• About Polished Habitat
    • About Me
    • Contact Me / Media Requests
    • Partner with Us / Advertise
    • Terms of Service, Privacy, & Disclosure Statements
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • Home Decor
  • Room Makeovers
    • House Tour
    • Space Reveals
  • Cricut
  • Organizing
    • Most Popular Organizing Posts
    • Closet Organization
    • Bathroom Organization
    • Kitchen Organization
    • All Organizing Posts
  • Cleaning
  • Letter Board Ideas

Polished Habitat

Home » Cleaning » How to Clean Wood Floors

03/29/2019 · 2 Comments

How to Clean Wood Floors

Cleaning

157 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

I was provided product and/or compensation in exchange for this content. I still tell you what I REALLY think and it helps keep the blog free. High Five!!!

When you build a house, there are approximately 9 zillion decisions to make. The odds are that you’ll get some right and others you’ll question later.

Thankfully, we have ZERO regrets with our decision to do real wood floors from the front entry all the way through to the back patio, including the dining room and kitchen.

They add warmth to every room while being extremely versatile design-wise. Whether we’re adding modern or traditional accents, the hardwood floors are the perfect backdrop…as long as they’re clean.

I’ve written before about handling a shedding dog when you have wood floors, but all the rainy weather lately made me realize we’ve never talked about how to clean wood floors.

It’s been a very wet few months, which has meant double trouble for our floors now that we have Gus. We have eight paws coming in and out of the rain instead of four.

Even with doormats inside and outside the back door AND keeping towels handy to wipe down muddy puppy feet, the wood floors have been covered in a thin haze of mud for weeks on end.

When the floor is dirty, I’m less motivated to keep everything else clean, so I knew I had to take action before things got out of control.

Since cleaning is far from my favorite activity, I needed a simple solution to clean the hardwood floors.

I found the answer to my muddy problems at Walmart! At our old house, I had a Swiffer WetJet for the tile floors, but didn’t realize it works on finished wood floors as well. Hallelujah!

The WetJet Wood Cleaner was formulated to dry quickly, making it safer for your floors than a traditional mop. The soft microfiber-like pad is gentle, but strong enough to handle all the muddy paw prints you can throw at it.

The best part – it’s so quick and easy to use. There’s a button on the handle placed perfectly for your thumb. Pushing it shoots the cleaning solution out in front of the microfiber-like pad as seen below.

Swiffer WetJet Wood on Wood FloorsIn a few minutes, I had the whole area by the back door cleaned and the process was quick enough I decided to just keep on going down the hall to the front door.

Cleaning a wood floor with a Swiffer WetJet

Although the cleaner dries quickly, I found out it’s best to put the dogs in the other room while I’m actively mopping to avoid clean paw prints. No matter how hard they are napping, in the short time the floor is drying, they wake up and run all over it.

You’ll also want to be strategic about where you start and end so you don’t get trapped in a corner. It works well for me to start using my WetJet by the back door and making my way into the office by the front door.

Cleaning a hardwood floor

When I got to the office, I was equally horrified and excited to see how much dirt and grime the WetJet pad had picked up.

Keep in mind that I vacuumed really well RIGHT before using the WetJet because there were also leaves all over the floor. Gus loves to drag them in the house. I’ll never rely on just vacuuming again after seeing this!

Dirty Swiffer WetJet Wood

By the time I was done cringing over the effectiveness of the microfiber-like pad, the floors were about dry and I could put the WetJet away in the cleaning closet. 

Organized Cleaning Closet with Swiffer Hung On Wall

Now I’m prepared for the next rainy day full of muddy puppies. I am so glad I no longer have to sacrifice the pretty wood floors to enjoy the dogs in the spring!

How to Clean Wood Floors The Easy Way

MORE FROM POLISHEDHABITAT

157 shares
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
melissa

Melissa George

In 2013, Melissa founded Polished Habitat to share her passion for intersecting style and function to make everyday life more beautiful and less stressful. She does this by sharing easy home organization tips, home decor tutorials, and creative ideas to help readers think outside the box, no matter their budget. Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more. In 2018 & 2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, Polished Habitat was shortlisted for the Amara Blog Awards Best Interior Styling Blog - International. Read more...

