Pine-Sol on Wood Floors (Cleaning Tips)

Here’s some of the benefits of using Pine-Sol on wood floors, whether it is good & safe for wood flooring, how to use Pine Sol, and other wood floor cleaning tips.

Pine-Sol is a handy household cleaner – you might even have some in your cabinet right now! However, your hardwood floors are delicate, and using the wrong cleaner on this type of flooring can have disastrous results. So, can you safely use Pine-Sol on your wood floors?

Can You Use Pine-Sol on Wood Floors?

You actually can clean your wood floors with Pine-Sol! The key here, though, is to use the right amount. Just like when you mop, you don’t want to oversaturate your wood floors while you’re cleaning them. After all, excess moisture can lead to unfortunate results for real wood flooring.

Used in the right amount and with the right method, though, and a bit of Pine-Sol can help your floors start to look like new again!

Pine-Sol is recommended specifically for finished surfaces. If your wood floors are unsealed, unfinished, or worn down, Pine-Sol isn’t recommended.

Is Pine-Sol Good for Wood Floors?

Yes, Pine-Sol is a great multi-purpose tool to turn to when you need to tidy your hardwood floors. Used in moderation, you can use Pine-Sol to get your floors looking like new.

Even better, when it’s properly applied, it won’t leave an unpleasant residue behind, saving you time on rinsing your floors. It also has a pleasant scent and can disinfect 99.9 percent of germs when properly applied.

The downside is it’s not an eco-friendly substance and is not green-certified. According to EWG, this cleaning agent is not biodegradable or good for the environment and contains substances that can cause ill health effects.

Is Pine-Sol Safe for Wood?

Pine-Sol is safe for most wood flooring. However, there are a few important exceptions we should cover. For one, you won’t want to use Pine-Sol on unfinished or unsealed wood floors that don’t have a barrier against moisture.

You also won’t want to use Pine-Sol on your wood floors daily. While it’s helpful for cleaning, you simply don’t want to get the wood that damp that often. It’s better to save it for weekly cleanings, at maximum.

Finally, make sure you don’t use too much moisture with your mop and leave puddles in your wake. Moisture setting on your wood floor will lead to problems like warping and cracking.

This said, if you follow the usage guidelines for Pine-Sol on wood flooring, it’s a completely safe tool to turn to while you’re cleaning up.

Can You Use Pine-Sol on Laminate Floors?

We covered a few types of wood floors Pine-Sol won’t work on. It’s probably not the best choice if you have unfinished wood floors. What about if you have laminate flooring?

The good news is that Pine-Sol is completely safe for use on laminate flooring. It can really help keep your floor clean.

When you clean your laminate flooring with Pine-Sol, you can follow the same basic process you would use when you clean wood floors. Don’t forget to dilute the material!

Pine-Sol won’t rip the finish off of your laminate flooring either. In fact, it can work rather well to help you reinforce this finish. You’ll likely notice your floors have a greater shine after you’ve cleaned them.

How to Use Pine-Sol on Wood

Before you even grab your Pine-Sol to start cleaning, you’ll want to take the time to vacuum or sweep your hardwood floors. The goal is to remove any loose debris from the floor before you start mopping.

Now, you need to dilute the Pine-Sol before you can use it. To make a big bucket you can work with while you mop, you’ll want to add ¼ cup of Pine-Sol for every gallon of water you use. Then, you can mop your floors.

It’s important to use as little of your water and Pine-Sol mixture as possible. You want enough to clean the floors but not enough that you’ll have puddles on your floor. Once again, safeguarding against excessive moisture is a great way to preserve your wood floors.

If you need to give a tough spot a little extra elbow grease, make sure to stay away from any abrasive scrubbing tools as they’re apt to scratch your floors.

How Much Should I Dilute Pine-Sol?

Diluting Pine-Sol is an important step before you start mopping. However, you have to dilute it properly to see the results you want.

When you dilute Pine-Sol to mop your wood floors, you’ll want to just dilute it with water. Since you’re using it to mop your floor, you probably want to go ahead and create enough of your cleaning solution to properly mop all of the surfaces.

For every gallon of water, add about ¼ cup of Pine-Sol. You can multiply this ratio as needed.

Do You Have to Rinse Pine-Sol Off Floors?

Actually, no (for most types of flooring)! The concern with rinsing usually lies within the fact that many cleaners will leave your floor feeling sticky if they aren’t properly rinsed. Plus, who wants to leave chemicals all over their house?

Luckily, Pine-Sol won’t leave either of these unwanted residues in its wake when you use it properly. Still, you’ll want to avoid allowing the product or your diluted mopping solution to pool up on your floors.

Not only is the moisture bad for your floors but large puddles of the product are more likely to leave residue behind, although Pine-Sol is still less likely to cause a problem than many oil-based household cleaners.

The caveat to this rule is when it comes to using Pine Sol on tile grout. According to the Tile Council of North America, using oil-based cleaners like Pine Sol on tile grout can leave an oily film that can actually attract and absorb dirt and debris.

Can You Mop Wood with Pine-Sol?

Yes, you can mop your wood floors with Pine-Sol as long as you follow all the proper steps we discussed. This means starting with a cursory cleaning and diluting your Pine-Sol before you get started.

It’s also important to make sure you’re using a quality, clean mop for the best results with Pine-Sol as well. If your mop isn’t clean, your floors won’t be either.

Once you get to mopping, your technique matters, too. Make sure you don’t allow for any puddles on your floor as it can open the door for problems like warping or even cracking. Make sure you don’t use anything abrasive to scrub your floors either to avoid scratching or damaging them.

All in all, Pine-Sol is often a great choice for your wooden floors! It works to help you clean thoroughly without leaving behind an oily residue or damaging your wood floors.

What are your favorite cleaning products for hardwood floor maintenance? Share your favorite all-purpose cleaners in the comments.  Read more about living room hardwood flooring on this page.