How to Clean and Wax a Floor
If you want to keep the floors in your home looking their best, one simple way to do so is through regular cleanings. Hard floor surfaces, such as tiles and finished wood, can also be waxed. Waxing gives floors a shiny appearance and also creates a temporary seal that protects the floor from spills and other types of damage. If you have floor surfaces that you want to wax, you can clean and wax a floor in one session. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
-
-
1
Sweep the floor to remove dust and loose debris. Use a dust pan to collect the dust and debris, and dispose of it in a trash can.
-
2
Mix wax stripper with water according to the directions on the packaging. Spread the wax stripper solution over the floor with a clean mop head, and allow it to sit for the amount of time recommended on the packaging. Then, use a rag to scrub the wax stripper solution off the floor and remove any built-up wax.
-
-
3
Mix up a batch of soapy water. Wet a clean mop in the soapy water, and ring the mop head out. Mop the floor by moving the mop along the surface. Apply pressure in areas that are sticky or greasy.
-
4
Rinse the mop thoroughly when you have mopped the entire floor. Fill a bucket with just hot water, and mop again with the clean mop to remove any soap from the surface. Let the floor dry for at least two hours to ensure that it is completely dry.
-
5
Put a new mop head on the mop handle. Apply wax to the floor by pouring it into a corner of the room and spreading it outward with the mop. Try to maintain a thin, even layer all the way across the surface of the floor. If the wax you are using recommends more than one coat, wait 45 minutes to one hour between each to allow the previous coat of wax to dry before walking on it.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Some waxes recommended buffing. To buff a waxed floor, rent a buffing machine from a home improvement store, and go back and forth slowly over the surface of the floor. Don't stop moving the buffing machine, and don't apply pressure. The machine does all the work.
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Creatas/Getty Images
