Wood floors are one of the most preferred and beloved types of residential flooring because of how great they look and feel. In most cases when people choose a different type of flooring, however, it’s either because they are looking for something more affordable because circumstances dictate that another type of flooring is more suitable, or because they are afraid of the wood getting damaged.
And, indeed, it’s always very unfortunate when a gorgeous hardwood floor gets damaged as fixing it is far from easy. There are many things that can damage hardwood floors, too, from too much moisture, mold, direct physical damage, or even just using improper detergents. The latter is an especially common worry for discount cleaning products such as Pine-Sol.
So, can you use Pine-Sol on hardwood floors or would the chemicals in even just a cup of Pine-Sol make a nasty chemical stain on your hardwood floor? Also, what exactly should you watch out for, and is there a proper way to clean a hardwood floor with something like Pine-Sol?
Can you use Pine-Sol on hardwood floors?
The short answer here is, Yes, you can use Pine-Sol on hardwood floors. This is essentially just a disinfectant with pine oil and ethoxylated undecyl alcohol as its main active ingredients. Neither of these is especially harmful to hardwood floors as long as they are used in small amounts.
This is also why these active ingredients are rated with D by the EWG (Environmental Working Group), as some of the chemicals in them do have the potential for acute toxicity. That last part, together with hardwood floors not handling moisture well, is why it’s important to use the Pine-Sol sparingly. But, as long as you do everything in accordance with the product’s instructions, your floor should be perfectly fine.
What are the risks of using Pine-Sol on your hardwood floor?
As the active chemicals in Pine-Sol can have some acute toxicity, pouring this product or other similar hardwood floor cleaners directly onto hardwood can lead to some chemical stains. This is why Pine-Sol should always be diluted with water and should never be applied directly.
That much is written on the product’s instructions, however, and it’s generally assumed that most people are aware that pouring chemicals onto wood isn’t a good idea.
The far more common problem that can occur when cleaning your hardwood floor is water damage. This doesn’t really have anything to do with whether you’re using Pine-Sol or any other cleaning product, however, but it’s a problem of wet cleaning in general. So, let’s go over how you can do that safely next.
How to use Pine-Sol on your wooden floor?
The basic process of cleaning your floor with Pine-Sol is quite clear – just dilute one cup of it in a gallon of water in your cleaning bucket, pick up your microfiber mop or other cleaner of choice, and start going over your floor. There are few notes to keep in mind, however:
- Always clean your floor from all possible large debris first. You can use a broom, a dust mop, or a vacuum for that, as you prefer.
- Make sure that the mop you’ll be using for wet-cleaning with Pine-Sol is clean too. If it has any loose debris on it, that will not only make the cleaning harder and less efficient, it also carries the risk of scratches on your hardwood floor.
- Always use clean water for the Pine-Sol mixture.
- Make sure your floor doesn’t get soaking wet as you clean it with Pine-Sol – too much water can be disastrous for hardwood. So, using a sponge is usually a No-No and you should always wring the mop out thoroughly before slapping it on the floor.
- Never ever use concentrated Pine-Sol for something you see as “tough spots”. Some people attempt to use non-diluted detergent with something like a toothbrush to clean certain places but that can cause problems to the wood if the detergent isn’t properly diluted.
- Don’t clean your hardwood floor all that often with Pine-Sol, as there can be a slow build-up of the chemicals into the wood if you go overboard. Once a week or a couple of times a month is ok but if you start cleaning hardwood with chemical solutions every other day, this will lead to some wear and tear on your floor.
Should you use Pine-Sol on your hardwood floor?
If Pine-Sol is your floor detergent of choice, there isn’t any major reason not to keep using it on your hardwood floor. Hardwood should always be cleaned properly as it can start to harbor lots of bacteria and allergens in its nooks and crannies, and it should generally be kept clean as it looks much better that way.
If you’ve used floor detergents before, you also ought to already know that it should always be mixed with water – in this case, in a one cup per gallon of water ratio – otherwise the chemical concentration of the detergent would be too high and it can indeed harm your hardwood.
Aside from that, just don’t soak your hardwood floor with too much water and make sure it dries properly and quickly – and that’s about it! If you do this adequately, you’ll certainly be better off using Pine-Sol – after dry-cleaning your floor with a vacuum or giving it a nice sweep with a broom – than you would be without it.
In conclusion
All in all, when used properly and according to its instructions, diluted Pine-Sol is harmless to hardwood floors. The emphasis here is on “used properly”, however – Pine-Sol shouldn’t be used too often, its quantity in the diluted mixture should be low, the mop or microfiber pad you use should be clean, the floor should be dry-cleaned well beforehand, and it should be left as dry as possible afterward too.
If all that’s the case, however, Pine-Sol and other such hardwood floor cleaners can be a great way to keep bacteria, grime, dirt, pet hair, spills, and other debris off your floor.