How do you clean your hardwood floors?

[Amethyst]

After years and years of using Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean the hardwood in my kitchen, dh has decided that I shouldn’t use it. He decided this not because the floors look dull or damaged, but because his sister mentioned it’s no good. So for the past several months, I’ve been just spot cleaning it - I get down on my hands and knees with a wet sponge (water only) and clean the areas that are visibly dirty. (This is in addition to the daily brooming and twice weekly dry swiffer). I just feel better doing the entire floor with a mop standing up with something other than plain old water. But maybe it’s just an old-fashioned hang up. 
 

What do you use (if anything) for damp mopping your hardwood floors?

[Amethyst]

I sound resentful of my dh in my original post. I am not. The down on my hands and knees thing was my solution to the problem. I’m just looking for ideas what to use besides Murphys Oil Soap or just plain water. 

[Wildcat]

Dry Swiffer, then a mop with Bona for hardwood floors (they have a few products, to be sure to get the one for hardwood). 15 years of this and my floors still looked great. 

Some will say vinegar & water but the flooring people said it will hurt the finish somehow. I can't remember how, though. It either makes it dull or eats away at the top coat.

Anyway, I'm a Bona fan. For a kitchen, I'd buy their mop system with the trigger spray. The head size is great for small to medium sized rooms.

[Wildcat]

5 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

I sound resentful of my dh in my original post. I am not. The down on my hands and knees thing was my solution to the problem. I’m just looking for ideas what to use besides Murphys Oil Soap or just plain water. 

FWIW, I didn't hear that tone at all. 🙂

[marbel]

I didn't think you sounded resentful, but... he gave no other reason than his sister said it wasn't good? Is she a flooring expert? (Not meant to sound snarky.) I have heard good things about both Murphy's and Bona. 

[PeterPan]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubbermaid-Rubbermaid-Microfiber-Wringable-Flat-Mop-Refill/1003196404 I just got this and tried it out this weekend. If you want the effect of hand wiping (which I too have done for years) without being on your hands and knees, this is pretty close. When you pump it the slider wrings it out. When I mop with a rag, I wring it dryer, yes. But I went behind with a towel and it was fine. I keep $1 thin white towels from walmart for wiping floors, drying the dog, things like that. 

I also have a Bissell Crosswave that I got at Kohls (stacking deals) that I like a lot. It's loud, but the floor actually gets CLEAN in one pass. I still wipe with a towel after it.

I think I'd probably tell the man to figure out who is the despot in the house and it's not your SIL. Just saying. There's zero wrong with using Murphy's Oil, and I put it in my Bissell Crosswave JUST FINE. It's great stuff, cleans great, works great.

For reference, I have hard surface flooring through my whole house. I've tried other kinds of things, some of which are currently sold in stores. But this new Rubbermaid Wringable is pretty smart. I have some Swiffers (wet and dry, though the fragrance is horrible). I've done changeable velcroed microfiber heads, but they're such a pain to wring out. So for the quick I just want to mop this, the Rubbermaid Wringable. And when you want to haul it out and get crazy clean, the Bissell. And for me, I'm using water with the Wringable and Murphy's Oil with the Crosswave. I use Murphy's Oil on my commercial grade vinyl, ceramic tile, hardwood (sealed) counters, and hardwood floors. Zero issues and that's been 12+ years. Using it with the Wringable would require a bucket. I could do it I suppose, but oh well.

[bibiche]

What kind of finish do you have on your floor? Polyurethane or is it natural?

[PeterPan]

23 minutes ago, Wildcat said:

then a mop with Bona for hardwood floors

I'm such a goober. I've heard of Bona many times and never tried it. I sent my dh to buy some at Walmart one time and whatever he came back with wasn't right, lol. But yeah, they say it's great. Except for the reviews that say it's not. I guess start in an out of the way place and op will know what she thinks.

[Amethyst]

28 minutes ago, marbel said:

I didn't think you sounded resentful, but... he gave no other reason than his sister said it wasn't good? Is she a flooring expert? (Not meant to sound snarky.) I have heard good things about both Murphy's and Bona. 

