paigeali's Profile

I'd love some advice about softwood floors in kitchens or floors that need a thorough cleaning. Softwood is treated and stained the same as hardwood but basically is REALLY susceptible to scratches, because it's pine or something similar.

After a thorough vacuuming, I use either Method floor cleaner or vinegar and warm water, which is great for all of my home and regular maintenance/dust and pet-hair reduction.

However, our kitchen has dark softwood floors and it's looking dingy. There are little spots that don't come up, others that are deep nicks (see note about softwood - it's a pain!) that collect household dust, dirt and possibly kitchen grease. What is safe to use to do a thorough degreasing, cleansing or "reset" on my floor? I know it's not super earth friendly, but how about a low VOC degreaser? Anyone have any experience with a similar problem?

my only question is where to buy homasote!? When I went to Home Depot they looked at me like I had five heads. I had always thought this was a common home building product. Where did you buy yours?

@twingirl: I'm not protesting. I hear you. And you have a clever and highly marketable idea for the artist. But the person on the left with the skinny little waist hardly has hips, has a gap between its legs that *real* women rarely have and could be a hipster girl or boy. That looks just like my male friend's butt, and nothing like mine (I'm female). It's a drawing.

swiffers don't do much if you have even one pet with fur to add to the mess on your floor. a dust mop is critical, or a broom covered in a microfiber cloth that you can remove, shake out and throw in the wash. If you REALLY love the swiffer, you can buy an orange cotton cloth at Cole Hardware and other stores that is double the size of a swiffer head. Double it up, press it into the little grooves to make it stick, clean with it, then reverse sides, clean again! When it's dirty you can shake it out and wash it. MUCH greener.