250 year old hardwood flooring

[Pages Personal Cleaning]

I received this email this morning from a couple needing help.

What to do with 250-year old (some 12 inches wide) plank flooring? How should we clean it? A little vinegar in water used sparingly? Perhaps a mop or sponge? We just don’t know if anything out of the ordinary should be used to clean such old wooden floors.

Any suggestions?
Patti

[Crowz]

cleaner said:

They could just move and let me have it then they wouldn't have to worry about the floors LOL I love those old plank floors.

I never consider vinegar a good idea with wood floors.
If they aren't finished they could use a little murphy's but given the age chances are they are varnished.

If they are finished just some neutral cleaner or warm water with a couple squirts of dish soap.

I am in agreement. You would have to know if the floors were natural or finished. Finished & unfinished, I use 1/4 cup Murphy's to a gallon of water stored in a clean vessel (I use a clean/rinsed gallon jug from orange cleaner) and fill a sprayer with the mix. I spray the floor and use a terry cloth head on a hardwood/laminate type handled mop. Works great. Unfinished hardwood floors need oil so they don't dry out and to much water is damaging. I knew an elderly (she is no longer with us, Lord rest Ruth's soul) woman who used Old English oil straight on her floors at least once a month. Floors were about 55 years old and were beautiful!

Natalie