Ok Ladies.... in Need Some Help with My Hardwood Floors.

Someone asked last month and I am cutting and pasting my answer again for you. I work in the industry and know a lot about wood floors. My kitchen floor is only 4 years old and was looking horrible in spite of proper cleaning. Last week, I vacuumed several times, then hand cleaned the floor, re-vacuumed, then mopped with Bona Khemi. When the floor was dry, I applied a refresher. ( follow directions) A refresher is a combination cleaner and sealer. It fills in the places where the floor is scratched and places where the finish has been abraded. Floors must be very clean. I applied four coats over several days and my floor looks like new, very shiny and lovely. Bona Khemi makes a refresher. Purchase from a wood floor distributer. You have to remove furniture and rugs from the room to do this. Below is my post on maintenance.

Wow! I just read through the various responses and feel compeled to share some information. I have owned a commercial cleaning and property maintenance company in the Greater Atlanta area, (based in Kennesaw) for many years. We deal primarily with the luxury home market, re-sells and model homes in particular. We are required to have a 2 million general liability policy. This is because we are responsible to protect and preserve the various installations of the homes.

Hardwood floors are not the same as they were when we were all children. In those days we could wash, wax, scrub with soapy water, etc... Not so anymore.

Be aware that any new homes should have warranties for all upgrades. You may have to ask for them. It is important to read your warranties for granite, hardwoods and any other upgrade. Know the manufacturer of your floors and keep their toll free number listed for referene. They all have technical divisions that can advise you about proper cleaning and trouble-shooting. Improper cleaning of your floors will, in most cases, negate the warranty.

Beautiful wood floors are an investment that should be protected. Some warranties specifically name Murphy's Oil Soap as what NOT to use. Most will say NOT to damp mop or expose the floor to water. That includes steam cleaners.

Today's finishes are easily contaminated. Many newer finishes are water-based. Also, not all installers apply multiple coats of finish which used to be standard. This means that if you use a cleaner that has an ingredient that tends to bond to the finish, it will eventually dull the floor. Some cleaners indeed clean the floor but begin to break down the finish. You need to protect your finish which is there to beautify and protect the wood.

The life of your hardwoods depend on the amount (and type) of traffic and the proper care of your floor. If hardwoods are well cared for, you can periodically "refresh" the finish to prolong the new look. Eventually you can have what is called a "sand and recoat". That is just light abrasion, cleaning and re-applying finish. However, if your floors are contaminated (they spot test for chemical and oil residue), this will not work and you will have to have the floors sanded and refinished. This is more expensive. Where older floors seem to last for generations, many newer hardwood floors have a life-span of only three to five refinish options before the floors have to be replaced. Therefore one should know what tyoe of floor you have, what kind of finish, etc.

I know this information will be horrifying to many who have used improper cleaning methods. Unfortunately, most builders and developers do not educate their homebuyers. From my experience, it is not ill-will on their part, but lack of knowledge. Since floor installation is subcontracted in most cases, the builders rely on the cleaners. Only the most prudent maintenance people read the warranties. I can tell you that many times warranties are negatd by the cleaning crews before the home even goes to closing!

The first time (years ago)I read the warranty for some hardwoods in a new community, I laughed and said " the homeowner will have to stand outside the home and look at his floors through the windows to maintain this warranty . . ." no moisture, no high heels, no animal's untrimmed nails, etc...wipe up any acid based spill immediately, cush as coffee as it will eat into the finish . . .

Warning: Some warranties warn that a chemical found in Swiffer cloths should not come in contact with wood floors!
There are even hardwood floor cleaners on the market that are not safe to use on some hardwood floors! Go figure. Again, I donlt personally think product manufacturers are trying to destroy our floors but that they donlt have product engineers who are researching the current and ever changing market.

Now that I have shared so much disturbing news, I will say that there are a few products on the market that are formulated specifically for this generation's hardwood floors. The Bona Khemi products are great. They are also marketed under the names "Crystal Clear" (might be Krystal Klear) and Orange Glo. Orange Glo seems to have a slightly different formulation. It leaves a film on some floors where the Bona X doesn't. I have contacted the mfg several times and cannot get a response from them about Orange Glo and warranties.

For all who have steamed, oiled, swiffered, and used good old fashioned vinegar and water --- you are in good company. Don't worry. If your floors look good and are clean and you are enjoying them, forget the warranty. The idea is to enjoy your floors. You can't go back and start over. You may even have a custom installation with a finish that allows vinegar and water or wet mopping. Remember that once you wax, you must continue waxing.

