How to Shine a Hardwood Floor

Restoring the shine to your hardwood floor is easy.

The finish on hardwood floors can get dull over time, sending you in search of a product that will clean and polish your floor. The large number of cleaning products available can be confusing. However, if your hardwood floor has a nonwaxed finish, such as polyurethane, you can simplify things by cleaning the floor with a basic item from your pantry.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bucket
• White vinegar
• Sponge mop or clean cloth
• Dry cloth

1. Fill a bucket with 4 cups of warm water. Mix in 1/2 cup of white vinegar.

2. Dip your sponge mop or clean cloth into the solution. Wring out nearly all of the water, leaving the mop or cloth slightly damp.

3. Work in a small section at a time so the wood floor doesn't get too wet. Mop or wipe the cleaning solution on the hardwood, then wipe immediately with a dry cloth.

4. Move on to the next small section and repeat the process of mopping and wiping. Continue until the whole floor is cleaned.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't saturate your hardwood floor with water, or let the water sit on it for too long.

• Before beginning, test your floor to make sure it doesn't have wax finish. Rub your thumb across a board; if it leaves a smudge, the finish is most likely wax and should not be cleaned with water. Use a solvent-based cleaner/wax product instead.

References

• Mrs. Clean: How to Clean Wood Floors
• Illinois Times: Cleaning Hardwood Floors