Hardwood Floor Cleaner


Floor owners buy hardwood floor cleaner from well-meaning folks at the store or on TV who have never seen your floor and assume

you have a polymerized coating over it, not a hardening oil, or a penetrating oil, or a soft wax, or a modified resin.

The cleaner they recommended leaves a residue that never looks clean, or at least, not for very long.

Or, you spritzed the floor like the hardwood floor cleaner bottle said, and used the brand new, not-so-cheap terry cloth mop that came with it

but the mop won't budge. Can't push it. Can't pull it. It just sticks to your floor!

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Hardwood Floor Cleaner Best Practice

Best practice is to consider, first, what the finish manufacturer recommends for a hardwood floor cleaner.

In the case of pre-finished flooring, you will want to contact the mill.


And when you do, keep in mind they may have products that fall into more than one of the above categories, so be careful.

BasicCoatings

Monocoat



BonaKemi

DuraSeal



Loba

Murphy's


I have at least tried all of the above, and am not recommending any of them.  All I am saying is that your flooring or finish manufacturer may have recommended one of these.  And that it is best practice to first consider their specifications.


Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Chemistry 101

Any hardwood floor cleaner is really a molecular electrician,

taking apart and re-wiring electrons to make them more attractive to molecules with complementary, (opposite,) charges.

In this way, molecules are always seeking neutral or, at least, stable relationships.

Chemical cleaners, which are either alkaline, (pH > 7) or acidic, (pH < 7) dissolve grime of any kind by changing its ionic charge

and then coaxing it to a surface that the newly dissolved grime finds attractive, "electron-ically" speaking.

It literally gives up! Capitulates! Abandons ship! Off it goes to find an opposite

to its own ionic charge. Negative seeks positive. Positive seeks negative.

Antibacterial

Referring to an agent or treatment which prevents the growth of bacteria. Can be bactericidal (kills) or bacteriostatic (inhibits growth).


Antifungal

Referring to an agent or treatment which prevents the growth of fungi. Can be fungicidal (kills) or fungistatic (inhibits growth).


Antimicrobial

A generic term referring to a substance or treatment that inhibits the growth of microorganisms.


Bacteria

Simple unicellular organisms that can cause spoilage or odours, as well as infections and health issues. Bacteria can be classified into 2 basic groups (gram positive and gram negative) based on differences in the structure of their outer cell walls.


Dust Mites

Microscopic creatures, related to spiders, which thrive in bedding and carpets, commonly feeding on flakes of shed human skin. Dust mite excretions have been recognized as a significant cause of allergies and asthma.**


Fungi

Single or multi-cellular organisms that obtain their nutrients from the breakdown of organic material. Fungi can cause product degradation (rotting), as well as creating stains and odours.

Yeasts, molds and mushrooms are all fungi.


Micro-organisms

Small or microscopic forms of life, including bacteria, yeasts, fungi, and molds.


Mildew

A common name for dark coloured molds which cause disfiguration and degradation. They can be found in interior (i.e. bathrooms) and exterior environments (i.e. tenting, awnings, painted siding).


Molds

A widespread group of fungi that are filamentous and reproduce by spore formation. They form hypha and mycelia. Molds are often found on wood, paper, cotton and other natural materials where they can cause degradation.


Virus

A genetic element, containing DNA or RNA, which invades biological cells and reproduces using the material of the cell. Viruses are not cells and cannot replicate by themselves. Viruses cannot be controlled by antimicrobials.


Yeasts

A group of fungi which are unicellular and flourish in habitats where sugars are present.

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