Everybody knows Martha Stewart for her magazine and TV show. She is a crafty woman who is always thinking up the next best thing. Because she is such an icon, many people will vouch for her products on the basis that they have her name on them.
She has a cleaning line, which is called “Clean”. In this line, there is a wood floor cleaning product along with many other household cleaners. The Martha Stewart cleaning line is partnered with Hain Celestial Group, a natural food and personal care products company. The “Clean” product line took nearly a year to develop. The Martha Stewart Clean Wood Floor product is widely available online and even at your local Home Depot.
Martha Stewart is not an expert on wood floors. She offers tips on almost everything! Would you trust her wood floor cleaning product? A simple way to determine if a product is good is to analyze the ingredients.
Her wood floor cleaning product is natural. The Martha Stewart Clean Wood Floor is
made with 99% plant and mineral ingredients. It does not contain any artificial fragrances or colors. There is no scent, which for some people is great while others prefer a fresh citrus smell.
One of the most reputable features about the Martha Stewart Clean Wood Floor is its certification by the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency’s) Design for Environment program. In fact, Martha Stewart’s motto in her commercial for her Clean line is, “Finally, green equals clean”.
Also, she boasts that there is no animal testing or animal byproducts used in the making of her wood floor cleaner. An important feature of this products is that it is safe for both children and pets alike.
The ingredients are very pure. Water is the base of this product. Another key ingredient is oleic Acid. Oleic acid is a plant surfactant found in olive and peanut oils. Martha Stewart’s web site http://www.marthastewartclean.com explains that oleic acid “helps clean surfaces”. It is not completely true. It is mostly an emulsifier which means that it binds the product together.
Potassium hydroxide is used as a pH adjuster. Even though it is used in small quantities in the Martha Stewart floor cleaner, it is known to leave dark spots on wood floors if enough of it is used. Potassium hydroxide or caustic soda is lye – the chemical which turns fat into soap.
Citric Acid is used as a buffer solution. This solution enables a weak organic acid and a strong acid to have a steady, unchanging pH level. Not only is citric acid a great pH stabilizer, it also is terrific at picking up adhesive on your floors (like when you remove a carpet from a wood floor, and there is that old glue left behind).
C9-11 Pareth-3 is a plant surfactant. It is used industrially as a metal soaking solvent or a degreaser. It is also used in the finishing and processing of leather. This is a foaming ingredient but you will not get the same amount of foam that you would get from a synthetic product. It is a terrific wood floor cleaner.
After learning about the product and analyzing the ingredients, it looks like a good quality cleaner. The problem with this product is its application. Martha Stewart suggests to mix half a cup of the cleaner to one gallon of water. Too much water on your wood floors will cause swelling and buckling. Water will seep into and absorb your floorboards. If you want to clean your floors, not damage your floors, using water is not your answer! In fact, it will void your floor warranty in almost all cases.
Even if you will get a shiny floor with no streaks or residue, you may want to think twice before using the Martha Stewart wood floor cleaner. No matter how pure and green the Martha Stewart Clean product is, if you have to mix it with water, the simple answer is: don’t do it! But if you must, use only distilled water.