<p>We just installed a new wood floor in our living room and on our staircase.We have always had carpet. I know I am supposed to avoid a lot of water and use a dust mop. I have been told to use a combination of water, vinegar, and rubbing alcohol. When I look online I see that there are many mops touting they are good for wood floors and a lot of other cleaning solutions posted.</p>
<p>I’d like to try to avoid the experimental phase and just get to what works best. Ay suggestions would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>You don’t need to wash them that often. Just clean them using a vacuum for the grit and then a Swiffer dry mop for the dust. Maybe every 6 months, use Murphy’s Oil Soap (dilute according to bottle directions) to mop them with an ordinary sponge mop that you use only for this purpose, as you don’t want the chemicals you use on your tile or linoleum floors to get on the wood.</p>
<p>We have always had antique hardwood (and soft wood, such as pine) floors and this works very well for us.</p>
<p>The floor ir real cherry hardwood. It has a lacquer finish.</p>
<p>Actually I’m not sure. I know it took four coats of whatever on four different days. Is also involved sanding before the last coat and then buffing. I’ll have to ask my husband.</p>
<p>I have pine wood floors in the family room and foyer. I just vacuum them. Once a year I wash them with Murphy’s Oil Soap. It would be ideal if I washed them twice a year, but I never get around to it.</p>
<p>We have had wooden floors now for over 20 years. Our favorite way to clean them is using the robotic vacuum cleaner. For the stairs, would advise something like a swifter or dust mop, just to pick up any grit. We love our wooden floors and hope you will too! They’re so easy and will look nice for many decades as long as you don’t warp them by getting liquid on them for prolonged periods.</p>
<p>I have wood floors (probably oak?) with polyurethane finish. I use a heavily diluted (like 90% water) all-purpose spray cleaner (like a non-ammonia Windex/multisurface). I sweep the floors with a broom and spray and wipe with paper towels or rags. I don’t do the whole floor at once, and areas with traffic, spills, etc. get cleaned much more often. I don’t necessarily recommend this method, but it works for me and my floors still look good after years of heavy traffic/big family. I don’t use a mop–Mom taught me that floors must be done on hands and knees!</p>
<p>For the dirt prone areas, I use pretty much any spray cleaner - I like Method - and use a dish towel because they are soft and big and cover a lot of ground.</p>
<p>The type of finish on our floors is not compatible with Murphy’s Oil Soap and we were warned by the installers to never use it as it will cause the finish to fail should we ever have another coat applied. I’d suggest that you check with your installer to confirm the type of finish used and the suggested cleaning methods.</p>
<p>Ours floors are Swedish Finished and we use Bona or a water/vinegar solution with a Sh-mop with a terry cloth cover.</p>
<p>Bona and a microfiber mop. My whole place is hardwood, except the bathroom. Love Bona. I buy the big bottles (a gallon or more) at Home Dept, around $12.</p>
<p>With a polyurethane finish, plain water on a microfiber mop (squeezed out very dry) works for us. The kitchen gets mopped weekly, the formal living room maybe every 4-6 months. Dust-mop or vacuum gets up the loose dirt and dust, mopping is for spills. FWIW, I bought 6 covers for my microfiber mop head. I get them all damp and do about 1/6 of the kitchen with each, then switch to a clean one. Then throw them all into the wash. Takes 20 minutes and I have a big kitchen/breakfast room.
My mother ruined the finish on her kitchen cabinets using Murphy’s Oil Soap back in the '70s. It’s not for every finish!</p>
<p>Still reading, thanks for the input. I got a microfiber wet/dry mop. I first dust mopped and was amazed by the amount of sand collected. We have a sandy area in our backyard and two smallish dogs that are in and out all the time (through their doggie door). We haven’t bought area rugs yet because I read it was good to wait 30 days to let the finish really cure (not sure if necessary or not) and also to expose more of the floor to the sun (it has already darkened up in just a 10 days.</p>
<p>I tried vinegar and water ( to get rid of the construction dirt). I put it in a spay bottle and used the microfiber mop. There are streaks everywhere! I was sure to change the microfiber pad. Grrrrr…I ordered some bona from amazon.</p>
<p>It is essential to give the floor a good sweeping before mopping. You mentioned dust mopping but if sand is the main problem, then you may need to sweep. I think that a dust mop is better for things like dust bunnies. </p>
<p>And yes, it is best to wait a month for the finish to fully cure.</p>