It’s a harsh chemical and will ultimately make your floors look dull, I think her reasoning was. I think she probably read it in a magazine or online or on TV. 

[Amethyst]

12 minutes ago, bibiche said:

What kind of finish do you have on your floor? Polyurethane or is it natural?

Polyurethane 

[Spryte]

We use Bona, which is what the flooring guy said to use.

[Amethyst]

17 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubbermaid-Rubbermaid-Microfiber-Wringable-Flat-Mop-Refill/1003196404 I just got this and tried it out this weekend. If you want the effect of hand wiping (which I too have done for years) without being on your hands and knees, this is pretty close. When you pump it the slider wrings it out. When I mop with a rag, I wring it dryer, yes. But I went behind with a towel and it was fine. I keep $1 thin white towels from walmart for wiping floors, drying the dog, things like that. 

 

This looks pretty interesting. I might look around for this. I’ve tried using the wet swiffers but they don’t stay on my pole very well. I have no problem with the dry swiffers but the wet ones just fall off and they are more hassle than they are worth. This looks like a good alternative to being on my hands and knees. Thanks

[Amethyst]

19 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

I think I'd probably tell the man to figure out who is the despot in the house and it's not your SIL. Just saying. There's zero wrong with using Murphy's Oil, and I put it in my Bissell Crosswave JUST FINE. It's great stuff, cleans great, works great.

She means well. I get along well with her. And unfortunately it is very easy to pull up articles on the web that say “don’t use Murphy’s Oil Soap in your hardwood!!!!”

[Ellie]

I've been using Bona on my hardwood floors for many years. It does a great job, and my floors still look good. I always use a microfiber cloth to "mop."

For regular maintenance, I use a microfiber dust mop when I don't feel like pulling out the Shark  to vacuum. I rarely sweep, except for in the kitchen (yes, hardwood in the kitchen).

[bibiche]

48 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

Polyurethane 

Did you call your SIL and ask what she recommends ? 😜

I’d try Bona.

[Pawz4me]

I use an O'Cedar spin mop and a splash of Mr. Clean concentrated all purpose cleaner. Sometimes I'll add a drop of Dawn dish detergent. It's an engineered hardwood floor and I have no idea what kind of finish is on it (it was here when we bought the house).

FWIW (not criticizing what anyone else uses or does, just posting my own experience) -- I've tried Bona and found it to be an absolute, complete waste of money for my floors and the type of dirt we have. IMO it cleans about the same as plain water. I've also found that flat microfiber mops don't work for my floor. They do about as much good as Bona, which is . . . nothing.

[Amethyst]

1 hour ago, bibiche said:

Did you call your SIL and ask what she recommends ? 😜

I’d try Bona.

Great idea. So, I just texted her and she says she uses Bona in a spray bottle and just spot cleans with that and an old towel.

[Amethyst]

1 hour ago, Pawz4me said:

FWIW (not criticizing what anyone else uses or does, just posting my own experience) -- I've tried Bona and found it to be an absolute, complete waste of money for my floors and the type of dirt we have. IMO it cleans about the same as plain water. I've also found that flat microfiber mops don't work for my floor. They do about as much good as Bona, which is . . . nothing.

Hmmm. Now I'm undecided again! Lol. I guess I'll try the Bona and see if it's any better or worse than the Murphys Oil Soap. Like I and others have said, I've used Murphys for years with no problem. I suppose the only thing that makes me doubt whether it will cause damage to the floors long-term is that we have moved several times, so sure I use Murphys on all these floors but then we move to the next house. I've been in this house for 10 years, but we only replaced the kitchen vinyl with hardwood about 4 years ago. So, I worry that, sure, they look fine now, but how will it look 15 years from now.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Amethyst

[Harriet Vane]

I really love Bona. 

I found that vinegar did dull my floors. I used Murphy's contentedly for years and have no opinion on whether it's good or not. But I switched to Bona based on Ellie's recommendation many years ago and really love both the lovely shine on the floors as well as the easy spray and wipe system (essential with arthritic joints).

