Want Spotless Hardwood Floors? Here’s how!
How to Clean Hardwood Floors.
Raise your hand if you find pesky little remnants of dust left behind after you’ve spent time cleaning your hardwood floors. If your hand is in the air, it’s time for a new approach.
Sometimes we get so fixated on getting the dust bunnies, crumbs, and dog hairs swept up that we start with the floors when cleaning. The best first step for cleaning hardwood floors should be top-down.
But before we get down to the details, let’s talk about pH levels in floor cleaners. To prevent damage to floors and obtain the perfect one-two punch to remove oils, dirt, minerals and other debris, it’s important that your hardwood floor cleaning formula is the right balance between an acid solution—which helps to remove calcium, rust, and minerals--and alkaline—which combats dirt, oils, proteins, and other organic stains.
From a pH scale of 0 (acidic) to 14 (alkaline), the ideal is right in the middle at 7. The Casabella Infuse hardwood floor cleaning concentrates, for example, have a pH between 6.5 and 8.0, making it ideal for achieving a haze-free shine. It’s also non-toxic and free from Phthalates, Parabens, and Carcinogens, and never tested on animals. All of these features make it a great choice to effectively clean all types of sealed wood floors, including maple, walnut, cherry, and even bamboo.
Now that we’re better informed about our cleaning product, let’s talk about the ultimate approach to spotless hardwood floors:
- Start with wiping down surfaces above your floors, such as countertops, furniture, shelves, and all high-level surfaces. Allow for dirt to fall to the floor. Finish off those countertops with an All-Purpose Cleaner followed up with a microfiber cloth to fully remove dust and dirt from surfaces.
- Next, use a broom and dustpan to sweep up all the dirt and debris off the floor. Don’t forget to capture those dust bunnies under all furniture.
- Here’s an “aha moment.” Did you know that a microfiber dust mop is designed to trap dust and dirt BEFORE it gets its shine on? Yes! After you’ve swept the floor and while the mop pad is dry, glide it over the entire floor surface to further capture smaller particles that didn’t make it into your dustpan.
- Now that your floor is dust and dirt-free, it’s time to get to work. Using your Casabella Infuse Hardwood Floor Spray Mop, start with one corner of the room, pull the spray trigger to apply a spritz of floor cleaner to the area. Push and pull the mop to work in the non-toxic cleaner. Continue to spray as needed while working your way towards a doorway until you’ve covered all of the surfaces.
- Mission accomplished. Take a step back and admire your Lavender Lemon or Lemongrass freshly-scented dustless, spotless floors that are streak and haze-free.
If you’re new to the Casabella Infuse family of products, here’s how to get started with your Hardwood Floor Spray Mop {link to set-up guide}
Let’s get social! Join us on Instagram for a bit of cleaning inspo. Be sure to tag us on images of your spotless hardwood floors!