But for all who are buying a new home, read the warranty and make sure who ever cleans your home, understands how to protect your investment.

I sincerely hope I have helped and not discouraged anyone.

5 moms found this helpful

Ok Ladies...I hope you know that all these chemicals building up in your home are toxifying your environment. Your feet - which go bare in the summer in GA - absorb these toxic chemicals, we breathe them (they hover about 2-3 ft off the ground so your children get more nasty fumes) when they literally outgas through the sealed containers unless they're glass. Your crawlers and toddlers, plus pets, are all over the floors. Check out www.concernedmoms.com. The stats there will astound you. Contact me if you want to go green, make your home safer for your family and save time and money doing it. I don’t sell products, but can show you how to do it simply. The major manufacturers have certain limits of toxins they can use – cheap preservatives, impure ingredients, dangerous chemicals – but we use how many products in a week in our home? What about the buildup and combinations? Do you think of that? I only use products in my kitchen, common areas, bedroom, bath, laundry, garage, car, yard and office that are certified safe for people as well as the environment. There are companies out there advertising as “family-friendly” that are some of the worst offenders. And they grant funding for surprising research that is not scientifically sound.

2 moms found this helpful

I've never had to deal with hardwood floors but I LOVE using Murphy's Oil Soap on my wood cabinets and it is great on laminate floors as well. It cleans and conditions at the same time which might bring the shine back that you are looking foor. Can be found at Walmart, Kmart, etc.

Good luck!
S.

1 mom found this helpful

B.,
Good Morning - My name is J. and I work for a company called Doyle Chemical & Supply. The owner here had a house in Ardsley Park that had 100+ y/o heart pine floors that were in pretty bad shape. They used one of our products - Buckeye Citation - it is a floor wax/sealer on them for the 12+ years that they lived in the house to keep a shine on the floors. The first question is - are they TRUE hardwood floors - or are we talking the BRUCE hardwood? If they are the BRUCE then I do not recommend using this product, however if they are not then the Citation will give you the shine that you are looking for. It simply gets mopped on and presto - shiny floors. Now they would have to re-apply this product when the floors were worn (dog with sand in fur rolling on floor). Feel free to call me anytime - my work # is ###-###-####. Hope this helps! - have a great day!

1 mom found this helpful

Hello B.,
I actually sell hardwood floors and provide installation so I am totally aware of the problem that you are facing. You state that you spoke to your contractor and they have recommended that you re-sand, stain and finish the floors with a shiny finish? Well a satin finish is a glossy finish, so if the satin finish was actually applied then the floors should be shiny, we give our client options and I am sure you originally chose a sample with a glossy, satin finish. However, I do not see a reason why you would have to totally sand the floor, there is a process called "screening" which is less expensive and there will be less dust and this will also save the top layer of your harwood floor for future sanding when it gets worn through. Also, another way to get a glossy finish is through wax but that is a differnet process which means different maintenace. Anyway, I hope the company will stand behind their work and come make it right without an expense to you- if you would like me to futher help in consulting you on this situation I would be glad to do so just let me know.

A little about me:
30 y/o working mom with a 13 mth old baby boy, I have sold & managed the installation of floorcoverings for the last 13 years.

1 mom found this helpful

I am late in getting to this but hope it still may help you. I ran a maid service when the new wood floor were just coming out and did a lot of research on them. First of all, a satin finish is not real shiny. Secondly, wood floors today are very different from the wood floors you find in older homes. I moved into an older home 2 years ago, tore up the carpet and found old wood floors. I used Orange Glo and it did a great job in restoring them w/o sanding etc. That is what Orange Glo is for. Most of the wood floors in new homes today are made up of wood slats that were dipped in the finish at the factory, creating a light, supposedly durable coating. The wood itself may be a laminate. A "real" wood floor is laid down and then the finish is applied until there is a durable finish on top. Murphy Soap is good for older floors with little finish. Orange Glo can bring back the shine to older floors. Vinegar and water is about the only thing you can use on the dipped boards. I might add that when you was with Murphy's soap or vinegar/water, you should only use a damp mop to run over the surface. NO amount of moisture should be allowed to accumulate on the floor! Polyurethane cannot be applied to a satin factory finished floor. It will only cause disaster. With everything you've tried, you have proably destroyed the finish. I'm not sure that you could salvage it. Usually builders go cheap and put in thin slats with thin finish. I personanly have worked on a lot of these floors and once they are destroyed (many times by cleaning services that don't know what they're doing), they are done. I personally like the Murphy Oil soap but make sure you use a string top mop, thoroughly wrung out and just "dust" with it. I have seen these damaged floors and they just don't come back. Sorry.

