Looking for a simple and effective way to clean your hardwood floors? Black tea makes the ideal natural cleaner!
DIY Black Tea Wood Floor Cleaner
Why Black Tea?
Black tea contains polyphenolic compounds that inhibit microbial growth. Also, the tannins found in black tea add a subtle sheen to your hardwood floor.
Black tea is also less acidic than the common DIY cleaner, white vinegar. Therefore it’s less harsh and more apt to protect your floor’s finish.
The Cleaning Process
Boil two to four black tea bags in a quart of water. The longer you allow it to brew, the darker and more efficient the cleaner. (If you have light colored wood, you’ll want to stick with a shorter brew time.)
Pour the tea into a small bucket. Immerse a soft cloth in the tea. Remove and wring thoroughly. (The cloth should be damp, not wet, to allow for quick drying.) Wipe the floor in the direction of the grain and enjoy the beauty of your hardwood floor!
**Note: Black tea wood floor cleaner is not suitable for laminate flooring.
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Looking forward to trying the black tea cleaner on my hard wood floors. Thanks!
This is so cool! I had no idea about using black tea! Thanks for sharing this at Savoring Saturdays linky party. Hope you’ll join us again this week.
Will this stain your floor? I have natural Maple hardwood that I would like to stain a bit darker but have been told that Maple takes stain unevenly. Have you had any experience with this type of wood?
I have not tried it on Maple. Definitely test first. You can make a lighter version of the tea potentially. If you try it, I’d love to hear back, Sue.
Thank you for the natural cleaning tips for my wood floors. I have a couple cigarette burns on my wood floors would you know how to fix these??? Very important for my floors should b gorgeous thanks for the help
Can you sand and then stain the spots?
I can’t wait to try this. Our floors are only one year old and always cloudy. I’ve been very careful and used Bona, plain water and ammonia cleaner and can’t make them shine. I hate to start waxing already! I have no idea why they always look dull. Is there anything else to try before or after this?
Maybe a little castile soap ahead of time, Sherri? Very diluted with a damp cloth is my suggestion. I agree about waxing. That’s a bit overwhelming but would probably do the trick. 🙂
When we had ours put down 5 years ago we were told no Bona, no commercial cleaners, no Murphy’s Oil Soap……NOTHING but a light misting with vinegar water followed by a soft cloth. They are as beautiful today as they were the day we had them installed. I’m thinking the tea solution would be as gentle and effective as the vinegar water but ammonia is harsh and ‘m guessing it is dissolving your finish.
Thanks for chiming in, Bobbie.
Try white vinegar and water first. The company that installed our hardwood floors said not to use anything other than vinegar. I used it straight as he said ( did not let it sit on floors), did a square area then moved on. My floors are still beautiful!
Can this black tea be used on engineered hardwood?
I would think so, but not sure on this.
I did this – but used Peppermint Tea and a few drops of Olive Oil. I mopped with the grain, using microfiber mop. After I mopped I went back over with a dry microfiber and buffed it up. It looks and smells GREAT! Also, the olive oil gave a shine without being slippery or sticky.
Thanks so much for sharing this, Jennifer! Sounds like a great combination.
MY house has 110 YEAR OLD gloors. Scratched , marred, you NAME it! Can’t wait to see how the tea works! Have NOTHING to lose! Lol! Sorry, floors, is what I meant! Lol!