Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[marnan]

You know that tiny gap between each slat of hardwood flooring, after time dirt and gunk builds up and looks "black". I have gotten on my hands and knees and scrubbed each line/crack with a soft toothbrush or very soft scrub brush. does anyone have any other suggestions on how to get it clean. i do vacume them and wash them with vinegar and water so not to wreck the shine. they are proving to be MORE of a pain in the **** then they are worth the beauty. HELP! i often wonder if my floors weren't installed right as NO ONE has complained about it but me. :shock: :oops:

[mrscleannw]

Hello marnan and Welcome to Mrs. Clean's Forum.

I did a bit of research on your issue of cleaning the slats of your hardwoods. The information I found said that you just vacuum and/or use a soft brush (as you are doing now) and that solves the problem! There is no further information about stubborn dirt.

Now for the good news.
I did find that there are specific wood floor steam cleaners available and that they seem to be very effective on loosening stubborn dirt. Please follow the link to find out more: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Can_you_use_a ... ood_floors

Always be sure to check with your manufacturer before using any products or methods so you don't void your warranty. I have requested information from a site and will let you know if I have anything further on this.

Keep me updated and let me know what you think on the steam cleaners!

Good Luck,
Mrs. Clean

[palmetto]

Hi Marnan,
from what you are describing. It Seems that the floors were installed wrong. I would go by the local home improvement store and ask to look at a display. The flooring is designed for expansion but you should not see a crack or seem between the boards. We install flooring and we don't have that problem. if you got any more questions email me or contact us. http://www.palmettohardwood.com