Green Solutions for Wood Problems

When you spend the money to have wood floors in your house, its no doubt you want to keep them in great shape so they last a long time. Along with keeping our floors in good shape, we want them to stay clean!  The best cleaning solutions are the ones you can make yourself out of products you know will not harm anyone in your home.  We like to think of these as 'Eco-friendly' cleaning products. 

Here is a list of recipes you can make at home to help keep your wood floors in excellent shape:

Burns: For wood burns that have not fully penetrated the wood surface, rub with thin paste of rottenstone, linseed oil and 2 or 3 drops of peppermint essential oil.  If the burn has penetrated the wood surface, you may have to refinish the area and re-stain.

Black Shoe Marks: These can be removed by rubbing 2 or 3 drops of cedar or eucalyptus essential oil over the mark with a soft cloth.

Crayon: Wipe crayon marks with a few drops of cedar or peppermint essential oil mixed with a dab of toothpaste.  Wipe clean with a cloth moistened with vinegar.

Grease: If you have grease on your wood floors you will want to act immediately. Place ice cubes on top of the spill to harden and prevent the grease from seeping further into the wood. If a grease layer forms, it can be scraped off with a blunt object such as a popsicle stick. If you're wood is unfinished, squirt some vegetable oil soap and  few drops of your favorite essential oil over the spill. Use a paper towel and blot repeatedly.

How to Clean Floors Using Green Cleaning Products

My Denver cleaning company says that a clean floor is essential especially in a home with young children. The best way to ensure your floor stays clean, make sure you clean spills as they occur. Sweeping daily and cleaning spills as they occur will lessen dirt and grime on the floor and make a deep clean necessary only monthly. Mopping weekly or biweekly will really keep things clean. Always avoid using cleaning products with VOCs and other hazardous chemicals. You can use nontoxic homemade cleaning solutions that will effectively clean any type of flooring.

You should try to mop with a damp mop weekly or bi-weekly depending on the rate at which dirt gathers on your floor. Always sweep before mopping. For most floor surfaces, you can use a homemade basic, gentle floor cleaner or a store bought non-toxic cleaner. Another great floor cleaner is a solution of 1/4 cup of castile soap in two gallons of warm water. If your floor is greasy, you should add a quarter cup of vinegar to the cleaning solution. Soak the mop fully in a bucket of the solution and wring it out in a sink or empty bucket. The best method of cleaning with a mop is to start at one end of the room and move to the other, without mopping yourself into a corner or ending up on the end of the room without a door. Wring and re-soak the mop as necessary while mopping. If your floor isn't waxed and looks dull, it could be because of soap buildup. The best way to bring brilliance back to a floor like this is to mop with a solution of half cup of white vinegar and two gallons of water. 

Add sweeping to your daily routine will not only rid your home of dust bunnies it can also help you take a moment out of your day for active meditation. Daily sweeping protects floors from abrasive dirt and soil that could scratch the surface of the floor. The best way to sweep the floor of a room is to start in a corner and work your way around the room's edges while being sure to hit the floorboards. Sweep towards the center of the room and pick up the debris with a dustpan as you go. This method also works when cleaning with a vacuum cleaner.