One of my favorite floors in a home is hardwood. They’re incredibly strong, versatile, and charming due to their richness in texture, grain, and color. But, unlike porcelain tiles, it’s not the easiest flooring to clean. It’s susceptible to stains and grime that are stubborn to remove. It may be tempting to use rubbing alcohol to address issues that could cause bacteria and mold to grow. But, does rubbing alcohol damage hardwood floors?
Unfortunately, yes, rubbing alcohol does damage hardwood floors because isopropyl alcohol is a solvent that has the ability to dissolve wood finishers and protective chemicals like polyurethane. In other cases, it can liquify other finishers and varnishers, causing damage to the texture and even color of hardwood floors.
As much as it’s possible to refinish wood flooring, alcohol can cause such deep and awkward damage that you may be forced to replace entire sheets or planks of flooring altogether. This is not only time consuming but quite costly as well.
Another issue with rubbing alcohol is that it’s toxic in different quantities and with different exposure metrics.
It takes a significant amount of rubbing alcohol and water to clean or disinfect floors. Exposing children and pets to this poses a risk of accidental consumption or long term inhalation, which also has the risk of causing harm.
Ultimately, you should avoid abrasive liquids like isopropyl alcohol, ammonia, bleach, and vinegar.
As a spot treatment, one could argue that it could be used as long as you dilute these things with the correct amount of water to avoid damage.
But, I don’t advocate for this when there are ample cleaning solutions on the market that are made for hardwood floors. These compositions could be synthetic based or natural based, depending on your needs.
It’s cheaper to spend a few extra bucks on a specially formulated cleaning product that is safe and effective on hardwood floors than to use these alternative cleaners that pose a high risk of damage.
What you’ll also learn about wood flooring is that it is treated with a sealant that has to be re-sealed after a year or two. This sealant acts as a clear protective layer that enhances the water resistance of wood flooring.
Using rubbing alcohol on these sealants will dissolve them much faster than you’d expect.
In doing so, you will expose your hardwood floors to the potential for damage over time, even from simple activities like mopping.
Tips For Cleaning Hardwood Floors
What I pride myself on is sharing concise and effective advice on this blog. Rather than create a drawn out explanation, I’d like to share some simple and effective tips for cleaning hardwood floors that you can use immediately.
1. Sweep and vacuum regularly
By sweeping every day, you can remove most dirt and dust from the home. By preventing the accumulation of dirt, you won’t have to mop floors frequently. Similarly, vacuuming is a great way to remove dirt and debris from hard to reach places in a home.
2. Use a damp mop
To avoid water damage, it is preferable to use a damp mop instead of a soaking wet mop. Additionally, wring out the mop head frequently while mopping and change the bucket of water to avoid mopping with dirty water.
3. Use a cleaner
As mentioned above, there are many Ph balancing solutions on the market that will restore the wood flooring to its best condition while disinfecting the floor at the same time. Use these products that are designed to be safe for wood floors, as they don’t contain harsh or abrasive chemicals.
4. Allow floors to dry before walking on them
A simple way to avoid footprints on floors is to avoid walking on them while they are still wet. Use an oscillating floor fan to speed up the time it takes for floors to dry.
5. Clean up spills immediately
The most effective way to avoid liquid damage is to mop up and dry spills immediately. Keep a sponge and cloth close by to address small spills.
6. Install rugs in areas that are prone to water exposure
As we know, hardwood flooring is not waterproof. Frequent and long term exposure to water will cause damage. For this reason, it’s advisable to purchase and place rugs near sinks, entrances, and tubs to mitigate some of the exposure to water in these areas.
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of this article on does rubbing alcohol damage hardwood floors. It’s evident from my research and experimentation that it is indeed damaging to hardwood floors.
There are far less abrasive and harsh products on the market that can be just as effective at removing stubborn stains and debris from floors.
It’s also true that prevention is better than cure. So, if you can implement good cleaning habits, I’m pretty certain that you’ll significantly minimize the need to use harsh chemicals to clean hardwood floors.
With that being said, I hope you found this article to be insightful and helpful. If you’d like to read more on cleaning floors, be sure to check out some of the articles I have linked below.
What are the benefits of wood floorings?