Are Swiffers ok to use/hardwood floor cleaning

[truste]

I've been using a cheap sponge mop and i hate it. It's hard to maneuver, bulky, and feels like it's just pushing dust around. It's so terrible that I've been really slacking on the mopping, and our floors are....not pretty. My dad mops like every other day, and I didn't appreciate that until I got my own place!

Anyway, I found the old swiffer I used in my college apartment and think that would be a good replacement for the sponge mop. I'm looking on Amazon, and there are so many options for wet replacement pads (which I prefer to dry). Which ones, if any, are bird safe? I remember reading that febreeze should be avoided, but what about the non febreeze options? Do they make a natural/unscented version?

Or, what bird safe options do you guys use to clean wood floors?

 

[Clueless]

I'm going to watch this. Hubby wants hard wood floors. I want linoleum (less expensive, easier to clean)

 

[Animallover03]

Bump

 

[alshgs]

I have the swiffer wet jet and the swiffer sweeper. I usually sweep and vacuum then go back over the floors with the sweeper to get anything I missed (like dog hair or bird feathers) for the wet jet, I just mix a vinegar, dawn and water solution in a spray bottle and spray on any spots in between mopping and use the wet jet. I mop every few days and use the same solution, I just mix it in the sink and use a mop with a washable head so I can keep using it

 

[truste]

I'm going to watch this. Hubby wants hard wood floors. I want linoleum (less expensive, easier to clean)

Is laminate an option? It's cheaper than wood, and it mimics the look of that's what your husband is after. I don't know about upkeep, but it seems like it'd be less finicky than real wood

 

[truste]

I have the swiffer wet jet and the swiffer sweeper. I usually sweep and vacuum then go back over the floors with the sweeper to get anything I missed (like dog hair or bird feathers) for the wet jet, I just mix a vinegar, dawn and water solution in a spray bottle and spray on any spots in between mopping and use the wet jet. I mop every few days and use the same solution, I just mix it in the sink and use a mop with a washable head so I can keep using it

You can just put whatever solution you want into the wet jet, right? You don't have to use theirs?

 

[Jaguar]

You can just put whatever solution you want into the wet jet, right? You don't have to use theirs?

The cap on the bottle has a lock mechanism to discourage refilling it. On mine, all I had to do was dip the cap in boiling water until the plastic got soft enough to "break" the safety seal. Then you can refill it I make my own cleaner out of water and castile soap. You can add vinegar too!

I don't see an issue with using it on hardwood floors, but it might not clean so much as soak in if the floors aren't properly sealed. My sister has an old farmhouse and the floors haven't been refinished so they don't get terribly clean with just a Swiffer.

 

[Jaguar]

I'm going to watch this. Hubby wants hard wood floors. I want linoleum (less expensive, easier to clean)

Maybe vinyl? It won't give you the feel of wood, but there are some seriously gorgeous wood-look vinyl floors, and they have the ease of laying/replacing/cleaning and durability that lino does. My mom did her whole place in vinyl, it looks awesome and she loves it. Wasn't cheap though!

 

[Clueless]

Maybe vinyl? It won't give you the feel of wood, but there are some seriously gorgeous wood-look vinyl floors, and they have the ease of laying/replacing/cleaning and durability that lino does. My mom did her whole place in vinyl, it looks awesome and she loves it. Wasn't cheap though!

Cheaper than tile I'd bet!

 

[truste]

The cap on the bottle has a lock mechanism to discourage refilling it. On mine, all I had to do was dip the cap in boiling water until the plastic got soft enough to "break" the safety seal. Then you can refill it I make my own cleaner out of water and castile soap. You can add vinegar too!

I don't see an issue with using it on hardwood floors, but it might not clean so much as soak in if the floors aren't properly sealed. My sister has an old farmhouse and the floors haven't been refinished so they don't get terribly clean with just a Swiffer.

Very macgyver of you! that's really good to know and I'd want to do the same. Maybe it's possible to buy their dry pads for my handle and just soak them in a homemade solution. I'm a bit leery of the chemicals I'm sure they use

 

[Macawnutz]

The cap on the bottle has a lock mechanism to discourage refilling it. On mine, all I had to do was dip the cap in boiling water until the plastic got soft enough to "break" the safety seal. Then you can refill it I make my own cleaner out of water and castile soap. You can add vinegar too!

