What is the best way to clean dark hardwood floors? Day 4: Clean My Kitchen

So if you are wondering what is the best way to clean dark hardwood floors, I will share with you the best method that I have found.  (ps- This is not a sponsored post – I am just sharing the product that works best for my floors.)  I actually was told about this product from my parents.  I think that they now use another cleaner, but this one has been the best one for me, using the method that I am going to share with you.

With four kids, cleaning floors is not something that I want to spend a lot of time doing, so I have found a method that is quick, easy and lasts longer. 

Before I go on, if you missed the first three days of the Clean My Kitchen Challenge, you can see them here:
Day 1- Cleaning Surfaces
Day 2- Cleaning Large Appliances
Day 3- Cleaning Small Appliances

So today we are talking about hardwood floors.  I have dark wood floors- they were here when the house was built, about eight years ago.   The floors have some scratches on them when the light hits them in the right spots.   (from toys, kids, toy cars, etc…)

What have I tried through the years?
I have tried using vinegar.  I’ve tried soapy water.  I’ve tried a LOT of floor cleaners, but this one is the only one that I have found that works and that doesn’t take forever.

It is called Holloway House.   I can only find it at Harris Teeter, but here is the website (to order directly): Holloway House Floor Cleaners. 

So- I start with this one- Halloway House cleaner- the teal container.   It is the cleaner.

Pay close attention to my “method” here, because this is a little bit hard to explain, so I am going to do the best that I can (once you understand what I am saying, you will see how much easier this is going to be):

This cleaner comes in a concentrated from.  Here is what I do to make it as easy as possible to use every time…

I dump the concentrated cleaner into a new tightly-sealed container, that I label FLOOR CLEANER (I just write on an old bottle with a permanent marker).   I now fill the regular CLEANER bottle … 3/4 filled with water and about 3 capfuls of the CLEANER.  I now have a ready-to-go Holloway House cleaner.

Ok- stay with me here…

Now I get the SHINE in the green bottle (this will be the top coat).

I take the LID from the shine container and put it onto the CLEANER bottle to make it easy to use.     You are supposed to just fill up a bucket of water with the cleaner/water, but that would take me too long, so I have made it easy to just squirt on the floor.

(Look at the lids of both containers here to see what I mean)

SO- I now have the squirt lid on my cleaner and the regular lid on the SHINE (just switching lids).   I clean the floors by wetting my regular sponge mop.

I then squirt the CLEANER in an S shape on the floor (pretty big area).    I clean it with my damp sponge mop.    I do this until the whole floor is cleaned.   (You will have to re-wet & wring it out (not soaking wet) your mop every few minutes, so save the area by the kitchen sink for last, to avoid making footprints.)

Now I take my lids and switch them again.  Now the squirt lid is back on the SHINE and the regular cap is back on the CLEANER.

Are you following?

I do the same thing again with the shine.  I squirt the S shape on the floors and clean it with my damp sponge mop.   (Keep rinsing & re-wetting your mop, wringing it out every few minutes, when it gets dry).   DO NOT walk on it for 15 minutes!)   If I am expecting company or hosting a party, I will do the SHINE part twice.

Every other month I will do this with a washcloth, on my hands and knees, because it works better, but for a weekly or bi-weekly basis, this method is fast, easy and works.

Last thing, but without the SHINE, the floors DO NOT stay nearly as clean!  It has made the biggest difference!

Stop by tomorrow to see the best way to clean carpets.

Please leave your own best hardwood-cleaning tips below!  I would love to hear them & share them!