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cleaning unfinished wood flooring?
We live in a house that's around 80 years old. About 50 years ago there was some additions put on, and we think that is when some of the wood flooring was put in. I suspect at one point it was sealed and all that, but it's in really bad shape now. I'm not sure how many owners this house has had but I know before my husband bought it it was being rented out and it doesn't look like either the landlord or renters took care of it.
The floor in these rooms is creaky and the wood is very rough, most of it is splintery. Pet hair looks like it "sticks" to it like crazy because of the wood fibers and lack of sealant on it anymore. How could I clean this? I vacuum, but I know it has to be dirty even if I can't see it because the wood is so dark. Obviously steaming is out the window, even if I had a steamer. But I'm afraid to get ANY water on this thing so I'm afraid of regular mopping it too. Is there a method to this madness?
Re: cleaning unfinished wood flooring?
That definitely sounds like bare naked boards to me.
I've heard of them being washed with a water, soap and a scrub brush. But I've never done it myself.
Is there money in the budget to have them sanded down and re-finished? You don't have to stain them if you like the color of the wood. Just have them sanded and poly'd.
http://pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi#general
Well, at the present time our budget is very tight and it'd be impossible to redo the floors, but maybe we can someday. I suppose if we sanded them down to reseal them, the dirt that's already on them wouldn't matter that much and I'd just sweep/suck it up before sealing? I think my husband could potentially do it or at least know someone who has done it before for instruction on it. I have no idea how much something like that would cost though, and we'd probably have to rent the tools?
Thanks for the responses
Is there any finish left on them? We have hardwood that is in absolutely awful shape, but since it is the entire house it has been out of the budget (and out of DIY range) to have it redone.
I use Orange Glo 4 in 1 cleaner on my floors. It gives them a little shine for a few days and cleans them pretty well. It does not smell good though, so I definitely don't recommend using it right before you have company over
I'd just continue to vacuum as much as you can. Maybe sweep the floors with a stiff broom before you vacuum since the brushes on vacuum attachments are pretty soft.
When it comes time to re-finish the floors, any lingering dirt, stains and random stuck on stuff will come up with the sanding. The sanding dust will be vacuumed away before the floors are sealed.
If your H doesn't know what he's doing and doesn't know anyone who can come help him who has done it before, it'd be best to hire it out. He'd need to rent a professional floor sander and you can do a lot of damage with those things if you don't know how to work it across the floor. Check around, get a bunch of estimates, see if anyone offers any discounts for multiple services, etc.
http://pandce.proboards.com/index.cgi#general