New house. Wood floor help.

[Mickey Fliers]

We just moved into our new house and I am having the darndest time with one of our hardwood floors. This floor is a dark hardwood. I tried cleaning it like I cleaned my old floors....with my steam mop. This left a white dusty residue. Ugh. I looked in the cabinet with the cleaners that the previous owner left behind and I see Minwax and Murphy's oil soap. I tried a couple of more times to clean it my way, to no avail. So I broke down and used the Minwax. It still looks terrible. Steaky and dull.

What do I do?

 

[NYPDwife]

I'd use the Murphy's. I had an antique bed set that was a dark hardwood and when I got it, I cleaned it with Murphy's and it looked great! The years of wax build-up will make the wood look dull. After cleaning it with Murphy's (use a dry cloth and clean in circles), then use Pledge for hardwood floors. My friend uses that and she loves it. It's enough to make the floors shine, but not build-up the wax.

 

[Christine]

Warm water mixed with white distilled vinegar. 1 part vinegar, 10 parts water unless the floor is REALLY dirty then you can add a bit more vinegar.

Get a rag/towel and get it wet and then squeeze it out as much as possible. Wash the floor and follow up each wet section that you washed using a dry towel to remove the moisture right away. This should get up the residue.

I got to the point that I was able to do all this with my feet! Wet rag under one foot, dry rag under the other and I kind of went from area to area.

Dark floors are beautiful but they show everything.

 

[happygirl]

I have wood floors. They are a PIA to keep clean. I use Murphy Oil soao, It works the best.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I use the vinegar/water mix.

 

[Mickey Fliers]

Yeah, vinegar and the steam mop is what I usually use. I just think she used the Miniwax for so long and now I can't get the residue up.

 

[NYPDwife]

That's why you need the Murphy's, to clean up all the years of the Minwax buildup.

 

[eeyore65]

DO NOT USE ORANGE GLO! They almost runied my hardwood floors. You really need to find out what kind of finish they have. If they have a polyurethaine finish there is a spray product we use from home depot that works good. I mostly vacuum and then spray and dry mop once a month in higher traffic areas.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Yeah, vinegar and the steam mop is what I usually use. I just think she used the Miniwax for so long and now I can't get the residue up.

You are probably right. It may take you awhile to get rid of the residue.

 

[puffkin]

My mom has a darker hardwood in her house and she only uses a brand of hardwood cleaner called Bona (she buys the big containers at Bed Bath & Beyond with a coupon) but I have seen smaller containers at other stores. I must say that her floors always look fantastic and she says it isn't hard at all to keep them looking nice.

 

[budmonster]

I recently put in hard wood floors and have used Pledge Wood Floor Cleaner since the beginning and just love it. It cleans and shines with out leaving any streaks or dullness. Trust I have 3 kids 2 dogs 2 cats and a husband so my floors get dirty I can use the pledge 2 to 3 times a weeks and the floors still look great.

 

[lovebuzz]

Believe it or not, black tea will do the job. Just steep some black tea bags in hot water and then add some warm water and then put it in a spray bottle and use a dry cloth. It works like majic and will not leave streaks.

 

[720L]

I have dark hardwood floors and I use Bona. I never have had streaking.