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How a Tennis Ball Can Clean Your Floors

A tennis ball sits on the floor.
Tei Sinthip/Shutterstock.com

You know those black scuff marks that seem to magically appear all over your wooden floors? They can be a real pain to get rid of, especially if you’ve tried everything you can think of with no luck. Fear not! There’s a surprising cleaning hack for hardwood floor scuff marks.

This cleaning trick is easy, affordable, and you might have the solution in your house already. All you need is a tennis ball!

Believe it or not, a tennis ball can actually be the perfect tool for removing scuff marks from your wooden floors. If you’re ready to give it a shot, go grab a tennis ball.

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The cleaning method is super simple. Just rub the tennis ball gently over the scuff mark and watch as it disappears before your eyes. Yup! That’s all there is to it! If you commonly find yourself with scuff marks, you can cut an X into the top of the ball and attach it to the end of the broom or mop for even easier use.

Normally, these black scuff marks are left from the soles of shoes so they’re a super thin layer of scuffed rubber. The slightly abrasive surface of the tennis ball helps to gently buff away the scuff mark without damaging your wood floor.

Not only is this trick super easy, affordable, and effective, but it’s also a great way to reuse old tennis balls that you might have lying around. You can also avoid using any harsh chemicals or expensive cleaning products while keeping your wood floors clean.

Abbey Ryan Abbey Ryan
Abbey Ryan is a storyteller, preferably of stories in written form. Across the 5 years of her professional writing career, her work has been featured in The Chicago Tribune, Amazon, The Medical News Today, and more. When she's not writing (which is rare), she's likely traveling, painting, or on the hunt for a good snack. Read Full Bio »
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