Can You Use Bleach On Hardwood Floors

Bleach is a powerful chemical disinfectant used to whiten apparel, remove stains, and sanitize toilets.

Merely, it'due south not the platonic solution for every household cleaning scenario.

If you're preparing to give your home a deep cleaning, you might be wondering:

Is information technology rubber to make clean hardwood floors with bleach?

The short answer is no. It'due south not prophylactic to clean hardwood floors with bleach because bleach tin can break downwards the forest's terminate and seep into the porous fibers causing discoloration and weakening the structure of the floorboards.

When you consider the number of prophylactic and effective alternatives available, there is no reason to use bleach and risk dissentious your hardwood floors.

Nether certain weather, you can get abroad with cleaning hardwood floors with a heavily diluted bleach solution. However, you should do it very sparingly and take several precautions (I'll explicate in a infinitesimal).

In the following sections, I swoop deeper into the topic of cleaning hardwood floors with bleach. You'll learn why it's not a wise choice, the alternative cleaning solutions, and much more.

Permit'southward swoop in!

Use the links beneath to navigate the guide:

What Happens When You Clean Hardwood Floors With Bleach?
Are Any Types of Bleach Safe to Use?
Is Bleach Safe on Any Blazon of Hardwood Floors?
When Can You lot Apply Bleach on Hardwood Floors?
Bleach-Free Alternatives for Cleaning Hardwood Floors
How to Handle Deep Stains Without Bleach
Bottom Line: Bleach Will Damage Hardwood Floors

What Happens When You Clean Hardwood Floors With Bleach?

First, woods is a porous material, and without a durable finish, liquids tin can penetrate several layers deep. Though hardwood floors are usually treated with a sealant that deflects moisture, chemicals (i.e., bleach) and acidic formulas can breaks down the finish and expose the wood.

Can yous use bleach on woods floors? Though at that place is some contend, I don't recommend it.

Let's expect at the first potential negative outcome of using bleach on hardwood floors: discoloration.

Discoloration

The active ingredient in bleach is sodium hypochlorite, a highly corrosive and reactive substance. Information technology kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses, but it tin also modify colors.

When bleach comes in contact with whatever color, it changes it at a molecular level, altering the composition of those molecules and how they reflect low-cal.

Simply like when used on wear or pilus, bleach whitens and lightens molecules. It can have the same effect on floors, especially wood floors with a dark stain. For this reason, there are other methods and alternatives to clean your floors.

Here's the central takeaway: you can use bleach on woods floors, but you'll run the run a risk of altering the color.

Weakens Woods

Wood cells are held together past lignans, which are fibrous, found-based compounds. Bleach can pause the bonds, and when woods bonds are broken, it risks the structural integrity of your floors or stairs.

Splinters, creaking floors, or worse are all possible outcomes when you lot use bleach on a hardwood floor, especially over time.

For this reason, bleach should non exist used on wood that needs to retain its forcefulness, such every bit on stairs, chairs, or outdoor decks because it could cause hazardous conditions.

That said, all bleach is not created equal. Let's delve into the dissimilar types to get a better understanding.

Are Whatsoever Types of Bleach Rubber to Use?

As stated before, sodium hypochlorite is the active ingredient in most bleach products, merely depending on the type of bleach, you'll get a different upshot and a different active ingredient.

In general, there are four types of household cleaning bleaches:

Oxalic Acid
Chlorine Bleach
Two-Function (A/B) Bleach
Non-Chlorine Bleach

Oxalic acrid, chlorine bleach, and ii-function bleach all accept caustic active ingredients. This simply ways that they are corrosive.

These three types of bleach break the bonds of chromophores in wood and change how they reflect light, thereby altering color. Each differs in the aspects of cleaning and how they bear upon wood, but none of them eliminate the risks to hardwood floors.

The 4th blazon, non-chlorine bleach, is also known as oxygen bleach. An example of this is the popular brand, OxiClean.

Non-chlorine bleach is structured differently and is less toxic, but not as powerful as the other bleaches in terms of disinfection. The active ingredient is sodium percarbonate, which behaves differently than sodium hypochlorite. When mixed with water, sodium percarbonate creates tiny bubbles that loosen stains.

Let'southward take a closer await at each type of bleach.

