Myth #1-If Your Wood Floor Shines It Must Be Clean
FALSE-When your wood floor is shiny it simply means that the surface is smooth. It does not necessarily mean it is clean. Light bounces off of smooth, flat floors, making them appear shiny. Dullness happens when the surface of your floor is uneven or has scratching. Some wood floor can be cleaned pristinely and still look dull due to its finish. Some wood floors that have been oiled but not cleaned can look extremely shiny.
Myth #2-Only Use Water When Cleaning Wood Floors
False-Wood floors become dirty due to grit, dirt, and even body oil. All of these substances are not water soluble and will therefore not come off of your floors. In fact, the dirt and grime will be pushed into your floors which can scratch and darken the finish. Using a soap or detergent will make the oil, dirt, and grit float on top of the floor, making it easy to mop up.
Myth #3- For The Safest Floor Cleaner, Use Vinegar
FALSE-In the olden days, people used soaps from lye and fat. These soaps were very sticky and had a lot of alkaline. People discovered by adding vinegar to the soap, it would strip the soap and make it less alkaline. Modern day soaps are not hard to strip and have a low alkalinity making vinegar not very useful. Vinegar, can actually damage the polyurethane coating because of its alkaline. This can actually make your floor more susceptible to scratching. And, vinegar does not have the qualities to actually clean oil, dirt, or grime off of your flooring.
Myth #4 Wood Floors Should Be Treated With Oil To Nourish Them
FALSE-Antique floors were finished with a wax coating. This allowed the escape of moisture and required them to need to be treated with oil. However, modern day flooring is sealed with something called polyurethane. Polyurethane is a very hard coating that is waterproof. Moisture cannot break through polyurethane. Therefore, using oils on polyurethane is completely useless. And can actually make your floors very slippery and dangerous.
Myth #5-Expensive Cleaners Do A Better Job
FALSE-These specialty cleaners have done a fantastic job at marketing to the common household that they are the very best way to clean and treat your floors. However, polyurethane can be easily cleaned by just about any floor soap on the market that has a neutral pH, quality detergent, and has absolutely no harsh solvents. A neutral pH is important because if the cleaner is too acidic or too alkalinity, it will soften the finish. A quality detergent is essential because it will force the dirt, grime, and grit to mix with the water and be mopped away. Harsh solvents can easily damage your wood floors. These harsh solvents can be found in degreasers and can actually cause the finish of your floors to soften and become more susceptible to damage.
An expensive, fancy wood floor cleaner may only make your wood floors smoother. They may only rinse the finish leaving it full of polymers to fill in scratches that leave your floor shiny not necessarily clean. So, next time you are tempted to purchase an expensive wood floor cleaner, simply buy a floor cleaner that is all-purpose and safe for your wood. You will be happy you did.
Dashing Maids offers a full-suite of professional house cleaning services in Denver and the surrounding metro region.
Customer Testimonials
I was extremely pleased with Ashley’s team and they left my house extra-sparkling, making me look good for my in-laws’ visit. All traces of puppy fur and hard-to-remove gunk removed, and the house smelled clean, like lavender (not harsh chemicals). This is thorough, professional, fairly priced, and courteous service. All the stars!”
“We are very pleased with the service we received with Dashing Maids. Their communication and customer service is superb! Ashley is professional and has great attention to detail. She took the time to take notes on all the areas in our house that I wanted to have cleaned during our first walk through, which I really appreciated. In the past, I’ve done walk throughs with other cleaning companies, explained what I wanted cleaned, they nod “yes” and then didn’t follow through. When Dashing Maids came to clean on our scheduled date, they were very efficient. Everything looked great when they were finished and I’m looking forward to having Dashing Maids return on a regular basis.”
“I have never had a cleaning service, but considered it often. Dashing Maids put a flyer on my door which intrigued me enough to call them. I was impressed with their initiative and enthusiasm that I hired them after our initial meeting. Now every other week I get to come home to a wonderfully clean house with their charming additions that make me smile. I’m not sure they are trying to turn my “black thumb” into a greenish one, but I haven’t killed the lucky bamboo they left as a surprise yet. I’d fully endorse them as a cleaning, Dashing Maids service.”
“It’s so nice to come home to a sparkling clean house! I’ve worked with other cleaning companies in the past and Dashing Maids always provides a more thorough clean than I’ve found with other companies for a very reasonable price. Plus, they’re great with my dog and don’t mind that he’s at home when they come to clean. I highly recommend Dashing Maids!”
“There is no one that cleans our house as well as Katie does! She is meticulous and genuinely loves to clean, and it absolutely shows. We love it when it is our cleaning day. I could not be happier with the services provided by her and the Dashing Maids company. They are responsive, timely, and have overall been a pleasure to work with. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable cleaning company.”
“I have been using Dashing Maids for several years now, and appreciate the communication and consistency with which our home is cleaned. The cleaner that always treats our home as if it were hers is Katie. Thanks Katie for your hard work!”
“Hannah G was great! She even left a nice note on my countertop that said, “Have a great weekend!” I love personal touches like that.”
“Thank you Talon! It was great to walk into my office today to have it sparkly clean and ready for a week of patients!”
"We have been dashing maids customers for a couple of years now and the service is always impeccable. Most recently our cleaning team has included Katie and Hannah, and I always get excited when I see them arrive. I know my house will be clean and I’ll get the pleasure of their company while they clean it. They do a great job and give me such peace of mind!”
“Ashley and her crew are the best house cleaning service I have ever employed. So friendly and so fast, yet so thorough. My house feels and smells so clean, and that freshness lasts. Would highly recommend to all my friends."
We've been fortunate to have Dashing Maids clean our home for the past several years. Ashley and her entire team have been great to work with. We'd recommend them without reservation. Most recently, Tori and Carol cleaned our home with detail and care.
We really appreciate our cleaner,
Lily! She does more than just a quick “once over”. She recently found a class ring that had been missing for ages- thank you for a job well done! Dashing Maids delivers thoroughgoing service every time
Such a positive experience the whole time they were in my home. And the results are amazing. Very happy with the service and the staff. I knew what to expect but the outcomes exceeded my expectations. Lily, Mikayla and Alicia did so great!
We really appreciate our cleaner,
Lily! She does more than just a quick “once over”. She recently found a class ring that had been missing for ages- thank you for a job well done! Dashing Maids delivers thoroughgoing service every time