Quick Tip For Hardwood Floors...

I have worked on boats for years. It was my previous life....Ahh it was so much simpler no? Anyway, when I worked on those boats we used to have very specific cleaning practices to ensure the wooden decks (fancy boat word for outdoor floor) and the soles (fancy boat word for indoor floors) were clean yet preserved the best possible for as long as possible. For the decks we would haul up buckets of sea water, sploosh them over the decks and then scrub them down with hard bristle brushes. The salt in the sea water along with the oil we used to seal the decks throughout the season, worked to preserve the wood. Fresh water was the devil. It would break down the oil and cause the wood to rot. It was a rarity to wash the deck with fresh water. Down below we used Murphy's Oil Soap and fresh water. The sole was varnished and sealed with clear coat. What does any of this have to do with the hardwood floors in my house? Well, I wish I could wash them with sea water. I would oil them three or four times a year and then slosh buckets of sea water over them daily.

As it stands now my floors are old old old wood floors. They are hungry for a refinishing. I am in constant search to find the perfect cleaning routine to combat the dogs dirt, dog hair, garden dirt, street dirt and general grubbiness of an active family of three (plus 2). Right now I sweep several times a week and once a week I use Bona Floor cleaning system. They have some very attractive refinishing system that claims to be dustless and damn! That looks nice! Anyway, I love the bona system. I am just still trying to find the perfect system for actual mop up the super gross shit that the dogs drag in to the kitchen. I have long been a Murphy's oil soap girl. I even get nostalgic at the smell of it! I thought Murphy's was the way to go until my mother pointed out that it is a soap based cleaner that will leave a dulling residue. She gave me the tip to rinse with very diluted white vinegar after I am done moping with the Murphy's it seems to be a good method. It doesn't leave any yucky smell or dull film on the floor. So, for now, until I can pay a zillion dollars to have the Bona guys come a refinish my floors (or more likely, option B: Next summer when our friends come help us refinish the floors) I will keep using the bona wet mop and dust mop and on the rare disgusting occasion that the dogs drag crap through the house or pillage the trash can, I will use the Murphy's/vinegar method. So there you have it. The homestead stance on cleaning the hardwoods.