How to Clean and Polish Hardwood Floors Naturally

As a mother-to-be, I am now more aware of the products I use around house.  Here are the two products that I find safe and effective in cleaning and polishing hardwood floor naturally.

Steam mop:
A steam mop is a mop that uses steam to clean floors and carpets. Unlike a regular mop, which requires cleaning agents such as bleach or detergent, the steam mop uses the heat from the steam to disinfect the floors. A microfiber pad is placed right underneath the steam jet to trap dirt on hardwood floor. Unlike regular mops though, steam mops do not leave a residue on the floor and often clean through the dirt. The intense heat of the steam can kill about 99 percent of the bacteria and household dust mites. Steam mops can disinfect floors, restore shine, kill dust mites, and remove some stains.

This was actually a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law last year. I am starting to realize how versatile and useful a steam mop can be. This particular product comes with two other head nozzles, a jet nozzle and fabric nozzle. With a jet nozzle, you can power clean stains, greases and grimes on stove tops, microwaves, and other appliances. With a fabric nozzle, you can steam garments.

Olive Oil:  
A bottle of olive oil comes in handy, not just for drizzling on salads, but also for treating and polishing wood surfaces. Many hardwood flooring experts suggest using natural products such as olive oil as opposed to wax-based cleaners for making your floors shiny. Olive oil leaves your wood floors with a nice, natural sheen and earthy smell.

How I clean and polish hardwood floors: 

1. Empty the room as much as possible, then sweep the floor with a broom.
2. Steam mop the floor with a microfiber pad attached, slowly working your way backwards in order to avoid walking over the freshly mopped area.
3. Let the floor dry completely.
4. Apply olive oils over the floor, buff them with a disposable cotton-based fabrics, such as worn-out t-shirt, socks, towels etc... Make sure to rub them dry from floor so nobody slides or slips. Once it dries, the color of the floor will darken a bit, and you'll see a shine on the floor!

Note:

Treat wood surfaces like your skin. Moisturizing them regularly with natural products such as olive oil will smoothen a rough/ dried surface, and will create a smooth, safe, and splinter-free wood surface.  

Product recommendation:
Steamfast 3 In1 Steam Mop