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

How to make Red Bean Paste (Anko: 餡子)

Anko, red bean paste, is used in many confectionery in Japan, most commonly used for wagawashi (traditional Japanese confectionery). Anko is often used in a similar way as chocolate, sometimes wrapped in pastry, bread, mochi (we call it Daifuku), or topped on ice cream. I simply like to eat it with sticky mochi, or in Zenzai style, a soupier version with mochi inside. This is my comfort sweets around New Year.

 Red bean paste (Anko: 餡子)

• 10 oz (283.5g) Azuki red bean 
• 280g suger
• water
• a pinch of salt

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1. Rinse azuki beans, let them soak over night with a plenty of water in Donabe (earthenware pot) or other deep pot. Pour water till 1-2 inches above the beans.
2. When soaked, start heating the pot, bring them to boil in high heat. Covered.
3. Once boiling, scoop the scum off the surface, reduce heat to low, cook for 1-2 hr, covered.
4. keep adding water so that beans are always covered.
5. Pick one azuki bean and squeeze it with your fingers. If it is smushed easily, it’s done. Check few azuki beans and make sure all beans are soft. ( *Once you add the sugar, uncooked beans will harden like a stone.)
6. Dump azuki beans into a strainer, drain water completely.  
7. In a pot, add 70mil of water and sugar, then cook till sugar is dissolved.
8. Add drained azuki beans, cook in high heat even after boiling, keep mixing gently to avoid burning the beans, or mash beans too much.
9. Stop the heat when beans a thicker and syrupy (they will harden as they cool down), add a pinch of salt.
10. Move azuki bean into a container, let them cool down completely before you eat. You can wrap extra portion with saran wrap, keep in a freezer. 

Note: Cooking time varies depending on the kind of Azuki bean you're using, and how old they are, as well as the kind of pot you're using. The brand I used tend to cook in about 1 hour.  The sweetness of azuki bueans also  depends on what kind of sugar you use. White sugar tends to be too sweet to my taste. Experiment with different kinds of sugar and discover your own favorite. 

How to prepare a pinapple

I eat pineapple quite often. It's sweet and juicy, but most of all, it's strangely cheap around here in Astoria, NYC. I just purchased this one for $1.99.  It's 15°F outside today. I don't get it, but can't beat the deal. Whenever I buy it, I cut them in pieces and stock them in a fridge for emergency snack, dessert or palette cleanser.

Continue to how I cut them...