How can I sanitize my hardwood floors?

Question

We went on vacation and while we were gone, we caught two mice...So I really want to sanitize my floors with bleach...or something else really strong. I have two small children and they are playing on the floor all the time, so I really need a clean floor.

Answer 1

Don't listen to ^^^ that guy (rodB)^^^^ that will kill your hardwood floor....or any floor for that matter. You would only use a 1:4 mix of bleach to water in your shower to kill mildew. 99.5% of the time you don't need anything stronger than a 5% bleach solution to kill germs.

Don't worry about the mice. As long as your kids don't eat the droppings or l**k the baseboards nothing will happen. You caught TWO mice. They hang out by the baseboards. They don't run around the middle of the room. The house doesn't need to be sanitized.

Clean your hardwoods like you normally do. The guy who finished my floors said to use nothing but 1 cup of white vinegar to 1 gallon of water. Use a sponge mop that you squeeze out VERY well.

Answer 2

Most people think of bleach and other harsh chemicals for sanitization -



BUT - how do you sanitize your hands?  That's right.  Plain old soap and water.

Soap contains SDS or SLS which causes the suds.  This chemical disrupts the membranes of many bacteria - including salmonella - which is probably what you are most afraid of with the mice.

Just get a bucket of soapy water and mop.  Then use some oil conditioner afterward to moisturize your floors again (if needed).

Answer 3

I would throughly scrub the floors with Murphy's Oil soap followed by ar rinse of 1 part bleach to 4 parts warm water. That will make the floor clean enough to eat off.