Learn about how the tannic acid in your black tea bags cleans wood floors.
Black tea is becoming known as an easy, quick cleaner for wood floors. Regardless of its growing popularity, it is never advisable to wet mop your wood floor or use water to clean your floor. In most cases this seemingly innocent act will void your warranty. That said, cleaning your floors with steeped black tea is not necessarily a good idea if you do plan on keeping your warranty valid. It is definitely an unconnvetnitional method of cleaning wood floors. I personally would never recommend anything that would potentially void your floor warranty. It is completely your choice whether or not you want to try the black tea wood floor cleaning method on your wood floors but now you know the potential risk. Wood that is water-logged will swell, warp and possibly even rot. If you are going to use black tea, be very careful to use the most minimal amount of the cleaning solution on your floors.
To make the cleaning solution, steep about 6 tea bags in one quart of boiling water for about 10 minutes. (One quart is 2 tablespoons under one liter.) Discard the tea bags. Allow the tea to cool down before you use the solution. The black tea can be applied to wood floors with a clean, soft cloth. Alternately, you can use a spray bottle to apply it. Using a dry rag, go over the wet areas and quickly soak up the tea. The black tea solution should be applied in sections so that it can dry effectively. Some people will use a mop like a Swiffer to spread the black tea solution. The problem is that you have little control over how much liquid is being put on your wood floors and it will be tricky to dry your floors after. I definitely do not recommend the wet mopping technique. It could be a quick way to wreck your floors.
Some people will even dry mop after to increase the shine of their wood floors. This black tea solution is only meant for darkly stained floors. If the wood floors are light, it might leave dark streaks. If you have wood floors that are close to the color of black tea, it will restore your floor’s natural brown color. It is important to do a patch test in an inconspicuous area in case you are dissatisfied with the results.
Black tea will enhance the wood grain, giving your floors clarity and shine. The tannic acid in the tea gives wood floors a brilliant shine. Unlike a lot of the commercially available products, black tea doesn’t leave a sticky residue behind. It is a cheap, natural, homemade cleaning solution that anyone can make. This makes it an attractive cleaning solution. Keep in mind that if you decide to employ this cleaning method, you are running the risk of voiding your wood floor warranty.