Wood floors - and bamboo - how to maintain them.

We don't clean a lot of wood floors. Generally, in commercial buildings they are in low traffic areas (tho some restored older buildings downtown have them thruout) like VP offices.

Usually we only need to mop them with clear water. Sometimes we add a little vinegar or some very mild form of acetic or citric acid if the floor is a little dirtier. I don't know any reason why you can't use detergents instead of acids except that I suspect the ph of wood finish is different than the ph of vinyl floor finishes and ceramic floors. My understanding is that this chemical inconsistency leads to streaking, hence the acid wash. Might also strip the finish over time.

Bob