How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors are beautiful and can easily last a lifetime if you take proper care of them. First of all, when we talk about hardwood floors we are talking about sealed hardwood floors. Unsealed floors have not been installed in homes for a very long time. If you think that your floors are not sealed, they must be sealed immediately or they will absorb every liquid spilled on them and will quickly start to dry out and fall apart.

Great Homemade Cleaner for Hardwood Floors

There are a wide variety of commercially available wood floor cleaners. Many of these are quite expensive and contain harsh chemicals. A very simple homemade cleaner can be made from adding a few drops of basic dish soap with distilled water. Put the mixture in a misting spray bottle and clean your hardwood floor in small sections. Make sure that you spray the area that you want to clean and then wipe up immediately with a micro fiber cloth or clean towel. Never let any area remain damp for any period of time as moisture is your floor’s enemy. Adding a splash of white vinegar and lemon juice will add some major cleaning power to your homemade floor cleaner. However, if you add these ingredients to your cleaner, you will have to do a quick wet mop with clean water before you dry each section.

Quick tips to maintain your hardwood floors:

• Sweep your floors at least every week with a Swiffer or with a soft bristled broom. To save time, I have found a get trick for cleaning your floors. If you are sweeping your floors, sweep the dust and dirt onto a carpeted area of your home. Vacuum the carpet thoroughly to remove all of the debris and to help keep abrasive dirt off of your hardwood floors.
• Always wipe up all spills immediately. Water and other liquids can do severe damage to even sealed hardwood floors.
• Protect your hardwood floor by placing furniture pads under the legs of each piece of furniture. This will spread out the weight of your furniture over a larger area and keep your floors from getting scratched.
• Use area rugs to protect your hardwood floors in highly trafficked areas. Also, use floor mats in all entrances to your rooms with hardwood floors. This helps trap dirt and debris and keeps them from scratching the surface of your floors.

Related Posts:

• Microfiber Mops
• Keep Your Floors Cleaner With These Moping Tips
• Floor Cleaning Week Recap

Homemade Daily Shower Cleaner

One of the best ways to keep your showers clean is to spray a mild cleaner after every use. There are several brands you can buy at the store, but you can save money by making your own at home. Just mix 1 cup rubbing alcohol and 3 cups water in a spray bottle. If you have hard water it is best to use distilled water. Just spray all over your shower when you are done, no wiping required. This works best after you have given your shower a good cleaning and can double the amount of time before your next cleaning.

How to Care for Sterling Silver

We have covered how to clean your silver jewelry and silverware in our posts Polish Your Silver With Zero Effort and Eco-Friendly Silver Polish For Really Tough Stains. The better solution is to keep the tarnish off of your silver in the first place. Here are some tips to help:

• Store your silver items in a ziplock bag - Sulfur in the air is silver's enemy. By keeping your items in a ziplock bag you will drastically cut down the amount of tarnish that will form over time. Be sure to squeeze as much air out of the bag.
• Limit exposure to rubber, acidic foods, hair spray and detergents.
• If you have high sulfur content water, clean your silver with distilled water.