Too Much Vinegar On Hardwood Floors

Vinegar is acidic and i ve decided to heed the cautions that it could dull the finish and even possibly warp the wood over time.

Too much vinegar on hardwood floors.

Then mix a 1 2 cup of white vinegar with a gallon of warm water in a bucket. Too much water can warp your boards cause a ripple effect permanently discolor the wood and produce nonrepairable damage. It is extremely important there is no dust or dirt on the floor as this can lead to scratches. Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor which can cause swelling and discoloration.

There s certainly debate on that subject and you can find plenty of homemade floor cleaner recipes around the internet that use some vinegar but i ve always decided to remain careful and keep the vinegar away from my vintage restored hardwood floor. The main problem is that often people make mistakes by using too much water. It s like kryptonite for superman. If the drying time is extremely short such as five minutes then that means you didn t use enough cleaner.

For hardwood floors water is anathema. Ideally it should be thirty minutes at most or slightly less unless you used too much cleaner. Since vinegar is an acid it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor and over time it will reduce the shine and leave a dull appearance. Too many people don t really know how to clean wood floors with vinegar properly and that causes damage to wood floors.

The best way to clean hardwood floors. Plunge a clean mop into the water vinegar mixture and ensure it is thoroughly wrung out before mopping. Avoid the use of vinegar on marble and granite as it can eat away at the stone finish. To clean hardwood floors with vinegar start by sweeping your floors to remove any dust and debris.

Next mop your hardwood floors with the solution so they re damp but not soaked. Allow the whole area to dry. When cleaning with vinegar the solution created is made up of mostly water. The process may be hastened if vinegar is used in conjunction with very hot water.

But they do warn against the use of water and vinegar for hardwood floors. Too much vinegar or too much water. The key is to dilute the vinegar enough to hold its cleaning power but reduce the acidity that can cause damage to some types of flooring. Vinegar is an acidic substance and over time can eat away or deteriorate the finish on a hardwood floor.

Since vinegar is acidic it can have the negative effect of damaging the finish on your floor leaving floors looking dull or cloudy. The water and vinegar will clean and disinfect the floor while the olive oil will restore its shine. White vinegar works well on practically any hard floor surface including all types of wood laminate linoleum and tile. And wood and water do not mix.

Using a ratio of one gallon of warm water to a half cup of white vinegar fill up a clean bucket. You can also add a few drops of essential oils to give the solution a nice fragrance.