[Storygirl]

 I use a Shark steam mop occasionally.That uses water only. In between, I use dry Swiffer cloths and occasionally a wet Swiffer cloth. I don't clean my hardwood floors weekly, because I am not that committed to housework, and I don't think anyone would be able to tell. I do have a spray bottle of water to use for small spot cleaning, if needed.

We've always been told by flooring people to use water only on hardwood, no cleaners. So that is what I've done. I switched to a steam mop years ago, after tiring of dragging a bucket around as I was mopping. I know some people worry about steam mops damaging wood floors, but it's never been a problem; I never leave the mop sitting directly on the floor when it is on/filled with water (I always have it in motion, so it does not stay on one spot long at all).

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Amethyst said:

Great idea. So, I just texted her and she says she uses Bona in a spray bottle and just spot cleans with that and an old towel.

So her floors are filthy. (being blunt)

I mean, that's not the same level of clean as what you need when it's in your KITCHEN or when you actually want to clean the whole floor. 

You mentioned dry. I use my Roomba for vacuuming. It's the bomb on hardwood because it slurps up the dirt in the cracks, gets it's little whisky brush under your trim. Your house will literally SMELL better with it, lol. At least mine does. I must have been very dusty! Well that and we have a small dog. 

That Bissell Crosswave https://www.amazon.com/BISSELL-CrossWave-Cleaner-Wet-Dry-1785A/dp/B01DTYAZO4/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=bissell+crosswave&qid=1619459192&sr=8-3  is $219 on amazon right now (a deal) and has a pet version ($269) as well. It vacuums and mops in one go. I'm not sure how the pet version is better. It's really a nice device, and you might find it does a wonderful job on the flooring in your kitchen. I'm just such a pig in the kitchen and my floors get so dirty. 

4 hours ago, Amethyst said:

will ultimately make your floors look dull

If you don't dry it maybe. Like I said, I come behind and wipe my floors dry. It's how I know how CLEAN they are and whether my choice is working. 

4 hours ago, Amethyst said:

It’s a harsh chemical

I used to be severely chemically sensitive (like you'd come in my house and make me sick with your laundry detergent in your clothes, anaphylactic reactions, etc.). Murphy's Oil is so stupid mild in the scheme of things. In never bothers my hands, when dish soap definitely does. Nuts, I can't even use most lotions and MO is a nothing. I googled it just to see, and google is saying the main ingredient is potassium hydroxide, aka lye, aka the stuff in homemade and castille soaps. So unless you're saying soap is dangerous/harsh, I'm just hard pressed to get there. At least she could be accurate, kwim? CLR and toilet bowl cleaner it is NOT, lol.

 

[Pawz4me]

1 hour ago, Amethyst said:

Great idea. So, I just texted her and she says she uses Bona in a spray bottle and just spot cleans with that and an old towel.

 

8 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

So her floors are filthy. (being blunt)

Yeah.

I don't think I'd be taking her cleaning advice.

[Acorn]

I vacuum the wood floors frequently and use Murphy’s Oil soap occasionally. I squirt a section of floor and either wipe by hand or swiffer pad.  It seems to be clean. The floors finish has worn off in some areas after at least  20 years, so I don’t want to change to anything that could hurt the wood. 

[Spy Car]

Our flooring guy also said to use Bona and avoid Murphy's, not sure why.

After a good vac, I still find this the best tool ever (and no chemicals required):

https://www.amazon.com/Dupray-Cleaner-Multipurpose-Steamer-Floors/dp/B07C44DM6D/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3CF29QBXKYXX&dchild=1&keywords=neat+steam+cleaner&qid=1619469903&sprefix=neat+%2Caps%2C219&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExNTRSR1o5RFUzTTBDJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwMTI5Mzg5MlQ5VjVGMjdYS0pOWiZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODgxOTIySEFSWTk1RExUOVNFJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

 

 

[Wildcat]

10 hours ago, Amethyst said:

It’s a harsh chemical and will ultimately make your floors look dull, I think her reasoning was. I think she probably read it in a magazine or online or on TV. 

