Best way to clean hardwood floors? (installed, vinegar, removing, ducts)

[rubytue]

Just today the Washington Post had a great article about hardwood floors. One thing I learned is that care of the floor really depends on the finish. If you have a polyurethane top coat on your floors, you don't ever want to use wax or Murphy's Oil Soap. But, if you have old floors that haven't been refinished with poly, then go ahead and use to oil soap.

Article is here

[rowlett mom]

we have golden eagle brand engineered wood floors. They are dark and we have a 55lb dog. No scratches. I just use the swiffer vacum and Zep to keep them in shape

[BlueWillowPlate]

Yeah, I've heard from other people that engineered wood floors, dark or not, should operate just the same as regular hardwood floors. FWIW, our engineered wood floor is Columbia.
Our dog weighs three times yours, Rowlett, and we keep his nails short, but I am not positive his size is the particular problem. Other things have caused scratches as well, of various sizes, some minor, some larger.
I don't want to make it sound as if our floor is a mass of scratches, it's not, but we do have plenty.
Maybe the dark wood just seems to make the scratches stand out more to me?
Am I missing something here?
I dunno.

[Cattknap]

For those of you who use Murphy's Oil Soap, please see the link below and read the material.

Never use oil soap.

[rowlett mom]

It could just be the weight of your dog. We just put our floors in last winter and the first time our dog ran accross the floor, nails just tapping away, I held my breath. I am very pleased with the floors so far. The worst part is dust balls show up quickly, thus the swifer vacum. I do think the engineered floors hold up better than real hardwood for day to day traffic. You may try Old English dabbed on a paper towel to conceal the scratches. I would go very easy on it though. A little goes a long way with that stuff.

[4StanleyCups]

Originally Posted by sunnyhelena

I have Murphy oil soap but how do I get the floors clean/germ free?

IMO none of the suggested non-soap non-water cleaning methods will get a floor really clean/germ free.

Vacuuming or swiffers won't remove anything except dust and loose dirt.

I'm a clean freak and that's why I don't have either wood floors or carpet. I don't want any floor surface that can't be regularly cleaned with water and some kind of soap or cleanser.

[rowlett mom]

that was why I was glad to get rid of carpet in the living room and hallway.
It always seemed dirty and I didn't want to drag my steamer out on a daily basis. The upkeep on the wood floors is very easy and I don't think they harbor lots of germs. I am happy with being able to keep the dust and dirt cleand up daily with the swifer vac and zep hardwood floor cleaner. II will never go back to carpet there. I do still have it in the bedrooms, but thats ok, it's nice there and even though it's white it stays clean as long as people take shoes off at front door. I will say in the summer I can't stand to walk accross a tile or wood floor and feel dirt under foot, I go through those swiffer clothes like crazy. I don't like the cost, but nothing seems to work as well.

[bonnie shira]

Can you use the wet swifter cloth on the preengineered floors

[Historic Bessemer]

Our hardwoods are 107 yrs old.........heart pine. We use a barely damp mop with just a splash of pine sol in the water(i guess for the smell)..........the amount we put in prolly does'nt even clean but it makes the house smell good!

[babymama18]

Okay The Best Way To Clean Hard Wood Floors Is To Sweep....&& This May Sound Funny But I Use Pledge On My Floors Once A Week..they Shine Like New Leather...very Easy...just Scrub The Pledge Around..spot To Spot..