Hardwood floors, furniture and cabinets are gorgeous, and they add so much character to your Oakville home. It makes sense that you want to do everything you can to keep the wood in your home as beautiful as possible for as long as you can, including cleaning them. There are certain cleaning products that you should never use on wood, however. Here’s what you need to know.

Cleaning Products with Ammonia

Ammonia is a chemical that has been used in cleaning products for years, and for many situations, it’s ok to use products with ammonia, but it should never be used on wood. The chemical makeup of ammonia will damage the finished surface of wood furniture, cabinets, or flooring, and it will dissolve the wood over time.

Oil Cleaning Products

Cleaning professionals will explain that it is ok to use a tiny amount of diluted oils on wood products so that you can help them maintain their shine. However, there’s a fine line between enough oil to keep the shine and too much oil applied.

If you have too much oil on hardwood floors, it can make them incredibly slippery – to the point of being dangerous. And, further, once you put it on the floor, removing it can be difficult.

If you’re worried about how much oil to use or if you’re going to put too much on, it can be best to stay away from products with oil in them altogether.

Glass Cleaners

These products are great for cleaning windows, no question. However, using them on hardwood is not recommended. Glass cleaners can have some very abrasive ingredients that will damage wood or strip paint and wood finishing.

Wet Mops

Wet mops can ruin the finish of hardwood floors and eventually damage the wood underneath since wood is porous and will absorb water over time. As a general rule of thumb, if a cleaning product requires you to break out the old-fashioned mop and bucket, you may not want to use it.

Steam Cleaners

Along the same lines as mops, steam cleaners introduce water to the wood floors. Due to wood being porous, it can absorb moisture from the steam cleaner.

If you want to, it is recommended to use a microfibre mop or cloth on your hardwood floors and cabinets. They will be the best for protecting the wood products in your home over the long term.

Safe Products for Cleaning Wood

Pine-Sol

A good option for cleaning your floors is mixing ¼ cup of pine sol with a gallon of water. You can spray this mixture onto your floors for clean floors and a fresh smell. Be sure to only dampen the floor and not get it too wet.

Castile Soap and water

Castile soap is a natural and gentle concentrated soap. Mix a small amount with water and use a damp cloth to wipe down wood cabinets and furniture.

Mayonnaise

Yep! You read that right – the full-fat version! (Martha Stewart swears by using mayonnaise to remove stains from wood.) Apply the mayonnaise to the stain and leave it on for 15 minutes before wiping it off with a damp cloth.

Contact Trends Wood Finishing

Are you looking for new wood cabinets or cabinet refinishing for your Oakville home? Call us today to get an estimate.