Don't use vinegar or baking soda. Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or baking soda, but these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.
If you don't have access to direct sunlight or 6 hours to spare, spray the surface of the wood with vinegar after you have applied the baking soda. Let it sit for 10 minutes (in the sun, if possible) before moving onto the removal process—which is the same whether you use vinegar or not.
The abrasiveness of baking soda can ruin sealants and finishes of wood and even cause staining. Instead, opt for a mixture of dish soap and water to clean any wood surfaces. If you have used baking soda and stained the wood, you will likely have to sand back the area and reseal it to fix it.
Vinegar is one of those incredible all-around house cleaners that seems to be able to do anything. In the case of cleaning wood, the acetic acid in it cleans quickly and without any heavy scrubbing, leaving your wood safe and its surface clean.
White vinegar is considered by many to be the best homemade cleaner for wood floors. After diluting it with water, you can use it to clean almost every room of the house. To clean your wood floors with water and vinegar, do the following: Mix one part vinegar with three parts water.
Say no to H2O.
When it comes to cleaning, skipping chemicals and going straight to plain water may seem like a safe bet, but environmental toxin expert Tonya Harris says you should never use water on wood.
Furniture and Wood Floor Cleaner Recipe
1/8 -1/4 c white vinegar. 2 Tbs olive oil. 20 drops of lemon essential oil (natural cleaner & stain remover)
Some of the most effective household cleaners aren't meant to be mixed. You probably already know never to combine harsh chemicals like bleach and ammonia (or really, bleach and anything). But common pantry essentials that are often used for cleaning — like baking soda and vinegar — shouldn't be mixed either.
Rinsing is not necessary! If you're simply using a vinegar and water solution to wipe and disinfect, you won't need to rinse. However, if there's also plenty of dirt and grime you're wiping away, you may also want to rinse with some extra water.
Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate, which is an effective absorbent material. It works by trapping moisture, making it easier to remove. Simply create a thick paste with water and spread it over the affected area. Let the baking soda sit overnight before wiping it away in the morning.
Clear Finishes: Mix up equal parts of paint thinner and a mild soap, such as Murphy Oil Soap, and apply with a sponge or paintbrush. Wipe the solution away with a rag to clear the dirt; you'll likely remove a thin layer of varnish or shellac, too, because the grime has melded with it.
Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched. (The same goes for wood furniture.) Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations or pick a cleaner that's made specifically for hardwood flooring.
Is Using Baking Soda and Vinegar Together a Good Idea? The short answer is no. And the long answer goes like this: When used together, baking soda and vinegar will neutralize each other, effectively canceling out the benefits of low pH for vinegar and high pH for baking soda.
In a large bucket or sink, combine 1 gallon of water with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar or 1/2 cup of cleaning vinegar. If you decide to use a commercial hardwood floor cleaner, follow the product instructions carefully. Only use the amount as directed to avoid waxy buildup, which can make wood floors look dull.
How does vinegar darken wood? Vinegar causes steel wool to oxidize, or basically rust. That rust “dyes” the vinegar. Then, that vinegar reacts with the color of the wood that you apply it to, giving it a new, deeper color.
For use around the home, combine vinegar with water in a 1:1 solution to clean and freshen many surfaces. Use this solution on glass, windows, walls, cupboards, floors, sinks, stovetops and coffee makers.
White and distilled are types of vinegar. They differ fundamentally in their acetic acid content. White, also known as spirit vinegar, has 5% to 20% acetic acid. This is generally higher as compared to distilled vinegar's 5%-8%.
Vinegar is acidic and basic soda is basic, so the by-products are sodium acetate, carbon dioxide, and water that are not toxic. The mixing reaction causes the baking soda to foam up and produce carbon dioxide gas.
You should use a ratio of 1:2 baking soda to vinegar. In other words, if you're using ½ cup of baking soda, use 1 cup of vinegar, or if you're using a cup of baking soda, use 2 cups of vinegar.
It is safe to leave baking soda (and vinegar) to work overnight to unclog a drain. Always flush this mixture down with boiling water—no matter how long you leave it sitting in the drain.
Mix baking soda (half a cup) with vinegar (one cup) Spray the bubbling mixture on your wooden surface. Relax for the solution on the wooden surface to stop bubbling before you clean it with a wet cotton rag.
Clean Away Spills
Use a paper towel or soft cloth to immediately blot away liquid spills and condensation from drinks. For sticky messes, dip a cloth in plain water and wring until only slightly damp. Wipe away the mess and immediately use a dry microfiber cloth to buff the wood back to a shine.