtime spills.

[hornblower]

I have a dog for mealtime spills.

 

My dogs clean up spills but then they slobber and drool and lick the floor and  leave collossal dog spit stains all the time. 

 

One of mine is also absolutely incapable of actually drinking without spilling. He also walks away with 1/4 cup of water in his flews & then drips in a big stream. No matter how many mats and towels and splatter guards around the water bowls, there's a perpetual water feature in that part of the house. Needless to say our laminate is buckling from water damage in many places LOL 

 

I want luxury vinyl plank next. 

[EmseB]

 

My dogs clean up spills but then they slobber and drool and lick the floor and leave collossal dog spit stains all the time.

 

One of mine is also absolutely incapable of actually drinking without spilling. He also walks away with 1/4 cup of water in his flews & then drips in a big stream. No matter how many mats and towels and splatter guards around the water bowls, there's a perpetual water feature in that part of the house. Needless to say our laminate is buckling from water damage in many places LOL

 

I want luxury vinyl plank next.

Yes, there are tradeoffs. :)

[prairiewindmomma]

We sweep or vacuum on bare floor settings, and use our bona mop 1-2x a week. It's great for slightly sticky spills (which will gather dirt and turn brown, so you know you have a dirty spot).

[MercyA]

I keep my wood floors clean by making everyone take off their shoes when they come in the house. :leaving: The dog gets her paws wiped or washed when she comes in, too, every time.

 

The Swiffer dry mop works great for hair and dust. It won't pick up large food crumbs. I use a damp and then a dry rag to clean up crumbs after meals. I rarely ever need to damp mop if clean up small messes when they happen.

 

I have a large rug in the kitchen by the sink and dishwasher. I read not to use a rug with a rubber backing, so I found one at Hook and Loom that I adore.

 

Swiffer products won't harm your pets: http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/swiffer.asp

 

[BlsdMama]

Sweep or swiffer daily. 

 

Just think how efficient you'll get in no time. :D

[SamanthaCarter]

Get a swimmer and a spray bottle with some watered down hardwood floor cleaner (I use vinegar, but I'm not sure its the best thing for wood). Show every kid how to mist the floor and to swiff. Require it as part of chores. 

 

Also, good heavy rugs by every door. 

 

ETA: Not swimmer, Swiffer!

Edited August 11, 2016 by SamanthaCarter

[El...]

I was going to say Swiffer!  Why are they bad for pets?  I hadn't heard that before. 

 

Also, strategically positioned rugs.

[Pawz4me]

We have engineered hardwoods.

 

I sweep or vacuum with the hard floor attachment every day. If I sweep I usually follow up with this dust mop. I like it better than a Swiffer, although I do have to take it outside and shake it off afterwards. 

 

I keep a microfiber towel handy near the dog's water bowl. He's not a big dripper but I like to wipe anything up when I see it.

 

I wipe up kitchen or dining room spills as they happen.

 

I mop once a week or so. I don't like Bona. I think plain water would be just as effective. I may try Bruce hardwood cleaner next. I used that years ago and as well as I remember I liked it.

[Sun]

 

(Plus, I have read that swiffers are bad for animals.)  

 

Why would a swiffer be bad for animals? I don't understand unless it's the fluid for the wet ones. If it's that, then you can buy other brands where you can change the fluid out for one of your one (dump the regular bottle and fill with your own solution).

 

I highly recommend a dustbuster for cleaning up small dry spills on hard flooring.

 

To actually keep wood floors looking clean with multiple animals and kids, you really will have to at least vacuum/sweep them daily in areas that get lots of use. Otherwise you will have hair and dust floating around. You can probably just use the dry swiffer on less-used areas.

[Ali in OR]

I have mediumish oak hard wood floors (not sure what engineered means--these are regular hard wood floors). They really don't show much dirt at all. We have a built-in vacuum--I use the wide brush attachment every 4 or 5 days or sometimes once a week when life is really crazy. I don't mop often, but if I do I just use a sponge-type mop and white vinegar in water. I do walk over the floor with a towel afterward to dry it quickly. More often, I "spot mop" by taking an old cloth diaper and a squirt bottle with white vinegar/water to get the food spills, mud spots, etc.