1 mom found this helpful

Try using BONA floor products. There is one to add shine and renew your floors, then there is the floor cleaner. My floor guy said no water whatsoever on hardwoods and to only spot clean when needed. Dry swifter only, not the wet one. It may be some of the polyurethane is worn off with all the products you have used. Look up Bona floor products on the web to research. Most ACE hardwares will carry them too.
If your floors don't improve they made need new poly on them.
Hope this helps,
E.

1 mom found this helpful

I use Bona X--actually all we have ever used. We have had hardwoods for 8 years and 4 kids. They are still shiny :)

1 mom found this helpful

I have had the same issue. I guess it depends on the finish of your floor, but I like Pledge Multi-Surface floor cleaner. It's a blue bottle with a squirt top. Seems to make ours shine without streaks better thsn anything else. Of course, with a toddler, the shine doesn't last long! :) Good luck.

I recommend Murphy's Oil Soap wood floor cleaner. I have used several cleaners and find that it is the only one that seems to make them clean and less dull looking. My neighbor had the same problem as you (dull residue on her floors). She borrowed my Murphy's cleaner and said it worked great. Give it a try!

Please let me know how you solve your problem.....We are thinking of taking our carpet out and puting some floor still undecided if we want woods floor or tiles

I feel your pain! I've alway had tile and now I have hard wood. A few things I have tried is end dust and using a soft dry mop, pledge dose a hard wood cleaner. What I'm really fond of is the Shark steam mop! Good luck
S.

I am afraid I had the same film on my hard woods after using the Swifter then the Orange Glo. I actually had to use an organic solution to strip the film off. Do not use Orange Glo. After hours of scrubbing each individual piece of wood with a cloth or Magic Eraser I got the film off. Now I only use a combo of water and vinegar and dry it off immediately with a towel. It shines but I wish it would shine more. Good luck.

FYI — I don't think you need to start all over again... We had the same thing happen with us, when we picked the wrong polyurethane. Just put on another coat, and you'll be great. Easy, PERMANENT fix.

Have you tried mopping with plain old diluted white vinegar? It dissinfects and cleans really well naturally and I don't even see residue. If that doesn't work try drying them with a towel after. I do the Brazilian towel wash method which is a towel with a hole in the middle on either a broom or mop.

Try Bruce Hardwood floor cleaner. It's all I've ever used (successfully). It is a good workout -- you have a long stick with a lfat thing on the end - like a swiffer, but much larger, over which you put a terry cover, like a fitted towel. Then (after sweeping, of course), you lightly spray an area of floor and then really push the towel thing over it, to really rub it in. It's like a conditioner for your floors, and it willhelp with the shine, and without a filmy residue -- but only if you actually rub it in. We had hired someone to help clean before a big party and I watched horrified (knowing I would have to do it again, on top of LL THE COOKING, ETC) AS SHE SPRAYED AND THEN SMEARED IT AROUND WITH ONE HAND. yOU ACTUALLY HAVE TO PUT THE SPRAY BOTTLE DOWN AND USE BOTH HANDS! bUT IT'S NOT TOO BAD, AFTER IT'S A GOOD WORKOUT. aND TOTALLY WOTH IT! tHEY ARE BEAUTIFUL!. Sorry, I wasn't trying to yell at you. I just looked up and saw the caps on!

Rejuvenate worked great with my 1900's hardwood floors. It worked 10x better than I thought it would. It made it nice and shiny.

I know what you mean--my dog and child leave a constant dull "grunge" on my wood floors that no amount of mopping will get rid of. My house is only a few months old also and, like you, I just HAD to have the wood floors. Sometimes you just might get what you wish for, right?! I haven't tried it yet, but I've heard that the shark steam mop (i think it's about $100) works great on wood floors (make sure first, but I think you can only use it on sealed hardwood floors). I'm buying one this weekend. Hope this helps!

i had the same problem. I'm glad they are doing better.

