How to Polish Hardwood Floors

Pets can quickly wear floor polish down.

Hardwood floors give rooms a natural, stately appearance but their look can deteriorate with time. Moving furniture, spilled liquids and the weight of a thousand steps not only leave scratches and scuffs in their wake but also wear away at the shine and gloss of a floor. Fortunately, hardwood floors can be returned to their original vigor with a healthy, yearly dose of floor polish. Floor polish comes in both self-polishing and buffable versions and either will make floors look like new.

Things You'll Need

• Broom
• Vacuum
• Floor polish designed for hardwood flooring
• Clean rags
• Soft cloth or chamois

Instructions

1. Remove any furniture and sweep the floor prior to polishing. Vacuum afterward to pick up any dirt that sweeping might have missed.

2. Apply a thin layer of furniture polish to a small section of the floor in the far corner of the room, no larger than a two foot square. Wipe the polish onto the floor with a rag, using smooth motions and moving with the grain of the wood.

3. Repeat until the entire floor is covered in polish. Keep the layer of polish even throughout the room.

4. Buff the coating with a second soft cloth or chamois if you're using a wax-based polish. Avoid buffing the floor unless the product label specifically says to.

5. Allow the polish to dry completely. Add a second coat using the same procedure if desired or if the wood absorbed the first coating of oil-based polish.

Tips & Warnings

• Always follow the instructions on the product labeling when polishing a floor.

• Use a floor buffer to make buffing the polish less strenuous on your back.

References

• World Floor Covering Association: How to Clean Hardwood Floors
• LifeScript: How to Use Wood-Floor Polish; E. E. Kane; 2008
• My Flooring Helper: Polishing Hardwood Floors