I poke a hole in the plastic top and fill it with a 60cc syringe. Never leaks.

 

[alshgs]

I have vinyl in my kitchen and hardwood through the rest of my house except my sons room. I couldn't figure out how to break the seal, which is why I used a spray bottle! Lol, but I will break the seal next time. I have to use vinegar in mine because I have a very small dog who has bladder issues and she has accidents.

 

[camelotshadow]

Real wood is hard to clean. Guess it depends on the finish. Newer finishes are stronger & more water resistant.
I had 100 yo wood floors in my apt in NYC. Can
t even remember what I used but did not have a bird then.

New quality laminate is good & much more durable & easier to clean. Will resist scratches much easier.
My landlord is now installing it instead of carpet. Its very thick & maybe thicker than wood. There are all sorts of qualities & types of wood.

Don;t know what I would prefer but I grew up with vinyl tile & linoleum my parents installed over the 100 yo wood floors.
They were splintery & uneven. It certainly works but doesn;t have a luxurious feel & is easily damaged.

Tile is also nice but lots of grades too & it can crack if things are dropped & if the subfloor is not perfectly even.

If I won the lottery might go for marble or some natural stone...ha ha...

 

[truste]

I love the look and feel of real wood, esp the dark, ashy colors, except in the kitchen. There I like something easier to clean and less fussy. Spill some juice and no big deal.

I poke a hole in the plastic top and fill it with a 60cc syringe. Never leaks.

This is brilliant too!

I've never used vinegar for cleaning, though I do know it's pretty popular here. Does the smell linger after you use it? I dislike vinegar (both taste and smell )

 

[alshgs]

I love the look and feel of real wood, esp the dark, ashy colors, except in the kitchen. There I like something easier to clean and less fussy. Spill some juice and no big deal.



This is brilliant too!

I've never used vinegar for cleaning, though I do know it's pretty popular here. Does the smell linger after you use it? I dislike vinegar (both taste and smell )

It dissipates and with it, any odor that was on the spot that was cleaned. I don't like the smell either, but it goes away rather quickly for me

 

[TWR]

When I mop my tiled floor, I only ever use cleaning vinegar - no other product ever. When we built, our tiler said that if you use any sort of cleaning product (other than vinegar) when you mop the floors, it is inevitable that you will leave a residue of that product on your floor and over years it will build up. He said that would impact on the tiles visually - although you wouldn't necessarily notice it as it would be very gradual. But, years later, if you had a tile with no residue and put it next to the tiles on your floor - then you'd see the difference.

This doesn't happen with vinegar (he said). We built 20 plus years ago and I either steam mop or vinegar mop. I'm so glad our tiler told us this. It saves on product costs and I think the tiles are still looking great.

I dont find the vinegar smell lingers, but you can smell it quite strongly while you're mopping and maybe for a very short time after. I also love my steam mop (no additive, not even vinegar) but I expect that a steam mop may not be a good option for wooden floors.

 

[truste]

I'll have to try out the vinegar thing...and just get a nose plug haha. I'm going to order the wet jet from Amazon, and meanwhile I picked up a giant bottle of white vinegar from the store today and some dry sweeper refills for my old swiffer handle. Time to up my housecleaning game!

 

[finchly]

The things we learn here! I didn't know you could refill the swiffer thingie. I hate the vinegar smell though. I clean with lemongrass oil in a little water.

Recently i have been lightly bleaching the tile floors.... I have hardwood in two rooms and put Pergot flooring in the bird room. Totally love it. I only use water to clean in there.

 

[Grace]

The Swiffer Wet Jet gives me some sort of attack that feels like an asthma attack. I would be really afraid of using it around birds. I would lie to have one of those steam machines that clean floors. Anybody used one of those?

 

[finchly]

I have a steamer. I got one that heats the water really hot (that's the only caution I read before I purchased, to be sure it heats hot enough to kill germs). I like it a LOT and it does a great job cleaning. Only thing is....it takes more time as the end thingie is pretty small. Also, it leaves everything wet so (with lots of tile floors) you have to be super careful.

I bought it for cleaning grates but I don't use it for fear of hurting the finches.

I can move the bigger fids out for cleaning theirs, but it's easier to roll their cages outside and use the pressure washer.