Hey B., have you tried murphy's oil soap? just a thought I used to use it to clean the wood in my home but I have never had hard wood floors. I do have a good friend who has wood floors and I could ask her if you'd like and get back to you. On the other side of things I would like to suggest that you just practice each day starting with your thoughts. Is this really that important and does it really require this much energy and commitment? I can say this because I have been there and stayed there too long. I was OCD about my home and when my girls were small I missed quality time with them that I can never get back. That is my only regret but it is a big one. You may not have had that problem if not just look over my comment on that part. Hope you have great success as a mother and homemaker.Balance is the key. Sincerely,S.

I have to agree that you should never use a wet swiffer or swiffer wetjet on hardwood floors. Although they claim to be safe, they will make them dull. Definitely get the manufacturer involved and make sure you know about how or if they were sealed. My Dad has beautiful, shiny hardwoods that are 10 years old and he has never once mopped them. Only swept and vacuumed (and he has 4 cats).

You have gotten so many responses that it made me dizzy! I had this problem too. I regret putting the Orange Glow on my floors..ugh what a mess! I had to get on my hands and knees with a damp rag of hot water and a dry towel and remove all the gunk from the Orange glow. Also, you have to change your cleaning rags often (the drying one too) because the gunk ends up on the rags and you just rub it back into the floor. Thank God I only used the Orange Glow twice before I relized the mess I had created. It took me all day to remove but once it was done my floors were back to there original look. Now all I use is a broom, swiffer and a damp rag and a dry towel.

Hi B.,
Have you tried Murhys il for hardwood floors? It is what we use and the floor shines nicely.Hope this helps

Hi B.,

I have a friend with me right now who installs and re-finishes hardwood floors. He agrees that all you have to do is put a new coat of polyurethane on your floors, BUT, he said not if you've put anything on it that you left on to make it shiny because then you'll be re-coating that product rather than the original coat of polyurethane. You'd have to take that product off first, probably by sanding.

Good luck,

V. S., LICSW

I also have hardwood floors and the ONLY thing that seems to shine them well is Murphy's Oil Soap (original). I usually put about a half of a cup in a sink of warm water. The key is...to mop about 3 feet and then rinse out the mop with clean warm water. Then dip back into the solution and you shouls see a difference.

Good Luck! You can buy Murphy's Oil at Target or Walmart.

your floors need coats of polyeurythane on them- they will not "shine" without it- there are hardwood floor companies that can come and put two coats of poly on for you- but it is a VERY strong smell and it takes a good 3 to 4 days befoer you can move furniture on them and such....walking on them is fine after 2 days....we had it done and it was more of a pain- and they still dont' look like I want them to. Also if you do decide to have this done- dont use nay more product on it...ours didt work because there was so much product on it (quick shine or whatever) that the poly wont adhear and will start flaking off. unless you plan to do a full refinishing...
Good luck

Sorry honey, but you're probably gonna have to slap some polyurethane on it if you want shine. I clean for a living, so take my word for it, there's no cleaning product out there that'll do it. I use Polycare (floor cleaner for wood and laminate floors. It's good, but it ain't that good! Lotsa luck from one OCD to another.

I have hardwood floors also. I found that even though the bottle says not to use Mop-N-Glo on them it works GREAT!!!!!
It shines them up and does't hurt them at all, and actually helps protect them.
You can also try furniture polish, but be prepared to slide and fall down for a while until some of it wears off.

Do you know what type of wood they installed? All kinds are different. Sometimes the weathered look is intentional for the effect of the wood. Also, it might have that clear coat sealant during installation for the performance and preservation of the wood. If chemicals could get straight to the wood, then it could damage it. Wood is a natural product so it's not going to be perfect. The imperfections make its beauty in some cases. How did you choose the type of wood you installed? Did you do background on it? Maybe you should change the lighting on it, if you dont want to replace the wood, or cant get it clean. If it is shining directly on the wood, or at a bad angle creating a unflattering appearance, that would be a easy fix. I'm taking interior design classes now. It's hard to tell what the real problem is without seeing the space. You could also add some area rugs or try products that help the shine, in which case you might need to do several coats. Good luck!

I'm from a hardwood floor family with 3 men who have their own co. and although the Bona is very good the best solution is vinegar and water-this works great! The key is to dry them with a cotton cloth and not to let them air dry.

Hi there! I just had my hardwood floors refinished. I had a water based stain applied and my floors do not shine. They actually have a matte finish. An oil based finish would create more of a shiny appearance. Thing about water based stain is you can only use vinegar based cleaning products on it (as opposed to ammonia products) - so since the company recommended only vinegar perhaps there is a water based finish on your floors and so you maybe stuck with that matte finish. Just a thought anyway!
B.

