Hardwood floors require special maintenance, especially while cleaning. You can’t just use everything you find around the house to clean these surfaces unless you want to ruin the quality of the lavish wood floors brimming with regal luster. Harsh mops are a huge no-no and so are soaking-wet sponges. But can you use a wet Swiffer on hardwood floors?
According to multiple users and official test results, it’s okay to use a wet Swiffer on hardwood floors. Unlike many other specialized mops for household chores, Swiffer doesn’t damage the floors by leaving scratches. The water retention properties also come in pretty handy since hardwood floors shouldn’t stay wet for too long while cleaning.
Hardwood floors are really easy to clean, especially if they’ve been treated with a great finish. But even so, a lack of foresightedness can lead to a disastrous cleaning outcome. So, if you’ve been thinking of using a regular old Swiffer to clean hardwood floors, give today’s write-up a thorough read.
Can You Use Wet Swiffer On Hardwood Floors?
People frown at the idea of using wet things on wood floors, especially hardwood floors with expensive sealants. But the truth is – a little bit of scrubbing with a wet mop is needed now and then to get rid of all the dirty stuff from the floors.
And Swiffer is really great for cleaning floors. So, yes, you can definitely use these mops on hardwood floors. Take a look at all the benefits you’ll get to enjoy with Swiffer mops!
Detachable Mop Head
With the Swiffer WetJets, you can easily detach the heads and replace them for cleaning purposes. You can reuse the dirty mop heads after giving them a thorough wash.
Detachable mop heads also allow you to use different mops for different purposes. For instance – you can use a specific mop just for the kitchen and then use another for other rooms.
Angular Positioning
The mop head is attached to an extremely bendable handle for better angular positioning. With Swiffer, you can reach every nook and cranny inside the house.
Simply exert a little force on the handle and push the mop under the sofa, dining table, cupboard, etc. You can also rotate and move the handle accordingly to reach flat corners.
Quick Reactivity
The built-in solution of the Swiffer mops works quickly to dissolve grime and other dirty substances on the floor. Furthermore, with non-abrasive liquid cleaners, the rate of reactivity goes even higher!
Powerful Wet Refills
You can get both dry mops and wet refills from Swiffer. While it’s not ideal to use wet refills on raw hardwood floors, they’re a pretty eligible option for fully coated wood floors.
You can gain the benefits of the built-in cleaners from the powerful wet refills. But don’t use these mops if the lamination over the floor is unfinished or damaged.
Soft Scrubbing
The soft mopping pads almost work like microfiber sponges! You can’t virtually tell one from the other from the texture.
Needless to say, soft scrubbing is non-negotiable for hardwood floors since hard bristles can leave scratches. Swiffer can offer both stain-free and scratch-free scrubbing with velvety smooth underpads.
When Should You Not Use Wet Swiffer On Wood Floors?
Swiffer is great for hardwood floors in terms of usage flexibility, easy maintenance, and damage-free scrubbing. However, it’s not recommended to use a wet Swiffer on hardwood floors without checking for a few known factors.
Because with the wrong liquid cleaners and floor conditions, Swiffer can prove harmful to wooden floors. You should refrain from using a wet Swiffer if –
- the hardwood floors don’t have any protective sealants
- you find several cracks in the multiple layers of sealants
- the floors seem somewhat swollen and bumpy
- an off-putting smell starts to generate while cleaning
- the Swiffer pad fibers start to get loose and stringy
In short, don’t use wet Swiffers on raw wood floors under any circumstances. Switch to a dry one for the time being instead.
Specialized Wet Swiffer Features & Their Uses
| Improved Features | Benefits | Maintenance |
|---|---|---|
| Improved Absorption Rate | Can retain a lot more moisture and water to ensure thorough cleaning of the hardwood floors | Wring out the excess water/cleaning solution before wiping the floors so the mops can absorb the remaining water from the wood floors after cleaning |
| Lock Strip | The material actually traps in the dirt so the floor doesn’t get muddy or the dirt can’t spread to a different region while wiping | Don’t let the mop get too dirty and wash it frequently to get rid of the existing dirt before trapping the next batch of dirt and grime |
| Microfiber-like Material | The mops are a lot softer and squishier than before to ensure scratch-free cleaning of the hardwood floors | Don’t let the soft microfiber-like material come into contact with abrasive or heavily alkaline cleaners like ammonia |
| Built-In Cleaning Solution | Wet refills come with internal cleaners that dissolve grime, fatty substrates, etc. | Stay away from harsh chemicals and high-temperature solvents since they’ll reduce the effects of the built-in cleaners |
How Wet Is Too Wet For A Wet Swiffer?
You shouldn’t face any problem with a wet Swiffer mop if the hardwood floors have been sealed properly already. But that doesn’t mean you can use extremely wet mops either.
Normally, if your mop is dripping with water, then you’re doing it wrong. Completely wet mops can’t absorb the remaining liquid from the floors while cleaning.
So, squeeze the mop head to get rid of the excess water before wiping or scrubbing the floors. About three-fourths of the mops should stay dry enough to attain peak performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Swiffer cleaning mops expensive?
Swiffer cleaning mops aren’t expensive considering the all-purpose services with superior features and benefits. They’re, however, pricier than general mops and brooms, etc.
How to clean Swiffer wet mops?
You can clean most Swiffer wet mops under a faucet with a handful of liquid cleaners. Make sure to squeeze out all the water properly afterward & don’t store them in a damp state.
Are large mop heads good for sweeping hardwood floors?
Large mop heads will get through larger areas faster. But then it’s harder to reach the finicky corners of the room because of the wider surface area. Plus, large mop heads can get really heavy after absorbing all the dirty water from the floors.
Do Swiffer mops leave hardwood floors sticky?
If your Swiffer mops have been leaving your hardwood floors sticky, you should clean them thoroughly first. Clean your solution bucket as well and before cleaning a new area, throw away the dirty water and prepare a fresh batch of solution.
Final Verdict
So, can you use wet Swiffer on hardwood floors after all? Turns out, you definitely can and you don’t even have to worry about aftercare either with these mops.
The mops soak up the remaining water in a matter of seconds and you can clean the whole floor in a matter of minutes with the large 9-inch mop heads. Furthermore, with the new and improved design, the Swiffer mops actually trap in the dirt like a Venus Flytrap traps harmful insects.
Just make sure you’re not using any abrasive cleaners with the Swiffer mops and put on proper hand gloves before and during cleaning.