Why Is My Hardwood Floor Sticky After Swiffer? Top Reasons

Cleaning your hardwood floors is a tricky task, and one must be quite vigilant to do it properly.

Many people avoid and ignore their cleaning responsibilities, but if you’re someone who takes this task seriously, there is a high possibility that you’ve been facing issues.

The stickiness on the hardwood floors after cleaning with Swiffer is mainly caused by an imbalance in the water-to-Swiffer ratio. If the water is too much, the solution is diluted and makes the hardwood floors sticky.

In this blog, I’m going to share the most common reasons for stickiness on hardwood floors after cleaning with Swiffer in detail. So, stay tuned!

Why Does Swiffer Make The Hardwood Floor Sticky?

Swiffer leaves a residue on the hardwood floors that becomes sticky if left to dry off. It would be best if you had fast and consistent cleaning techniques to make sure that the residue does not build up and cause the floors to become sticky.

Swiffer kit is very effective at cleaning as they are specially designed for full cleaning purposes including dry dusting, wet mopping, and stain removing.

Although different models are made for different purposes, all of them are pretty good at cleaning but unfortunately, they leave a residue during cleaning which is their biggest drawback.

Now you can’t expect results that a mop may give, as Swiffers are made for precision tasks and not for overall cleaning.

If you are confused about whether to use Swiffer on hardwood floors or not, I encourage you to go through this article I have written will Swiffer ruin hardwood floors.

How Do You Get Rid Of Swiffer Buildup?

The best way to remove the Swiffer buildup is to use a microfiber cloth to clean and buff the surface as soon as you have applied the Swiffer.

The microfiber cloth will soak up any sticky residue and remove all the Swiffer buildup on your hardwood floor.

However, you can use a simple cloth or a kitchen towel if you do not have a microfiber cloth. These will yield the same results and help you eliminate the Swiffer buildup.

Also Read: How To Clean And Deodorize Hardwood Floors? The Easy Guide

What Else Can Make My Hardwood Floors Sticky?

Factors such as using tap water, and too much Swiffer can make your hardwood floors sticky.

Other factors are inadequate drying, wax buildup, the improper concentration of Swiffer, tap water, rain, or snow, and more.

Inadequate Drying

After cleaning your wood floor, if you observed stickiness, it was probably due to inadequate drying time in between varnish coats.

You must immediately wipe the surface with a microfiber cloth to ensure no moisture is trapped behind. You can also use kitchen towels for this purpose.

Wax Buildup

Very few wood floors are completed with a penetrating seal; however, periodic waxing is required if your floors are waxed. Waxing frequently is not.

Additionally, most wooden floors in use today have a polyurethane finish. There is absolutely no need to wax the covering.

If the wax is applied over a polyurethane finish, your hardwood floor will inevitably leave a sticky film.

Improper Concentration of Swiffer

Using a Swiffer is a great idea for cleaning hardwood floors, but you need to make the solution consistent with cleaning your hardwood floor.

The Swiffer will be too diluted to clean the surface if the water content is too much.

Moreover, if the solution is too concentrated, the Swiffer might leave residues, causing buildup and stickiness on your hardwood floors.

You May Also Like: How Often Should You Clean Hardwood Floors? (Revealed)

Excessive Swiffer Application

Too much Swiffer cleaning agent can leave wooden surfaces with a sticky film. Again, the significance of titles is emphasized strongly.

Observe the application and dilution directions precisely. A more robust answer is only sometimes preferable. Stronger and more are more complex to take away.

Infrequent Change Of Cleaning Pad

A cleaning cloth needs to be cleaned to function properly. The pad can be kept clean by frequently rinsing and wringing it out, but the less you have to handle a dirty cleaning pad, the better.

There is less likelihood of spreading germs and dirt across your home’s hardwood surfaces if you have more than enough clean mop cloths. The management of soiled pads is also reduced.

When you’re finished cleaning your parquet floors, throw the used and dirty mop pads into the washer because most of them are machine washable.

It is preferable to frequently change mop pads than to rinse the same mop cushion repeatedly. Better for yourself and your family as well as for your surfaces.

Explore: What Is A Safe Disinfectant For Hardwood Floors?

