Hardwood Floors - Cleaning

Lady_1981 · August 2012

Hello!

DH and I recently moved into an older home. We have mostly hardwood; but it looks as though they previous owners had carpet over it (I see staples, not sure if that means anything). I attempted to clean the wood floors w/ a steam mop (as per recs on this board), and I'm not happy with the results. It left a white hazy layer on top of the floors - that won't come up. I've tried treating the areas w/ mineral oil, as well as some murphys and still - white hazy area. Did I ruin my floors...?

Starfish+77 · August 2012

Not sure if they're ruined but I use a dry cloth with Bona hardwood floor cleaner. highly recommend it, works well!

PattyandAlan · August 2012

If the floors aren't sealed, you didn't do them any favors. We also live in an old house (built in 1890) and msot of the hardwood under the carpets was never sealed, or sealed poorly. On those, usually vacuum (with the beater bars turned off), then use a dry Swiffer. The only other product I use on those is Murphy's Oil Soap. The ones that we have sanded and resealed I use the same, with the addition of a wet Swiffer.

mcskatcat · August 2012

The only time I've heard of a white film with steam mops is if you used a cleaning product in there, which the instructions explicitly state not to do!

kz's_girlygirl · August 2012

We recently bought an older home as well, and the floors sound similar to yours. I washed them with Method wood floor cleaner and was left with dull dusty looking floors. Then I washed them with Bona hardwood floor cleaner- results were no better. They just looked so dry and had no shine whatsoever.

I ended up lightly sanding them (kitchen, living room, and hallway) and putting two coats of minwax semi gloss polyurethane over them, sanding again in between coats. They look so much better now.

Hardwood Floors - Cleaning

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