Chic on a Shoestring Decorating: Help for Hardwood Floor (Tile & Linoleum too!) Cleaning by Chic on a Shoestring Decorating


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Help for Hardwood Floor (Tile & Linoleum too!) Cleaning by Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

I have had a love hate relationship with my new dark hardwood floors.  I absolutely love the looks of them but they show EVERYTHING.  Every little spot, smear, crumb, drip, drool... you get the picture.  I have 2 very adorable very messy eaters that eat 3 meals and 2 snacks a day in my kitchen which makes for a icky-sticky messy floor!  Nothing drives me crazy like a messy kitchen floor, if the floor is a mess the whole room looks bad no matter how sparkling clean everything else is.

I had hardwood floors at our previous home and tried many different cleaning products and never really felt like the floor was clean unless I got down on my hands and knees and scrubbed it.  The color of our old floor was much more forgiving (thankfully!) so I didn't have to do this dreaded scrub job all too often.  Once we got these new floors and I saw how they showed my mess I knew I was in big trouble.  I was going to be down on the floor scrubbing those things at least once a day... NOOOooooo!

Until I found my new love, (sshhh, don't tell my husband), I'm in love with my new Shark steam mop! HA! But seriously, I really love it.  And no, I'm not getting paid to tell you this.

The Shark Steam Mop satinizes your floor using "super heated" steam, NO CHEMICALS.  Love that since my kiddos play on the floor constantly (and I think they eat off it sometimes too when I'm not looking- yuck! ...but at least they're not eating dirty food with chemicals).  It dries very quickly and leaves the floors very clean.

Besides being chemical free, I also love the fact that the mop uses tap water.  This is sweet news for all you thrifty gals(and guys?) like me.  It also comes with two washable microfiber pads.  No spending big bucks on expensive refills of cleaning products/rags, etc.  And no more hands and knee floor scrubbing.

Now the mop itself isn't too cheap, it runs about $99 but can usually be found on sale at Kohls, Target or somewhere for about $79.  I lucked out and hubby got me mine at a pre-Christmas sale for $52 at Farm & Fleet of all places!  I have never seen it that cheap before or since then.

I'm on a shoestring budget so you won't usually see me dropping big bucks on "luxury" cleaning items (is there such a thing?) if there is something cheaper that works as well.  But because it sanitizes without using chemicals, uses tap water, cleans well, and is easy on the back, this sucker is worth every penny! 

Here's a photo of my love...<3



After a messy clean up...



ewwwww

Please follow me and leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you! :)

I'm linked up to Thrifty Decor Chick So Fresh and So Clean Party.


17 comments :

  1. WOW! That sounds like a great investment. May have to keep an eye out for one on sale. Does it work on tile floors too?

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  2. Can this be used on laminate? I assume it can since there are no chemicals. And also, how about tile? If so, I'm going to be looking for one of these. Thanks for the tip! Kathy

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  3. I am definitely going to look for one of these! I have the pre-finished, Brazilian hardwood floors, and the ONLY way I can get them clean is to get on my hands and knees with a damp towel! I have tried EVERY kind of mop trying to find something that doesn't leave spots everywhere!

    THANKS FOR THE TIP!

    {{HUGS}}

    Robin :o)

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  4. ~WOW! I need one too! Thank you for telling us about it. I'm on the hunt for one now. :)

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  5. Wow, I wonder how it does with doggie dirt. I have an 80 pound husky/collie that is a hairy beast, sweet and cuddly but none the less hairy. Any ideas about doggy dirt? I hate dirty floors. I'm a swiffer sweeper fanatic but I'm always open to change.

    Robin just wants to make the rest of us look bad by telling the world she cleans her floors on her hands and knees. Robin, girlfriend, that bar is waayyy too high for the rest of us :)

    LOL, Robin and I have been blogging buddies practically since dinosaurs roamed the earth so we can kid each other :)

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  6. Hi ladies, thanks for the comments! :) The steam mop works great on hardwood, tile and linoleum too, but I'd check your paper work on the laminate flooring before steam mopping them. From what I've read laminate can be a little tricky, could possibly warp or peel after several uses so use at your own risk on laminate. Sorry all you laminate floor folks!

    Marla, I used to Swiffer the hardwood floor with swiffer wet wood floor wipes and never felt like I was really getting the dirt, I wasn't, I always had to go back over it on those really dirty areas with a rag on my hands and knees. The steam mop works SOOOOO much better, it will clean up doggy mud I'm sure (I don't have a dog though but kiddy messes are probably comparable.) :) If I have a rough spot I just go over it a couple times and steam the heck out of it!

    Hope that helps. :)

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  7. I, too, am so in love with the Shark steam mop! Couldn't live without it. The best invention for cleaning wood floors!

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  8. I'm going to have to try this. I hate scrubbing on my hands and knees but like you, it is the only way I feel the floors are clean.

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  9. Hi Kate! I'm Mindy, Marla's daughter from Always Nesting. Congrats on the TJ Maxx giftcard! Question: I have linoleum floors in my kitchen, and while I'd LOVE to get the Shark Steam Mop, I worry about the hot temperatures melting or loosening the linoleum adhesive. Does it say anything about that? Do you use it on linoleum at all in your place?

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  10. Hi Mindy! Thanks for following me, your mom is just the sweetest thing! :)

    The Shark Steam mop info says that it is safe for linoleum. I have not cleaned linoleum with it but I'm sure it would work great. Just google Shark steam mop and check out their website for more info. They actually just came out with a new steam mop that's head is dual sided and a swivels to get in the corners... pretty fancy-schmancy. :)

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  11. Mindy - I've been using the Shark Steam Mop on my linoleum (I have only had it for 3 weeks though, thanks to a Costco coupon). The only side effects so far are wonderfully clean floors. I still use a microfiber mop for sweeping up crumbs and dog hair but this thing is amazing for the sticky stuff.

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  12. I've wanted on of these for a really long time too and was worried about hurting my hardwood. Now you've sold me on it! Thanks for the info.

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  13. I watched those commercials and knew I had to have one for my new hardwood floors but I haven't bought one because there is no one to actually talk to about them. I was so happy to read this post, I want one REALLY bad but the hubby says he is worried about the cracks between the planks of wood. We have prefinished hickory. Just wondering, do you guys have the little cracks in between as well? We were thinking the forced steam would get in there and cause them to swell. Thanks so much for any advice you can give me :)

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  14. I love that mop! I use that on our carpet and flooring. First saw that on our carpet cleaners in Tampa and I asked them if I can have this. Having this item transforms my chores into easier one. It saved me from being so tired and it also gave me more time for my kids.

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  15. We must always make it a point to clean our floors regularly for them to be well-maintained and dust-free as well. For me, wooden and tile floors are easier to clean than carpeted ones. That's why in my home, my floors are either tiled of wooden. And I've purchased those floors in some lakeland flooring shops and recently, I bought laminate flooring (Tampa) and installed it in our living room.

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