If your wooden floor feels sticky after mopping it is likely due to one of the following reasons. It may be because you have used the incorrect cleaning product.
If you are faced with a stubborn stain you will require the use of a cleaner with a stronger chemical content. However, many solutions are mildly formulated, and whilst they will be effective in removing lighter stains, they are going to be less effective in removing tougher stains that require a specially formulated product.
When trying to combat any type of stain on your wooden flooring, it is important to pay attention to the chemical properties of the product. Though you may think that your cleaning product is getting rid of the stain, in reality, it may be getting rid of the dirt but leaving a sticky residue behind. By the way, if you want to stain your floor into a lighter color, find out how here.
To avoid such issues, you must ensure that the cleaning agent is intended for the floor type. You will find some that are suitable for laminate flooring and others that are suitable for vinyl, tile, or bamboo. For this reason, a cleaning product that is used on the wrong type of flooring is more than likely to leave behind a sticky finish. WoodFloorsCleaner.com goes in depth about why your floor is stickier AFTER mopping!
PS. Do you know how to make wood protectant from oils you have at home?
Often people assume that the more cleaning product they apply to the floor, the better the results are going to be, but this certainly isn’t the case, especially if the product contains a lot of strong chemicals. Because the product hasn’t been properly diluted before use, it is more than likely to cause a build-up of residue, especially when used in high volumes.
Chemical cleaning products are formulated to work at their best when they are diluted and used in the correct amount. Your wooden floors may not develop a sticky residue right away in this instance, and it may only become noticeable as the product builds up following routine mopping. This stickiness will worsen if the floors are not thoroughly rinsed afterward.
There may also be a simple explanation as to why your wood floors feel sticky. If there are any sticky stains on the floor that you are yet to notice, proceeding to mop is only going to spread this residue.
If you are using a mild cleaning product, it isn’t going to be hugely effective in getting rid of this stickiness, instead, it is more likely to spread it. Checking your floors beforehand for any sticky patches and stains will allow you to focus on cleaning them before moving onto the rest of the floor using fresh water and a clean mop.
Sticky floors can also be caused by dirty water. Ideally, you should use a vegetable-based, pH-neutral dish soap. Once the water and soap have been added to the bucket you will need to begin by mixing them gently.
If you mop your entire house using a single bucket of water it is of course going to collect a lot of dirt which will then spread to the other floors in your home.
The dirtier the water becomes the less effective it will be in actually cleaning the floor, instead, it is going to leave behind a greasy and sticky residue. There is a simple rectification to this issue as you simply need to change the water as it becomes dirty.
How do you clean sticky wood floors without vinegar?
At-home cleaning solutions will often call for the use of vinegar. This is because the acidness of vinegar works to break down dirt and grease particles whilst killing bacteria. However, there are other ways of cleaning sticky wooden floors without using vinegar. One of the most obvious solutions to cleaning sticky wooden floors is to ensure that you invest in the right type of cleaning product. As we have mentioned previously, there are many types available that are intended for a specific surface.
Before purchasing any cleaning products, check the label thoroughly to make sure that it states its suitability with the flooring that you are going to use it to clean.
If you don’t have any floor cleaning products on hand or you have been disappointed in their effectiveness in removing the residue you may wish to use dish soap.
The amount that you require will depend on the surface area that you are covering, however, generally it is recommended that you follow a ratio of around 4 cups of warm water with a few drops of dish soap.
Ideally, you should use a vegetable-based, pH-neutral dish soap. Once the water and soap have been added to the bucket you will need to begin by mixing them gently.
It is also possible to use rubbing alcohol to get rid of any sticky residue on wooden floors. Because alcohol almost has a neutral pH it will protect the floors too.
To create this formula, you will simply need to combine water with the alcohol and a drop of dish soap. It is recommended that you use a ¼ of a cup of rubbing alcohol with around 1 cup of water and a small amount of dish soap. You must be cautious with how much rubbing alcohol you use because, on occasions, it is prone to creating stains.
Generally, there are some things that you should keep in mind when preparing and cleaning your wooden floors. Before jumping straight in and mopping, you should ensure that you sweep the floors first to get rid of any dirt and dust particles.
If you are going to be using a floor cleaner ensure that you have chosen the right type of product and dilute it properly as this will prevent it from developing any sort of sticky residue.
You should also make sure that you change the water regularly as it gets dirty and you move between the different rooms with wooden floors in your home. By refreshing the water you will avoid transferring any dirt to the other floors.
Furthermore, once you have mopped the floors using the cleaning agent, you must ensure that you rinse them thoroughly afterward. Also, make sure that you invest in a high-quality mop that is going to be successful in removing the sticky residue.