[magnificent_baby]

I sweep daily; vacuum the rugs and around the rugs on the wood (probably shouldn't but I don't like my wood floors so I vacuum them anyway); then Bona with the mop about every 4-5 days. I highly recommend Bona. I just use water and a dishrag for spot cleaning. 

[bolt.]

I have a roomba, but I'm sure a daily sweep would accomplish the same overall cleanliness once a day. (Or after a food spill.)

 

For liquid spills I just drop a kitchen towel on the floor and kick-swish it around. If it's sticky, I mist with my table-and-counter spray (just a bit of dish soap) and kick-swish with another cloth or towel. If it's a water spill, I take the opportunity to kick-swish-clean a larger swathe of floor.

 

With all my kick-swishing, I also bona-mist-cloth-mop, but not very often. If I discover anything stuck on, I give it an extra spritz or two of bona and toe-scrub at it with a non-scratch dish pad.

Edited August 12, 2016 by bolt.

[Guest]

Wood and wood products are so easy - just sweep or dust mop. I spot clean with a damp rag as needed too. Done!

[Anne in CA]

I used a dust mop and Pledge a couple of times a day and mine always looked FAB. The trick is to do it at the right times of day for your own family's traffic pattern. Right after naps and dinner gave me the best results.

[Ellie]

My husband and I built our house pre-kids.   We were only planning on living here a few short years.   We were definitely planning to move to another house after we had a baby.  So we had WHITE carpet installed throughout the house.   I repeat....WHITE.  We were two working adults without any kids.   So at the time it wasn't too impractical.....  (Although, perhaps white carpet is always impractical.)   

 

 

Flash-forward to 12 years later, and we find ourselves in the same house with three kids, two turtles, two cats....and lots of mess.   The white carpet hasn't been working out so well.  (Especially since we are homeschooling.   I've noticed that people tend to use and abuse their houses HARD while home all day homeschooling a bunch of kids.)   I've always liked the look of wood floors.  So, we have been saving for...well....it feels like forever....Probably shortly after my 9 year old started eating. hahaha   :)     And we are going to get engineered hardwood floors installed at the end of the month throughout our whole main floor.  (kitchen and main living areas)    I am super excited.

 

However, I have never lived in a house with wood floors.   I have no idea how to keep them clean.   When I asked the wood floor guy, he tried to sell me a bunch of bona cleaner for mopping the floor.   However, I am more wondering about everyday cleaning.   For example, whats the best way to clean up after my two year old spills half of his lunch on the floor?   How do you clean up big food particles?   What's the best way to clean up dust from outside?   We are getting about 800 sq. ft covered with wood---so I probably won't want to swiffer that everyday.  (Plus, I have read that swiffers are bad for animals.)    We currently own a dyson vacuum cleaner, but I read online that it can scratch hardwood flooring.  (Even if the agitator is turned off.)     I currently have laminate in my kitchen and I broom sweep it several times per day.   Will a broom scratch my wood?   

 

Tell me, O hive!  What tools do I need to keep wood floors clean on an everyday basis?

 

I've had hardwood floors, in two houses, since 1987. Love them, including the hardwood in the kitchen in this house.

 

You need a vacuum cleaner: either an upright with hard-floor attachments (hose, wand, nozzle) or a canister. If you have any carpet, then maybe an upright would be better (you need the upright for carpet, and the attachments for the hardwood/tile/whatnot). Vacuuming sucks up the dirt the best. You can use a dustmop for those moments when you just can't even take out the vac. :-) A little broom with dustpan is useful for sweeping up crumbs in the kitchen. It will not scratch your floors, but you don't want to use it for large-scale cleaning because it will push dust around in the air.

 

For *cleaning* the floor, Bona is good. The laundry science and whanot FB page recommends Bruce hardwood floor cleaner (which is kept back with the Bruce flooring at Lowe's instead of with the other cleaners). You need a microfiber mop head; both Bona and Bruce make those. You can wipe up spills and stuff with almost anything, like paper towels, or microfiber cloths if you don't want paper towel debris. :-)

 

[StephanieZ]

I have about 3500+ square feet of hardwood (oak) flooring in our house. And 3 dogs and 3 cats and 3 kids. :) I know a little something about cleaning wood floors, lol.