Oxalic Acid

This type of bleach comes in crystalline form and, when mixed with h2o, creates an acid that reacts with the woods to release oxygen radicals. It is weaker than the other bleaches but useful for removing stains.

Chlorine Bleach

Chlorine bleach is probably the one yous are nearly familiar with; the nearly mutual brand is Clorox. This type releases oxygen radicals and chlorite radicals — molecules formed of one chlorine and 1 oxygen cantlet. It's all-time for removing dyes and problem stains.

2-Part (A/B) Bleach

This refers to sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and hydrogen peroxide. Combining sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide causes a chemical reaction that creates bleach that volition blanch the stain and can alter the colour of the forest.

This type of bleach is never recommended for interior utilize.

Non-Chlorine Bleach

This bleach comes in a pulverisation and liquid form and uses oxygen every bit its active ingredient. It is a less toxic option and more environmentally-friendly, though it doesn't take the aforementioned disinfecting ability or color-altering upshot of chlorine bleach.

To sum up, if you demand to use bleach on your forest floors for disinfection purposes, start with the mildest form: oxalic acrid. While not-chlorine embankment is even milder, it won't have the same cleaning impact that oxalic acid tin can deliver.

Now that you've had a brief overview of the unlike bleach types, let's expect at how bleach might impact a variety of hardwood floors.

Is Bleach Prophylactic on Any Type of Hardwood Floor?

There are many types of hardwood floors, and each has its own characteristics in terms of beauty, natural colour, and forcefulness. The Janka Hardness Rating measures the strength of wood.

Much like the Rockwell Scale for metal, the higher the number on the Janka Calibration, the stronger the woods. More than durable and harder woods like hickory, especially when finished, make information technology more than difficult for bleach to penetrate and break down. But, earlier using it, ask yourself if it'due south worth the adventure.

The general recommendation is not to use bleach on any hardwood floors. But, the reaction between the bleach and wood may vary depending on the type of wood.

When Can You lot Use Bleach on Hardwood Floors?

Even though I don't recommend it, there are a few situations where one-time utilise or infrequent applications of bleach might be permissible, simply keep in heed it still carries the risk of altering the look and integrity of your hardwood floors. Let'southward expect at a few examples.

Types of Finish

Some types of surface finishes, such as polyurethane, can hold its own against bleach ameliorate than a penetrating stop like linseed oil. While a penetrating finish sinks deep into the pores of the woods, a surface finish rests on the meridian of the woods to prevent the absorption of liquids.

Keep in listen that caustic agents similar bleach tin can still penetrate surface finishes, and it easily infiltrates penetrating finishes.

Age of Wood Flooring

Older wood floors break down faster than newly installed floors. Over time, forest naturally settles and shows signs of wear. Besides that, finishes must be reapplied periodically, so if your floor has been neglected, information technology may be more susceptible to damage from bleach.

Bleach Concentration

The forcefulness of the bleach matters. Only use bleach when it is diluted significantly with water. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends five tablespoons of bleach per gallon of water as a dilution ratio for disinfection.

Spot Cleaning

If you're cleaning a small area, use a diluted bleach solution and test it first to see how the bleach will react to your wood floors.

Adjacent, allow's look at some bleach-complimentary alternatives to getting your hardwood floors clean.

Bleach-Free Alternatives for Cleaning Hardwood Floors

Your all-time bet is to ever utilise the recommended cleaning product by the flooring manufacturer or mild soap and water. Below are some trusted products for cleaning hardwood floors.

Safer Alternatives to Bleach

Here are a few safe hardwood cleaning products to consider as alternatives to bleach:

Bona: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner was rated Best Overall according to cleaning experts at Practiced Housekeeping. Its water-based formula is safe for utilize on finished and unfinished wood floors. It dries fast and is available in a handy spray bottle for easy application. Just spray and mop. Y'all can purchase Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner on Amazon, or bank check out my in-depth review to acquire more.

Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Review — Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner

Rejuvenate: Rejuvenate Wood Floor Restorer and Rejuvenate Forest Floor Cleaner are non-toxic pour-and-mop products. The restorer is cracking for filling in scratches and bringing dorsum shine while the cleaner is a quick-dry formula designed to remove tough dirt without leaving residue. Yous can read my in-depth review of Rejuvenate or comparison of Bona vs. Rejuvenate to learn more, or read dozens of reviews on Amazon. Also, before you use Rejuvenate, check out my guide on how to avoid streaks and left behind residual.

