Learn how to make a homemade wood floor cleaning solution.

White vinegar is an inexpensive, acidic cleaning agent. Vinegar has all kinds of cleaning uses. Its lower pH makes it great for dissolving hard water and mineral deposits. A lot of people swear by vinegar but it is not good for cleaning everything on your wood floors. Vinegar is a good rinsing agent but a poor cleaning agent. Despite what people might think, it won't lift grease or dirt. Vinegar is good for maintaining clean floors.

One cup of white vinegar can be mixed with one gallon (2 tablespoons under a liter) of warm water. This is an method to clean your wood floors. It won't dull the finish, leave a residue or make your floors slippery. However, if you have ever used oils or polishes on your floor, vinegar might make your wood floors slippery at first. Remember, water on wood can easily create problems. Wood will warp and swell with enough water. So use it carefully. Alternately, you can put white vinegar into a spray bottle and buff the wood floor with a cloth.

Like most homemade cleaning products, it has its drawbacks. Vinegar is acidic. If you use it often, it will slowly dissolve your finish by etching little micro-scratches into the surface of your floors. Alternately, it may soften your floor finish. It won't happen immediately. It will take many, consistent vinegar applications to see noticeable damage to your floor finish. Vinegar will cause premature wear marks on your wood floor surface. In the long-run, your floors will look uneven because certain spots on your floor will be more dull than others. Vinegar will slowly remove the shine. If you use vinegar a couple of times a year, you won't notice any changes to your floor finish. However, if you use it frequently and regularly, you will notice a difference in several months.

If you decide to use vinegar to clean wood floors, use it sparingly. If you use a lot, it will not be good for the floor finish. Just remember that it will interfere with the finish. If you use it very infrequently, more than likely you will not experience a problem.