Tap Water, Rain, And Snow

The polyurethane coating on your floors doesn’t, and ideally, the growth of your floors has halted. You should avoid getting water on your wooden floors or the polyurethane coating that covers them.

Hard water should be an exception to this rule. The floor area can be damaged, as a bathroom door can be by soft water, rain, and snow.

They leave behind an unsightly white film formed of deposits from hard water. Only dampen the cloth with water.

After that, thoroughly dry the surface with a switch mop and the microfiber side of the mop pad. a lot of other mops on hand.

If hard water bothers you continually, clean your floors with a neutral pH solution. Salt is especially abundant in snow.

Because entry mats for wooden surfaces have poor absorption and short bristles, long winters are made even longer.

Does Swiffer Wetjet Leave The Hardwood Floor Sticky?

Swiffer Wetjet does leave the hardwood floor sticky due to its nature. The fluid on the floor dries up quickly after you’ve applied it and leaves a sticky residue on the floor.

If not cleaned on time, this sticky residue makes the hardwood floors sticky and damages their shine.

Are Swiffer Wet Pads Safe For All Floors?

Swiffer wet pads are not suitable for all floors. There are many surfaces that you can’t clean with a Swiffer due to various reasons.

Wooden Decks

The surface of wooden decks is very harsh compared to marble, tile, or wooden floors.

This harsh grainy surface can easily rip off the Swiffer pads as they are as thin as a paper towel. Hence, you can’t expect to clean your deck with a Swiffer.

Plastic Mats

If you intend to clean the plastic mats on your doorstep or your bathroom with a Swiffer, you must immediately drop the idea.

Swiffer pads can’t cope with the dust and wetness on plastic mats, and their rigid surface won’t allow them to get cleaned by Swiffer mats.

Carpets & Rugs

Carpets and rugs need to be cleaned regarding general cleanliness and infections. Hence, a Swiffer is not your best choice to clean them properly and ensure they are safe.

Indoor Wooden Floors

Although Swiffer is very effective with tiles and indoor wooden floors, it still can’t manage to clean corners and cheeky spaces.

Is Swiffer Power Mop Safe For Hardwood Floors?

The Swiffer Power Mop works well on hardwood floors that have a protective finish or are made of bamboo. This is because it’s gentle enough not to damage these types of surfaces.

However, it’s not a good idea to use Swiffer Power Mop on unfinished wood floors, or those treated with oil or wax. This is due to the cleaning solution or moisture from the mop could seep in and harm these more sensitive materials.

How Does Swiffer Affect Porous/ Non-Porous Hardwood Floors?

Porous Wood

Materials made of porous wood have pores like sponges. The health of genuine wood floors will suffer because of moisture absorption.

Due to their cross- and end-grain construction, they are not protected in any manner, which allows water to permeate the entire material through the capillaries.

Swiffer can seep into these pores and settle in, causing the floors to trap moisture and remain sticky.

Besides, a white film can also form over them, which might attract dirt and grime and appear as white stains on the surface.

Non-Porous Wood

Non-porous wood is a type of wood substance that is sealed and shielded from the elements. You can clean non-porous hardwood or varnished wood floors with well-known floor cleaners like Swiffer.

According to the company, using Swiffer for cleaning your hardwood floor won’t harm the wood.

You can use Swiffer products safely and efficiently on coated (or polished) hardwood surfaces, such as vinyl or treated counter blocks.

Swiffer cleaning products stay on the treated wood facade to thoroughly clean.

They sanitize the area because various hardwood floors are non-porous, indicating they don’t have tiny holes on the surface.

Is Swiffer An Alternative To Mop?

Swiffer is not as good as mopping as it serves only certain purposes, and you would have to get various models for different purposes.

However, it still does its job very well and is super-effective. Swiffer requires a lot of scrubbing and effort to clean an area that the mop would’ve cleaned quite easily.

Besides the pads of Swiffer are relatively small and run out very quickly when compared to regular mops.

According to users, you would require at least 4 Swiffer pads to clean a regular kitchen and a lot more effort would have to be put into cleaning it as effectively as a mop.

Final Thoughts

Swiffer makes the hardwood floors sticky in general if not dried on time. However, there are other factors as well which contribute to your hardwood floors getting sticky.

Make sure you get the right solution for your hardwood floors, and check all the other factors to prevent any stickiness on your floors.