Pledge: Pledge Clean It Gentle Wood Flooring Cleaner is another popular and prophylactic product recommended by Good Housekeeping. Information technology's ideal for big jobs, has a signature lemon scent, and requires no mixing. Just point the canteen at your surface, clasp, and mop. It's very affordable and available on Amazon.

Black Diamond: Black Diamond Forest & Laminate Floor Cleaner is another reliable alternative to bleach. Like Bona, it comes in an piece of cake-to-utilize spray bottle and is prophylactic on all types of forest. Information technology'due south eco-friendly, rubber for employ around children and pets, and promises a streak-gratis shine. Check it out on Amazon.

Clorox Disinfecting Wet Mopping Pads: Clorox makes bleach-gratuitous, hardwood floor-condom wet mopping pads that disinfect and impale 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. Adhere these disposable pads to a Swiffer Sweeper or like mop head, wipe the floors, and air-dry. Although you'll need a new pad every fourth dimension you clean, the 12-pack is relatively affordable on Amazon.

Cleaning Solutions to Avoid

Avoid cleaning solutions that are designed for tile floors. Co-ordinate to Bona, tile flooring cleaners contain strong degreasing agents that tin damage the finish on hardwoods.

If you prefer making your own cleaning solutions, avoid lemon juice or white vinegar every bit cleaning agents. These products are acidic and not designed to clean porous surfaces like wood.

Similar to the degreasing agents in title flooring cleaners, the acids from the lemon juice or vinegar can break downward the finish on your flooring and let water to seep into and damage the woods, causing it to warp, expand, or cup (the same way bleach might).

How to Make clean Deep Stains Without Bleach

With a surface stain, you lot may exist able to remove it if you address the outcome quickly with ane of the beach alternatives mentioned in this article. But, if you're dealing with deeper stains, you need to take a targeted arroyo.

Beneath are tried-and-true methods for removing common stains from your hardwood floors without bleach.

Note: I go into more than detail near these methods in this guide to deep cleaning hardwood floors.

Scuff Marks: Rub a pencil eraser or tennis ball firmly across the scuff marks.
Oil and Grease: Mix dish soap and water and scrub the oil and grease stains in a circular motion.
Paint: Rub the pigment with a damp microfiber cloth. If that doesn't work, dip the cloth in a tiny scrap of rubbing booze and endeavor once more.
Pet Stains: Dampen a textile in a solution of four parts water and one function white vinegar and scrub the area. Sprinkle blistering soda to absorb the odor, look 10 minutes, and make clean up the baking soda with a damp material.
H2o Stains: Place a cloth on the stain and rub a hot apparel iron on it for several minutes (with the steam setting off).
Chewing Glue: Put water ice cubes in a plastic bag to harden the gum. Carefully chip the cold gum off with a plastic knife.
Sticky Residue: Dip a Mr. Make clean Magic Eraser sponge in a 4 to i water/vinegar solution and rub out the residue.
Wax: Utilise a hairdryer to loosen the wax gently. And then, wipe the wax with a clean microfiber cloth. Check out these other effective methods.

If the stain has had time to set up and has penetrated the layers of wood, you may have to strip, sand, and reseal the wood.

If you lot don't experience comfortable tackling this project alone, utilise home improvement resources like Home Advisor.

Lesser Line: Bleach Will Harm Hardwood Floors

You'll see all kinds of opinions well-nigh whether to use bleach on hardwood floors, just when it comes to maintaining the beauty of hardwood, I propose you refrain from using bleach.

The bottom line is that bleach is a caustic amanuensis that can impairment hardwood floors. It could happen immediately or with repeated apply, but the nature of its chemical makeup breaks elements like wood down and alters its colour.

Here's a quick wrap upwards of why you should not use bleach on forest floors:

Information technology can alter the color of your floors.
It can weaken the wood.
It tin remove the finish and allow h2o to penetrate.
It tin cause impairment that might require professional help at a high toll.

Here is what y'all should use instead:

Recommended cleaner from your floor'south manufacturer
Balmy soap and water
Natural cleaning solutions that don't contain lemon juice or vinegar (unless significantly diluted)

If yous're concerned nearly keeping your floors clean and disinfected, having a regular cleaning schedule will assistance. Whatever you lot do, avoid the utilise of bleach straight on your hardwood.

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