Sandpaper and steel wool can degrade surface finishes so you ll want to tackle.
Waxed hardwood floor maintenance.
Make your cleaning fluid make the cleaning fluid for your waxed floor.
Vinegar is recommended for this purpose.
Check the specifications before purchasing and cleaning.
Waxed floors should be cleaned with a cleaning waxing compound that lifts out dirt and adds a coat of fresh wax.
Vacuum your hardwood floor once a week.
Clean spills immediately with a dry or slightly damp cloth.
Polyurethane coated floors should be cleaned with vinegar and water.
Wipe up spills as soon as they occur with a water dampened cloth then wipe dry.
Care should be taken because only those safe to the waxed wood floors are suitable.
In case any water or other liquid spills on the floor wipe it immediately with a damp cloth and then wipe dry.
Be sure to sweep and mop in the direction of the wood grain.
The best way to deal with spills on any hardwood floor is to wipe them up as quickly as possible.
Don t use wet mops or steam mops which will damage the finish and the wood over long periods of time.
Sweep or dust mop them daily to remove dirt dust pet hair and other debris.
First though find out if the floor is covered with wax or polyurethane.
As a rule of thumb only dry clean your hardwood flooring.
It can cloud the wax coat or damage the wood.
Standing fluids can seep through even the baked on coating of a prefinished floor and they can.
Use safe disinfectants some people may prefer to have a disinfectant when cleaning.
Apply a solvent based hardwood floor wax to the scrubbed area with a soft cloth and buff it in to restore its shine.
Daily maintenance will help keep old hardwood floors in the best shape.
Avoid using wet mops for cleaning hardwood floors as it can result in clouding the wax coat or damaging the wood.
In the case of hardwood it s best use a waterless hardwood floor cleaner but if you have to use water mix it with mild detergent such as dish soap in the ratio of an ounce per gallon.
I can tell you that it is not friendly to redo a hardwood floor.
The first step in learning how to clean hardwood floors is removing dust or debris that can scratch or dull their surface.
Use a broom or hardwood floor mop for daily cleaning.
It is a safe and effective cleaner for most of the surfaces available.
Avoid wet mopping large areas of the waxed hardwood floor with water.
To find out drip some water onto the floor.
This helps prevent dirt and grime from getting stuck in cracks between planks.