Can You Use Vegetable Oil On Hardwood Floors?

There are a lot of natural remedies for hardwood floors, ranging from vinegar all the way to vegetable oil; but can you use vegetable oil on hardwood floors or is this a myth?

Vegetable oil can be used on hardwood floors to make them look shinier, as long as the oil is used with the correct method.

Let’s dive into the benefits of using homemade cleaners for hardwood floors, as well as the steps you need to take to use vegetable oil on hardwood floors.

Why Clean With Homemade Cleaners?

Many people opt to clean their floors with gentle, more natural cleaners than commercial harsh chemicals. Not only is this option better for the environment, but it is a more affordable alternative. Cleaning hardwood floors with vegetable oil will also leave them looking so shiny that guests may think they are brand new.

As simple as it may sound, you can’t just start rubbing vegetable oil everywhere and expect good results. The secret is in knowing how to properly clean with vegetable oil.

Benefits of Using Vegetable Oil on Hardwood Floors

In addition to helping your floors look great, cleaning with vegetable oil has many benefits.

For starters, vegetable oil costs less than using artificial cleaning solutions. Additionally, you probably already have vegetable oil on hand in the kitchen pantry easy to grab.

Using vegetable oil to clean with is much safer than using harsh chemicals. It also saves you from having to read a long list of ingredients only to discover a family member is allergic to the cleaner that you just poured or sprayed all over your hardwood floors.

Vegetable oil is not going to damage your hardwood floors like using the wrong cleaning agent could.

Vegetable oil leaves hardwood floors looking shiny while preserving the finish on the floor.

How Does Vegetable Oil Clean?

It makes sense that oil would leave behind a nice shine on wood. But, does it actually clean? Yes, vegetable oil helps to clean when it is mixed with vinegar.

Vegetable oil works great as a cleaning tool to nourish surfaces and loosen stains, grime, and cut through grease. The main ingredient in vegetable oil is a fatty acid. Oil is made up of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.

Any oil that comes from a plant source is considered to be vegetable oil. Some common, well-known vegetable oils include canola, corn, soybean, safflower, palm, and sunflower oils. Technically olive oil is also classified in the vegetable oil group as well.

How Does Vinegar Clean?

Vinegar is an acidic liquid that can be used in cooking as well as household cleaning.

There are different types of vinegar, but the kind that works best for cleaning is distilled white vinegar. As a cleaner vinegar kills some household bacteria and dissolves hard-water deposits as it cuts through set-in grease and grime.

Step-By-Step Guide for Cleaning with Vegetable Oil

To get the best results out of vegetable oil for cleaning hardwood floors, mix it with vinegar. Vinegar is very good for cleaning since it is acetic acid.

The acidic nature of vinegar makes it very useful in dissolving dirt and grease while also killing bacteria. Just be sure to always use distilled white vinegar and not any dark-colored varieties that could end up staining your floors instead of cleaning them.

Follow this 10-step process step-by-step guide for cleaning hardwood floors using vegetable oil:

  1. First, move any furniture that is in the way. Move the furniture out by lifting the furniture gently and never dragging it. Dragging furniture across hardwood floors will scratch the flooring. Once the furniture is out of the way, you will be able to clearly see every part of the floor surface that needs to be cleaned.
  2. Next, use a broom to remove all dirt, debris, and dust from the floor by sweeping it up into a dustpan and disposing of it outside in an enclosed trashcan, so the dust can’t float and fall back onto the floor.
  3. Follow up the sweeping with a dust mop or a dry mop to remove any fine particles left behind.
  4. If there is still dirt to be removed after sweeping and dust mopping, use a vacuum that has a soft brush attachment from hard-to-reach corners and from underneath any appliances or furniture that could not be removed from the room.
  5. Now, it’s time to get ready to clean with the vegetable oil. Do so by preparing a solution of equal parts distilled white vinegar and vegetable oil in a spray bottle. Some people find that 2 cups vinegar mixed with 2 cups vegetable oil is enough to get started.
  6. Make sure the spray bottle is sealed well, and shake it to mix the solution until it is well blended.
  7. Start cleaning the floor in sections to make it easier to pay close attention to one area at a time. Cleaning in sections also helps make sure you do not oversaturate the floor with the liquid cleaner.
  8. Spray a small amount of the solution of vinegar and vegetable oil onto a small section of the floor.
  9. Use a soft cloth to rub the cleanser on the floor quickly. Don’t allow the vinegar mixture to sit too long in one spot before wiping it up.
  10. Use a separate clean, soft cloth to buff the area dry being sure to buff in small circular motions.

The vegetable oil mixed with vinegar will leave your floors looking clean and shiny. Visitors may even mistake them for brand-new floors.

Final Thoughts

Yes, you can use vegetable oil on hardwood floors so long as you use it properly. Knowing how to properly clean hardwood floors using vegetable oil is a very simple process that involves mixing the oil with vinegar in a spray bottle.

In fact, using vegetable oil as opposed to paying for a commercial cleaner is going to offer many benefits as well as leaving your floors looking like they are new.