Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor

Do you ever scratch your head thinking about how to clean spilled laundry detergent and maintain that glowing and shiny hardwood floor? Do you know that most laundry detergents will damage your elegant hardwood floor if left for long? I guess It happened to you!

You know the laundry detergents contain chemicals that are too strong for your wood floor. The chemicals in these detergents destroy the outer polish of the wood floor and cause streaks and blemishes to your beautiful floor.

The chemicals in laundry detergent are too strong for the floors and can cause streaks and blemishes on your beautiful hardwood floor. The alkalis, fluorochemicals, and surfactants are in laundry detergent.

The products wear and tear the wood floor buffer and interfere with the accent shine. The detergents cause dark patches on wood floors and make the surfaces dull. However, you can clean spilled laundry detergent easily without damaging your floor.

Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor

Is Laundry Detergent Safe for Hardwood Floor

Laundry detergents are not suitable to clean your hardwood floor. They contain a PH of above 8 which erode the glowing effects of a hardwood floor. Use soap with a PH of 7 so that the soap does not destroy your floor buffer.

How to clean up spilled laundry detergent on a hardwood floor

How to clean up spilled laundry detergent on a hardwood floor

Laundry detergent spills on hardwood floors cause adverse effects if it is not cleaned immediately. The chemicals in the detergent corrode the floor’s buffers and damage it. To clean spilled laundry detergent on a hardwood floor, do the following:

hydrogen peroxide

Using hydrogen peroxide

  • Use a wet nozzle vacuum cleaner to suck up all excess laundry detergent on the floor
  • soak the cloth with hydrogen peroxide
  • Lay the cloth over the laundry detergent. Allow it to stand for one hour to absorb all the detergent.
  • Dampen the cloth with warm water. Wipe the area to remove hydrogen peroxide.
  • Repeat until the laundry detergent is removed.

Using vinegar

  • Remove excess laundry detergent by placing a soft dry cloth over it. Wring the cloth and re-wipe until all visible detergent is absorbed.
  •  Dilute ¼ cup of white or apple vinegar in one gallon of warm water
  •  Dampen a soft cloth with the diluted vinegar and mop to remove any residue of the detergent.
  • Finally, rinse the floor with plain water to remove the vinegar

Can you use Tide to clean wood floors?

Absolutely, you can use Tide for cleaning your hardwood floor and the results are amazing. And here are the steps to follow

Can you use Tide to clean wood floors?
  • Put warm water in your mop bucket
  • Add a teaspoon of Tide detergent and mix thoroughly. Using excess Tide to mop a wood floor causes the floor to be dull.
  • Now, wring the excess water from your mop to avoid streaks. Overly wet mops damage the wood floor over time      
  • Mop the floor by moving with the grain. An ‘S’ movement is always the best when mopping the hardwood floor.

Cleaning hardwood floor with vinegar

Using vinegar to clean your wood floor is a quick fix since it is not expensive and the vinegar is readily available, unlike other cleaning detergent. The citric acid in the vinegar acts by breaking up dirt and combining with alkaline to achieve the neutral PH that is required to clean the hardwood floor.

The solution leaves your floor a sparkling finish. Use white or apple cider vinegar because they do not have very high acidity.

How to clean hardwood floor with vinegar             

How to clean hardwood floor with vinegar
  • Add a 1/2 cup of vinegar to a gallon of warm water into a bucket and mix thoroughly
  •  Dip a microfiber mop in a bucket with the mixture, wring it until it’s almost dry but feels damp, and mop your floor.
  • When you’re done cleaning with the vinegar and water solution, rinse the floor with plain water, draining up all excess liquid on the floor.
  • Finally, let the floor dry

What to use to clean hardwood floor

There are a variety of products that you can use to clean your hardwood floor without damaging that glowing effect. Any product that you use for your hardwood floor should be gentle on the floor.

Castile soap

castile soap

Mix 1/8 of your castile soap in a bucket of water. Dip a microfiber mop into the solution and wring it until all the excess water is drained and the mop is just damp. 

Mop your wood floor moving with the grains. The Castile soap will not only give you a shiny clean but also a fresh-smelling floor.

Microfiber mop

Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor
Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor

A microfiber string mop is an appropriate mop to use on a hardwood floor. The mop removes dust and grime on the floor without abrasion. Dip the microfiber mop into the cleaning solution and wring it until all the excess water is removed. Mop the floor with your damp microfiber mop.

Lemon essential oil

Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor
Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor

Lemon essential oil is also another cheap and effective way of cleaning your hardwood floor. The oil cuts through the grease and cleans the surfaces leaving them with a nice scent.  

Vinegar

Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor
Spilled Laundry Detergent on Hardwood Floor

vinegar mixed with warm water forms a suitable solution to clean and remove stains on hardwood floors. Mix ½ cup of white or cider vinegar with 1 gallon of warm water. Use a microfiber mop to clean the floor and rinse with plain water

FAQ

How do you get laundry detergent off hardwood floors?

Get the laundry detergent from your hardwood floor as soon as possible. If the detergent is left for a long time on the floor, it can damage the floor eventually.

Mix ½ cup of vinegar and a gallon of water to form a solution. Put a mop in the bucket and wring it. Mop the floor with a damp mop until all the detergent is cleaned. Rinse the floor with plain water to remove the vinegar.

Can you use laundry detergent to clean wood floors?

Avoid using laundry detergent on hardwood floors if you care about that shiny effect on your floor. Laundry detergent strips the wood floor with a glowing effect. It erodes a wood floor and leaves dark patches on it. Use the prescribed product for cleaning your floor.

How do clean up spilled laundry detergent on the carpet?

How do clean up spilled laundry detergent on the carpet

Mix 1 cup white or apple cider vinegar with 1 gallon of hot water, soak a cloth in the solution and squeeze the excess solution. Put the cloth on the detergent stain and press firmly, letting the mixture penetrate into the carpet. Repeat the process until all the stain is fully removed.

How do you clean hardwood floor with Tide powder?

Use 1 teaspoon of Tide powder detergent in a bucket of hot water. Swirl the mop in the bucket and squeeze the mop until it is almost dry. Mop your hardwood floor moving with the grain.

What kind of vinegar cleans a hardwood floor?

Not all types of vinegar are appropriate for your hardwood floor. Some vinegar contains high acidity levels that can destroy your floor. White vinegar and cider apple are some of the suitable vinegar for hardwood floors. The acid in them does not damage the wood floor.

Final vibes

Cleaning spilled laundry detergents on your hardwood floor should be done as soon as possible. If left for a long time, the chemicals in the detergents damage your elegant hardwood floor.

Removing spilled detergent is easy and uses products that are readily available in your house. Vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and lemon essential oil are some of the products that will help you clean spilled detergent on your hardwood floor.

Also, read about: what happens if you accidentally swallow laundry detergent.

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