 

My main clean up issue is dust bunnies -- so same problem for any hard flooring (and I have another 1500 sf of other smooth floors, lol -- and for that, I find vacuums are the best. I LOVE my Roomba (800 series if you have pets) because it goes under couches and beds and drives ITSELF. Best $800 I ever spent. I have several other vacuums, and the best ones are either a canister vacuum with a smooth floor head (swiveling hair brush) and a very light weight (cheap) upright for quick jobs around the kitchen (every night). A "dust mop" also does a great job if you prefer and if your family isn't as dirty as mine is. 

 

Bona floor cleaner IS the bomb. You get a big flat head mop with washable covers (microfiber or cotton) and spritz the floor with Bona (sort of like using window cleaner) and then wipe it up. Magic. Streak free. Clean. Get at least 3 or so covers for your mop, as you want to change them as they get dirty, and you don't want to run out of cleaning covers before you have the floor cleaned. I go through at least 3 in 1000 sf. (I actually have two flat mops, each with 3 or 4 covers. . .  the idea being that makes it easier to draft a child to clean at the same time as me, lol) You can spot clean with a rag, too. You can use the same Bona on your wood cabinets, etc, as needed. I use this a few times a week around the hot spots (kitchen/dining/entries) and probably monthly all over the floors. If I had more time (or a housekeeper), it'd be weekly. 

 

I don't get these families who say they don't have to wash/wipe their floors regularly. Y'all must have very clean families!! My family is DIRTY. LOL. One of our family members spot cleans for a few minutes most days after dinner during our evening family clean up time . . . And we do need to do a full Bona wipe down if we want things to look clean and spiffy, so we do that at least every few weeks in the main living areas. When we do, those cleaning rags get DIRTY. I mean, wood isn't a magic dirt-repellant material, lol. It's a bit of heavy work to clean with the flat mop and Bona. I mean, if we didn't have such a LOT of wood floors, it'd not be a big deal, but we have a LOT. For me, it's an hour's hard work (and I'm strong, a runner, etc.) to flat mop the 1000 sf or so of main living areas . . . If I do it all by myself, I'm cranky and sweaty by the end of it. I try to get a kid or two to help. The bedrooms, office space, etc doesn't get nearly so dirty so fast, so that's a breeze to damp mop as needed (and usually just a room or two at a time) . . . But our daily-hard-living areas get dirty and need real wiping down with a damp rag or damp flat mop (damp with Bona for me -- love that stuff) frequently. 

 

I love wood floors. I love wood. They do scratch. A broom is NOT gonna scratch it, but normal life (dogs, high heels, kids with sharp implements, lol) WILL scratch them. I personally choose lower maintenance floors . . . so mine are natural colored oak. Doesn't show dust/dirt terribly like a very light or very dark or very "clear" wood. However, you have to realize that wood will wear. Think about old chapels, old farm houses, etc. They have old wood floors. BEAUTIFUL old wood floors. It's OK. It's natural. It's pretty. My floors are just a couple years old, so they don't have lots of marks yet, but I expect them, and I don't freak out when they happen. In 10-20 years, maybe we'll refinish them . . . Or not. :) 

 

 

[Tiramisu]

I've lived with hardwood for 10+ years and finally getting an $18 sick vacuum this year has made life so much easier.

[Janeway]

My wood floors are a disaster. It is as if they grab on to anything that is on it. A simple little spill gets so stuck, I have to pour water on it and let it soak in for a few minutes and then scrub off. Every other day, you will find me on the floor, scrubbing. It is awful. There must be an easier way. We have hardwood in the kitchen too. 

[ThursdayNext]

Keep in mind that water is bad for wood. Too much water can eventually damage the finish, cause mold in the cracks/under the floor, cause warping or cupping. Don't mop the whole floor too often, don't soak the floor when you mop, and don't let wet spills sit.

A dry swiffer or dry dust mop, a broom, a damp rag for spot cleaning, vacuuming is what I'd reccomend. And then a damp mop or hands and knees with a bucket and towel when needed.

 

I've heard that steam mops can damage the finish. Is that true?

[Mrs_JWM]

Our hardwoods are one hundred years old. They've probably been refinished at least once, but I don't one for sure. We have four cats and one kid, but our floors look shiny and nice throughout our house. I sweep the kitchen most often and vacuum the rest of the house once a week or so and mop when I feel like it. No fuss!

 

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