« DIY Small Closet Storage Ideas
How to Declutter Your House with the Root Cause Method »

Comments

  1. Kimberly Kaszar says

    03/29/2019 at 9:51 am

    I too just purchased the wood floors swiffer. I’ve used it twice and we have true hard wood floors I’m noticing that when the floor is wet it looks great but when it dries it looks like there are spots that are streaky I’m afraid the product maybe starting to out a build up on my floors. Have you noticed that problem yet?

    Reply
    • Melissa George says

      03/29/2019 at 1:47 pm

      Hmm, that hasn’t happened to me yet and I’ve used it a few times. I’ll pass this along to Swiffer to see if they have any tips or advice. No one wants streaky floors AFTER taking the time to clean them!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome!

In 2013, Melissa started Polished Habitat to share her skill of mixing decor & organization to add style & function to everyday life at home.

Her work has been featured in print in Better Homes & Gardens and Room to Create Magazine, and online by HGTV, House Beautiful, Buzzfeed, & more.

In 2018 &  2019, Melissa was named as a Style Maker by Better Homes & Gardens. In 2019, she was also short-listed by the Amara Blog Awards for Interior Styling, International Division.

Need to reach Melissa?
Email: Melissa @ PolishedHabitat.com

Recent Posts

The Prepared Home - How to Stock, Organize, and Edit Your Home to Thrive in Comfort, Safety, and Style

The Prepared Home Book Launch!

BIG NEWS! It’s hard to believe this is real, but my book, The Prepared Home, can be ordered now! The book truly is a culmination of things I’ve learned in different parts of my life. Before I wrote about organizing and decorating, I worked as a project specialist for a hospital. Over the years, one of the projects I ... Read More about The Prepared Home Book Launch!

Where to Start with Big Organizing Projects

While I love solving issues around our house, I like helping others even more. In a recent newsletter, I asked readers to share the biggest struggles around their home. While all the responses were great, one of them instantly stood out because it was such a relatable question. It's something that I struggle with myself. ... Read More about Where to Start with Big Organizing Projects

Game Closet Organization (Before & After)

I'm thrilled to share our game closet makeover with you today! It's been a while since I've done a big closet organization project, and for good reason. All the downstairs closets, like our master bedroom closet, bathroom closet, office closet, and entry hall turned cleaning closet were all finished and still working well. ... Read More about Game Closet Organization (Before & After)

backyard patio with turquoise adirondak chairs

Backyard Patio & Landscaping Before & After

There have been a lot of projects that we've been VERY relieved to finish, like the master closet, but the backyard tops the list! It's been a 6-month process, which was mostly waiting on the first landscaper. When we hit two months past his original estimate, we moved on to another company and things finally got moving. ... Read More about Backyard Patio & Landscaping Before & After

7 Spice Storage Ideas

A couple of years ago, we switched from using a spice cabinet to storing spices in a kitchen drawer next to the stove. While having a spice drawer has been the perfect solution for us, I know it won't work in every kitchen space. I've seen some other spice storage ideas that provide easy access in a variety of kitchen ... Read More about 7 Spice Storage Ideas

Bathroom drawer organization - hair supplies in clear containers

Home Organization Products: The Best Storage Containers, Drawer Organizers, & More

Over the years, I've narrowed down the best home organization products through a lot of trial and error. Last month, I sent a box of clear drawer organizers back because I strayed from my favorites to see if something cheaper would work. Unfortunately, the less expensive versions were so thin and brittle that several were ... Read More about Home Organization Products: The Best Storage Containers, Drawer Organizers, & More

Entryway Organization & Decor

Product links in this post may be affiliate links. We made a couple of minor organizing and decorating updates to the entryway that I thought you might like to see this week. Hopefully, as I talk through them, they’ll inspire some helpful changes in your home!Let’s start with the theoretical before photo of what the ... Read More about Entryway Organization & Decor

spices in drawer

10 Things to Declutter Every Fall – Fall Clean Up Series

Adding a fall clean up routine to your year is a great way to get the house ready for the holidays with less stress! Spring cleaning gets all the attention, but I don’t know anyone that has time to declutter, organize, and deep clean their entire home each spring. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that ... Read More about 10 Things to Declutter Every Fall – Fall Clean Up Series

