How to deodorize hardwood floors. Musty smells occur often in homes, whether it’s from flooring, carpets, or interior walls and closets. This particular type of smell can come from little ventilation during the summer season.
Moisture settling into the floorboards or carpets due to a lack of simplicity when cleaning them, and more so when they’re old and therefore more prone to things such as musty odors that build up over time.
It’s essential to effectively clean and sanitize the floors within your home but it isn’t just any cleaning element that you need.
One should be cautious of what they use because otherwise, it could heavily damage the surface you are after treating.
How to deodorize hardwood floors
Carefully sweep baking soda over the wood flooring and permit it to rest overnight.
Baking soda will eliminate bad odors in addition to things like disinfecting germs that might be lingering on the wood surface.
Here are some other methods are mentioned below.
Applying Vinegar
If you have some pet urine stains on your hardwood flooring and would like to get rid of them in an efficient way, a great method is simply using vinegar.
Vinegar can naturally act as a disinfectant and deodorizer, and it’s very effective at eliminating offensive odors from your floors.
Make this vinegar cleaning solution by mixing one cup of white vinegar with warm water in a bucket. The odor should begin to disappear immediately once you mop the floor with it.
Enhance the effect even further by adding 3-4 drops of grapefruit oil to the bucket along with the rest of the ingredients as it not only eliminates bad smells but also replaces them with pleasant ones.
However, keep in mind that vinegar must not be used carelessly as it might weaken the sealant on your floors – so don’t let it sit for too long on one area.
Hydroxyperoxide Solution
Hydrogen peroxide is a much-overlooked product whose strength lies in its gentleness. It’s highly effective in neutralizing odors and should be used regularly to keep your hardwood floor fresh and stain-free.
As it is a natural disinfectant, it can be also used as an alternative to commercial carpet deodorizers that may contain unhealthy ingredients.
To clear away bad odors on your hardwood, simply spray some vinegar followed by lots of water on the affected areas; leave it for half an hour then vacuum thoroughly.
The vinegar and water mix will eliminate most of the odor, but you may still need to deep clean your hardwood between regular deep cleans with a more specialized product such as Meat out.
Using Baking Soda
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate aforementioned, is another effective solution when it comes to eliminating scents and deodorizing your home.
It removes odors and stains from the floor, and the application procedure is rather straightforward. It is simple to mop the floor with vinegar after spreading baking soda over it generously.
For an added effect, it’s just as easy to add a cup of baking soda into the vinegar solution for more potency.
Alternatively, though, you can sprinkle it on the floor and allow it to sit overnight before sweeping up what remains thereafter in order not to cause any unnecessary damage as some recourse requires a bit of work and preparation beforehand.
Sand your floors
If you smell mustiness or pets on an unfinished or poorly finished hardwood floor, you’ll need to sand it. Sand solid hardwood floors with drum sanders or disc sanders.
Disc sanders are the best option for sanding engineered hardwood floors. Sand lightly the top layer of the wood if it is too thin to deep sand.
Dust can be harmful if inhaled, so keep people and pets away from the area when grinding it away. Keep dogs away from the area that is being recoated after it has been recoated with a fresh coat because their paws can cause extra wear on the surface.
Determine whether you need deep or light grinding before starting: Light grinding uses vibrating floor sanders or disk sanders; Deep grinding uses drum combo-sanders.
How To Clean Hardwood Floors, Hardwood Floor Care
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