This cleaning tip leaves floors spotless, according to a cleaning expert!
- Replies 15
Cleaning your floors can be hard work, especially if you have wooden floors that needs to be treated with extra care and caution.
They can easily become damaged and scratched, and it’s even worse when you’re struggling to make all those scratches and speckles disappear, no matter how hard you scrub .
Fortunately, Carolina McCauley, a 'home hacks queen' from Perth, has shared some brilliant advice for keeping your wooden floors sparkling clean for as long as possible.
The video clip, which she posted on TikTok, has now been watched over 32,000 times, with thousands of users thanking her for the genius hack.
So what is the ‘genius cleaning tip’? Let’s get into it!
Carolina started by creating a cleaning solution with hot water, one cup of vinegar, one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and 20 drops of citrus essential oil in a bucket.
Vinegar is a decent disinfectant, capable of killing several medically significant bacteria like E. coli. Its acidic properties also help to break down grease and dirt.
The essential oil used by McCauley gives the mixture a pleasant scent, but its true purpose lies in its cleaning properties --- citrus essential oils are reported to also be effective disinfectants capable of killing disease-causing microbes.
When used together in a mop solution, vinegar and essential oils are a powerful one-two punch. (Three, if you’re counting the dishwashing liquid!)
Once the mixture was ready, she got to mopping her wooden floors and suggested mopping in the same direction as the wood-grain to avoid obvious streaking. This is because the mop’s fibres can easily bend, allowing dirt to be more easily absorbed.
Mopping in a direction towards the grain can help to remove dirt more effectively as the fibres are able to absorb more dirt and debris.
And then, she said investing in a quality bucket with two separate compartments is also key, as it allows you to thoroughly rinse your mop in the one compartment before dipping it in the other.
This will stop you from dragging dirt and bacteria further down the hallway when mopping, and in turn, help you keep your floors cleaner for longer!
Now, some of you might have grimaced when you first read that Carolina was using vinegar on wooden floors.
It would be remiss of us not to note that while there are plenty of websites that advise doing the same thing, there are also ones like Consumer Report and Home Made Simple that flat out discourage using vinegar (and baking soda) to clean wooden floors (especially if they’re coated).
‘Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched,’ Consumer Reports pointed out.
‘These are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors,’ Home Made Simple added.
‘They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.’
We suggest spot testing first on a tiny section of your floor. This way you can see how any solutions react, first, before mopping larger surfaces.
Cleaning service Maid For You also advises against using hot or cold water (just lukewarm) on hardwood floors as this may lead to eventual warping of the wood.
Who knew there was so much to consider when cleaning wooden floors, eh?
Source: TikTok/@carolina.mccauley
On the topic of flooring, vinyl floors are said to be a great alternative to wooden floors (that won’t break your bank) and can give your home a magazine-worthy look. But did you know Kmart even sells faux wood vinyl floor tiles for only $15?
You may also find one mum’s experience with an anti-scratch hack amazing — especially when you find out what the trick needs!
So, what is your reaction to this wooden floor cleaning tip from Carolina? Have you tried something similar? How did it go?
Or maybe you have your own tried and tested tips you want to share with other members?
Tell us in the comments below!
They can easily become damaged and scratched, and it’s even worse when you’re struggling to make all those scratches and speckles disappear, no matter how hard you scrub .
Fortunately, Carolina McCauley, a 'home hacks queen' from Perth, has shared some brilliant advice for keeping your wooden floors sparkling clean for as long as possible.
The video clip, which she posted on TikTok, has now been watched over 32,000 times, with thousands of users thanking her for the genius hack.
So what is the ‘genius cleaning tip’? Let’s get into it!
Carolina started by creating a cleaning solution with hot water, one cup of vinegar, one teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and 20 drops of citrus essential oil in a bucket.
Vinegar is a decent disinfectant, capable of killing several medically significant bacteria like E. coli. Its acidic properties also help to break down grease and dirt.
The essential oil used by McCauley gives the mixture a pleasant scent, but its true purpose lies in its cleaning properties --- citrus essential oils are reported to also be effective disinfectants capable of killing disease-causing microbes.
Carolina’s floor cleaning hack requires the use of a hot water solution. Image Credit: Instagram/@carolina.mccauley
When used together in a mop solution, vinegar and essential oils are a powerful one-two punch. (Three, if you’re counting the dishwashing liquid!)
Once the mixture was ready, she got to mopping her wooden floors and suggested mopping in the same direction as the wood-grain to avoid obvious streaking. This is because the mop’s fibres can easily bend, allowing dirt to be more easily absorbed.
Mopping in a direction towards the grain can help to remove dirt more effectively as the fibres are able to absorb more dirt and debris.
And then, she said investing in a quality bucket with two separate compartments is also key, as it allows you to thoroughly rinse your mop in the one compartment before dipping it in the other.
This will stop you from dragging dirt and bacteria further down the hallway when mopping, and in turn, help you keep your floors cleaner for longer!
Now, some of you might have grimaced when you first read that Carolina was using vinegar on wooden floors.
Going against the wood grain results in an inefficient floor-cleaning job. Image Credit: Instagram/@carolina.mccauley
It would be remiss of us not to note that while there are plenty of websites that advise doing the same thing, there are also ones like Consumer Report and Home Made Simple that flat out discourage using vinegar (and baking soda) to clean wooden floors (especially if they’re coated).
‘Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched,’ Consumer Reports pointed out.
‘These are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors,’ Home Made Simple added.
‘They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.’
Cleaning service Maid For You also advises against using hot or cold water (just lukewarm) on hardwood floors as this may lead to eventual warping of the wood.
Who knew there was so much to consider when cleaning wooden floors, eh?
Source: TikTok/@carolina.mccauley
On the topic of flooring, vinyl floors are said to be a great alternative to wooden floors (that won’t break your bank) and can give your home a magazine-worthy look. But did you know Kmart even sells faux wood vinyl floor tiles for only $15?
You may also find one mum’s experience with an anti-scratch hack amazing — especially when you find out what the trick needs!
So, what is your reaction to this wooden floor cleaning tip from Carolina? Have you tried something similar? How did it go?
Or maybe you have your own tried and tested tips you want to share with other members?
Tell us in the comments below!
.png){kind=icon}
