mY FIANCE IS A FLOOR FINISHER HE HAD ALWAYS LIKED bONO, AND i HAVE FOR YEARS CLEANED MY HARDWOODS WITH SOME VINEGAR AND WATER BUT ALWAYS DID ON MY HANDS AND KNEES AND WRUNG THE RAG OUT JUST TILL DAMP.
Keep in mind you are not "cleaning wood" but are cleaning the "finish" that has been applied to the wood. Most floors are either site finished with a polyurethane or pre-finished with a combo lacquer / ceramic type finish...based on the age I would guess site applied poly. some warn water and a towel (wrung out to very dry) works great...95% or more of the dirt is just soil type dirt and water is the best to clean this as it does not leave any residue... just keep rinsing the towel well
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so you "mop" water does not get too dirty...if so change that too. If you have an oily residue a drop or two is dish soap on the spot does wonders...remember less is more...less water and less soap.
If the finish is worn to a spot where the bare wood is exposed you need to do a refinish.
Again KMS is absoulty right! You are cleaning the finish. It protects the wood. And the finish is what you need to know. If it has been sealed with wax you can take you fingernail and scrape it and some will come up. Poly won't. A drop of dish soap, a micro fiber mop that has had most of the water rung out and mop. And dry. I again use the micro fiber mop a new one to dry. I am a Commerical cleaner. I go by manufactors spec's. I do not make up cleaning solutions. People's
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homes, businesses expect me or people like KMS to know how to care for your homes. Vinegar is acid. It will etch and dull the finish on your floors. Remember your cleaning the finish. I know vinegar is suppose to be a cure all for every cleaning solution but it isn't . Besides what's cheaper than a drop of dish soap.
http://www.hometalk.com/156418/cleaning-hard...
http://www.hometalk.com/550624/our-hardwood-... ...»
You can also search this site for "cleaning hardwood" for several threads with other good suggestions and time-tested solutions.
If the finish is worn to a spot where the bare wood is exposed you need to do a refinish.
You can read about some other floor finishes in this article I wrote.
http://www.networx.com/article/exotic-wood-f...