Will Ammonia And Water Hurt Hardwood Floors

When using ammonia it must be in an extremely diluted form no more than 1 or 2 teaspoons in 2 gallons of tepid water.

Will ammonia and water hurt hardwood floors.

Avoid ammonia ammonia will discolor deteriorate and dull the finish. Barbara hoffmeyer is the office manager for property care hardwood floors a bloomfield hills mich based family owned and operated business specializing in hardwood flooring since 1992. Glass cleaners have become trendy for wood flooring applications. Ammonia is a powerful disinfectant and cleaner but it must be used properly so as not to provoke respiratory problems or irritations in humans this is why you must always mix 1 part ammonia and 4 parts water.

But also like vinegar ammonia is bad news for your hardwood floors. Using a steam cleaner on a hardwood floor can cause peeling cracking and cloudiness in the finish. Because it s not a neutral ph it can be harsh on the finish causing discoloration over time. Steam cleaners are bad news you should only use steam cleaners on carpets and other surfaces that they are designed for.

So when you do have a cleaning product around that you d like to use on your floor check the ingredients and if there is ammonia included do not use it. About this angie s list expert. That s why you should clean old wax regularly and the. While water can be used as part of the cleaning process too much water on a hardwood floor can damage floors and alter its look.

Tom hoffmeyer the. Cleaning with vinegar and water is cheap safe for the environment and generally does a great job at cleaning many items in your home. A lot of commercial cleaning products use parrafin wax and various oils that are impermeable to polyurethaned floors. Water and hardwood floors don t mix.

Using ammonia to clean a wood floor will take years off of its life. Fresh wax makes your vinyl floor shine but old wax collects dirt and makes the floor look dingy. Ammonia is one of those miracle cleaners for many materials but it will only hurt your hardwood floor. Apply with a well wrung mop and rinse floor well with pure water.

Avoid using a string or sponge mop to clean since they don t do a good job of absorbing water once they re fully soaked. It is an alcohol and ammonia based product. Better options follow below. Unlike vinegar however ammonia is a base with a ph around 11 similar to household bleach.

With proper care and maintenance a hardwood floor will deliver many years of beauty and cleaner living. This measure is completely effective for cleaning wood and it s harmless to human health. Just don t use vinegar and water to clean hardwood floors. Ammonia can discolor and take away a few years from your floor s life.