Will Vinegar Hurt Wood Floors

White vinegar kills bacteria viruses and molds.

Will vinegar hurt wood floors.

While cleaning wood floors with vinegar and water is ideal it isn t the only natural option. Vinegar can do damage to your wood floor finish if the vinegar to water ratio is too strong if you use the wrong type of vinegar or if you allow the vinegar water mixture to pool puddle or over soak your floor. Many flooring manufacturers including lumber liquidators warn against using vinegar to clean your hardwood floors. Using vinegar on some hardwood floors will damage the finish.

For hardwood floors water is anathema. Plain white distilled vinegar should be your only choice. If you have a hardwood or laminated wood floor use white vinegar and stay away from your mop as it could contain residue from other cleaners that would not allow the vinegar to have its full effect. The acetic acid in vinegar can wear away or etch the polyurethane finish which over time will make your once gleaming floors seem dull.

Too many people don t really know how to clean wood floors with vinegar properly and that causes damage to wood floors. Neutral ph vinegar is an acidic substance and over time can eat away or deteriorate the finish on a hardwood floor. Using vinegar and water as a homemade hardwood floor cleaning solution can have a negative effect on your hardwood floor. If you like the cleaning power of vinegar but want to cut the smell just add an essential oil such as lemon.

But they do warn against the use of water and vinegar for hardwood floors. The main problem is that often people make mistakes by using too much water. If your wood floor is laminated vinegar is an ideal cleaning product because it won t strip the wax off floors like ammonia will. While it s best to use a cleaner specifically designed for cleaning finished.

Some will even void the warranty if there are any signs that vinegar was used. This one varies depending on the finish of your floors. White vinegar being natural cleanser it has becomes the best alternative for cleaning dirty hardwood floors removing stains and sanitizing. Second a mixture of vinegar and water typically isn t as effective as a neutral ph soap or cleaner formulated for wood when it comes to pulling up dirt and grime.

It s important to remember that when you clean your hardwood floors you aren t actually cleaning the wood you are cleaning the chemical finish on the wood. Do not use red wine balsamic or apple kinds of vinegar. It s like kryptonite for superman. Lemon oil also helps to cut grease which may be very useful if you re trying to clean wood floors in a kitchen.