What a couple of different flooring people told me was that over time, Murphy's Oil will build up and need to be stripped with a vinegar & water solution (I think that's what it was?). Something like that. I don't know if it's really good marketing or uninformed sales folks, but Bona is recommended all the time. 

[Ellie]

13 hours ago, Amethyst said:

Hmmm. Now I'm undecided again! Lol. I guess I'll try the Bona and see if it's any better or worse than the Murphys Oil Soap. Like I and others have said, I've used Murphys for years with no problem. I suppose the only thing that makes me doubt whether it will cause damage to the floors long-term is that we have moved several times, so sure I use Murphys on all these floors but then we move to the next house. I've been in this house for 10 years, but we only replaced the kitchen vinyl with hardwood about 4 years ago. So, I worry that, sure, they look fine now, but how will it look 15 years from now.

The thing with Bona is that you have to buff/wipe it until it is dry, a few seconds at most. IOW, you can't leave it wet the way you'd leave it wet if you used just water, KWIM?

[Swimmer1112]

We use Bona and dry swifter 

[catz]

We also have been using bona for years.  

[Nanax6]

I vacuum the floors really well once a week and then go over them with a Bona mop--which kinda looks like a big swiffer.   Works well and our floors look shiny and clean.  

[KathyBC]

On 4/26/2021 at 6:23 AM, PeterPan said:

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Rubbermaid-Rubbermaid-Microfiber-Wringable-Flat-Mop-Refill/1003196404 I just got this and tried it out this weekend. If you want the effect of hand wiping (which I too have done for years) without being on your hands and knees, this is pretty close. When you pump it the slider wrings it out. When I mop with a rag, I wring it dryer, yes. But I went behind with a towel and it was fine. I keep $1 thin white towels from walmart for wiping floors, drying the dog, things like that. 

I also have a Bissell Crosswave that I got at Kohls (stacking deals) that I like a lot. It's loud, but the floor actually gets CLEAN in one pass. I still wipe with a towel after it.

I think I'd probably tell the man to figure out who is the despot in the house and it's not your SIL. Just saying. There's zero wrong with using Murphy's Oil, and I put it in my Bissell Crosswave JUST FINE. It's great stuff, cleans great, works great.

For reference, I have hard surface flooring through my whole house. I've tried other kinds of things, some of which are currently sold in stores. But this new Rubbermaid Wringable is pretty smart. I have some Swiffers (wet and dry, though the fragrance is horrible). I've done changeable velcroed microfiber heads, but they're such a pain to wring out. So for the quick I just want to mop this, the Rubbermaid Wringable. And when you want to haul it out and get crazy clean, the Bissell. And for me, I'm using water with the Wringable and Murphy's Oil with the Crosswave. I use Murphy's Oil on my commercial grade vinyl, ceramic tile, hardwood (sealed) counters, and hardwood floors. Zero issues and that's been 12+ years. Using it with the Wringable would require a bucket. I could do it I suppose, but oh well.

I have a similar mop. It is the bomb for wiping up melted snow or dishwashing splashes. Not so great for actual mopping as my pad keeps coming off the head. Maybe it's just old.

On 4/26/2021 at 8:17 AM, Pawz4me said:

I use an O'Cedar spin mop and a splash of Mr. Clean concentrated all purpose cleaner. Sometimes I'll add a drop of Dawn dish detergent. It's an engineered hardwood floor and I have no idea what kind of finish is on it (it was here when we bought the house).

FWIW (not criticizing what anyone else uses or does, just posting my own experience) -- I've tried Bona and found it to be an absolute, complete waste of money for my floors and the type of dirt we have. IMO it cleans about the same as plain water. I've also found that flat microfiber mops don't work for my floor. They do about as much good as Bona, which is . . . nothing.

I have used a similar mop and was pretty impressed.