I just read this for the 1st time, but, I wanted to let you know that a flat/dull finish is SO much better w/ little kids. Every scratch wont show. When they get older go for the high gloss. Right now they can't scuff it.

GET THE COMPANY YOU BOUGHT THEM FROM INVOLVED!! If they are pre-finished, there may be a problem with the surface. Tell them you want a company representative to come and determine if there is a defect in the surface. Don't wait long in case there is a warranty limitation.

rejuvanate floor restorer and cleaner you can buy at home depot or lowes. It works great and lasts about 1-2 months.

Hi B......Can you tell me where you get the Bona Cleaner & Refresher??? My floors stink. N. P.

B.
Whatever you do do not put pine sol or murphys oil soap on your floors. Get the rubbermaid spray cleaner for floors first. you sweep, then clean it. Then use the Holloway house quick shine with a terry cloth mop. They are self adhesive ,velcro , I think , and then your floors will shine like new money. My mom owns a cleaning company and once every two weeks she comes over and does my floors. Trust me my house is 100 years old and so are the floors.
good luck, J.

Were they shiny to begin with? If they weren't then, you probably have a matte finish on them, and they won't shine unless you apply a poly coat to the top (which I wouldn't do b/c it creates horribly toxic fumes). If it's because of the products you've been using, then I'd switch to the water/vinegar that the manufacturer suggests. I don't use any floor cleaning solutions at all: I have a Bissell Steam Mop, and it just uses water and steam. It cleans them really well, and I don't have any chemical residue for my kids to get on their skin/in their mouths,etc. I haven't tried other types of mops, but when this one dies, I'll be getting another steam mop. You just have to be careful not to leave the mop on one spot too long, or you can damage the finish...ALSO, we don't allow ANY shoes in the house. I even have a cute, little sign at the front door asking guests to leave their shoes off when they come in. No shoes probably helps keep the floors cleaner longer, and keeps them from getting scuffed.

Our hardwood floor is over 20 years old and still in nice condition. We have never used any chemicals or cleaning agents on it. I only use a "just" damp mop after sweeping and make sure to not overwet the floor. I tend to believe that the less you do, the better they maintain.

I love my hardwood floors and have had them in 3 homes -an old home, a slightly newer home and now a brand new home. Murphy's Oil Soap will make them shine! It smells fantastic too. You can get the original regular and dilute it or they make Murphy's Wood Floor cleaner you just squirt and mop.

I use the orange glo hard wood floor cleaner and refinisher. and it has always worked great for me. Maybe your floors need another coat of hi gloss polyurathane?

I love my hardwood floors! Bruce Hardwood floor cleaner is the best. You can get it at Home Depot and Lowes. Never use water or wet swiffer on hardwood. I dry swiffer then follow with the Bruce cleaner.
Good luck!
J.

If you want shiny floors you need to have them put a gym floor finish on them. Its basically 4 coats of poly. It takes 24 hrs between coats to dry so its best to do it when you are on vacation unles syou ahve a way to get in/out of the house without stepping on the h/wood. My cleaning ladies use Quick Shine floor finish with the GREEN label. In my ever so limited portuguese, I determined they want the green label NOT the blue one (grin) It looks lovely when I come home on the day they have been there.

I don't have any advice for you, I'm sorry. I DO however, have the exact same problem and want to know what other people think. My wood floors are dark and I think it shows worse than blonde wood. I'm interested in seeing what may solve this problem because I'm stumped!

I have this same problem and don't know the answer either.
At first I used Orange Glo which I believe ruined them. The floors have circles where I would squeeze the solution out of the bottle. I have been using vinegar and water because that is what everyone recommends but still don't really like the way they look. It drives me crazy as well to see the floors in the sunlight. Have you gotten any suggestions that you have tried? I would be interested in knowing some new tricks.
Thanks for sharing,
Allison

Hi B.,
I have had hard wood floors for about 3 years now. I used to buy Murphys Oil Soap but I now use Shaklee's Basic H2. It is a "Green" cleaner, and has over 1000 other uses. I use 2 TB. in 1 gallon of water and never have to rince. Even if suds are left on the floor, it will not leave a residue. You can check it out at www.shaklee.net/hendersons4health/getclean
Hope this is helpful!