Using the right techniques and polish, restore the luster to wood floors.
You may not realize how much your wood floors are abused daily. From pet nails, high heels, toys, and shifting furniture, to name a few. However durable wood floors may be, they still become scratched and scuffed over time. A floor refinishing, which involves completely sanding it down to apply a new surface finish, is very expensive and only necessary once or twice in a generation. You can regain shine, remove imperfections, and extend the life of your hardwood floors by polishing with a product designed especially for your floor.
Depending on how they are finished, you may or may not need to polish your floors. If the floor has a protective barrier, such as urethane, polish is recommended, while floors that penetrate like tung oil or unsealed wood should use wax instead. Incorrect use of products can cause a wealth of problems, from making floors too slippery to dulling the finish, as well as impairing future refinishing. The first step in polishing wood floors is determining what kind of floor you have. Otherwise, you will damage your floors.
Step 1: Start by testing your wood floors' finish.
- Using a sharp knife blade, scrape off a little bit of an inconspicuous spot from your floor if you're unsure what type of finish it has.
- You probably have a brilliant finish if the finish is smudged without clear material being scraped up. It is where you should not polish the wood floors; only wax them.
- Your flooring likely has a surface finish if you see a clear material. This flooring can be polished. Before applying the polish to the entire floor, test the polish in a small hidden or inconspicuous area.
Step 2: Remove dust and dirt from your wood floors.
- Clean the floors thoroughly to remove dust and dirt after removing as much furniture as possible.
- After vacuuming or sweeping, mop the wood floors with a commercial wood floor cleaner, or mix a quarter-cup of dish soap with a gallon of warm water to eliminate any remaining grime.
- To remove any residue left behind by the cleaner, mop the floors with a clean, damp mop. Use a clean towel to dry the floors completely.
Step 3: Finish with a shine on wood floors.
- Pour a small amount of wood floor polish onto the floor in an S-shaped pattern in the back corner of the room.
- Determine a path that will lead you to the exit. By moving the mop back and forth in the direction of the wood grain, you can get rid of any air bubbles.
- The best way to control how much polish you've applied is to work in small areas.
- If you need to apply another coat, you can do so, if necessary, even though you must completely coat the floor. Thin layers will dry more quickly than thick ones.
Step 4: Wait a day before restoring the space.
- Before using the room again, wait at least an hour and a full day.
- Don't drag or slide furniture to avoid scratching it; pick each piece up and put it where it belongs.
- If heavy pieces are being moved, use felt pads underneath.
Step 5: follow a few precautions to keep the floor looking great.
- You can protect your flooring by placing rugs in doorways so that they won't track in dirt.
- If your kitchen has wood flooring, put a rug next to the sink to catch stray water drops.
- Clean the floors once a month and vacuum weekly. You should always avoid homemade cleaning solutions that include vinegar or ammonia when cleaning wood floors. They will dull a surface-finished floor.
Wrap-Up
Maintaining your wood floor's shine will be easier with these measures. It is still possible for you to polish occasionally, as needed, but you should not exceed four polishing sessions per year.
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