Backyard Makeover – Before Photos & Plans

It's been a while since we've tackled a big project around the house, but I think the next one will be worth the wait. Ten years ago, when we picked out our lot to build on, we paid a premium for a larger backyard. While it was worth the price, we still haven't optimized the space for ourselves or for entertaining. Our ... Read More about Backyard Makeover – Before Photos & Plans

Wood tray with dark blue vinyl applied reading Sprinkles & S'mores

How to Customize a Wood Serving Tray with Cricut Joy

Each season, I love to add a little something to freshen up our home décor. At the same time, not being intentional with those minor additions can turn into major clutter over the years. Now, I try to stick with decor that adds function or has personal meaning. In today's new post, I'll show you how I updated a simple wood ... Read More about How to Customize a Wood Serving Tray with Cricut Joy

Wood nightstand with marble tray containing clear water carafe & bottle of Natrol Vitamins next to white vase with pink flowers

Tips for Falling Asleep

This post is sponsored by Natrol®, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. I’m the first to admit that I’m not a joy to be around the next day if I don’t get a good night’s sleep. Not getting enough sleep multiple nights in a row leads me to feeling physically ill and completely non-productive, so I have ... Read More about Tips for Falling Asleep

Long Wood Charcuterie Board

How to Prevent Clutter Before it Starts

In the past, I've written about different techniques for dealing with clutter in your home, like the root cause worksheet that helps things STAY decluttered. But there's actually a very important step before anything we've talked about before. Shopping. More specifically, our shopping habits have a huge impact on ... Read More about How to Prevent Clutter Before it Starts

white robot vacuum cleaning wood floor

How to Save Time on Housekeeping – Yeedi K650 Tips

It's no secret that I'm always looking for ways to make cleaning quicker or easier so I can spend more time doing things I enjoy. You'd think I would have been an early adopter to robot vacuums, but instead, I've been holding out for years, letting the technology improve and hoping for prices to drop.Well, it finally ... Read More about How to Save Time on Housekeeping – Yeedi K650 Tips

hand with white pen writing on kraft colored label

How to Label Storage Bins On a Dollar Tree Budget

One of the most important, but often overlooked, parts of my home organization process is labeling your storage containers, bins, or totes. I talk about this step in every organizing project I do because it's the key to keeping things tidy long-term. In the past, I've shared my favorite labeling tutorials using my ... Read More about How to Label Storage Bins On a Dollar Tree Budget

Books Stacks mounting on the wall with invisible brackets

Invisible Floating Bookshelf – Small Space Storage

If you're short on storage space for books or just looking for a wall to display your books in style, I've got a quick and affordable tutorial for you today! I fall into the camp of people that love having my own library of books at home. However, our living room floor plan doesn't allow space for bookcases without giving ... Read More about Invisible Floating Bookshelf – Small Space Storage

Hallway with wood floors, and white cube storage organizer against geometric blue and white wall. Organizer filled with bins and books.

Cube Storage Ideas

We recently tucked a new white 6 cube organizer into the hallway between our kitchen and master bedroom. It's become the perfect storage solution for some of our household clutter. You know, those annoying items that are necessary, but don't have a logical home in the house. In addition to the function, it's been a fun new ... Read More about Cube Storage Ideas

Affiliate Disclosure

Polished Habitat is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Copyright

Please keep in mind that all text and images on this blog are the property of Polished Habitat (formerly A Prudent Life).

Projects are for personal use only.

Photo Use Policy

You are welcome to share 1 image for an online round up or feature if you clearly link back to my post and use nopin code.

You are not permitted to remove watermarks, crop or edit my photos, use my images without credit, print my images, or share more than 1 image online without my written permission.

The 1 image used can NOT be a collage image or any image I have created that includes text. Please email me with any questions about acceptable use! THANK YOU!

Copyright © 2022 · polishedhabitat.com