How to polish or wax wooden floors: Tips
Do you want to restore the shine to your wooden floor? Today in SCS Group Cleaning Solution we will describe the steps to follow to polish or wax with your own hands. Follow these tips and you will have a healthy and happy hardwood floor again.
Post in trend: Types of wood floor finishes
The floors of your house, whatever the material of its composition, needs specific care to keep it looking new over the years; Wood floors, for example, need to be polished or waxed at least once every 4 months to remove scratches, stains, and restore shine from daily wear.
Polishing or waxing the wooden floor will guarantee the elimination of scratches and protect its finishes. Wood floors are popular in Melbourne for their qualities that include easy cleaning, beautiful aesthetic design, and the contribution to your home of warmth and elegance.
Follow these simple steps and recover the vitality of your wooden floors.
Content of the page
- Remove the furniture
- Clean the floor
- Evaluate the current state
- rinse the floor
- Choose a wax or finish
- Application and Drying
- SCS Group Cleaning Solution: Specialists in the Cleaning area
Remove the furniture
To deep clean your hardwood floors, you have to vacate the room. Be careful when moving furniture! Ideally, you should have someone else help you so you don’t have to drag them, as this would cause unnecessary scratches on your floor. It is important to pick up rugs and carpets as well.
Clean the floor
It is important that you remove the dust from the surface very well, so as not to have problems later when you are polishing or waxing your wooden floor. It is very helpful to do it with the help of a vacuum cleaner because what we want is to collect dust and dirt; not pick it up and stir it as we would naturally with a brush.
Evaluate the current state
First, you need to find out if the floor has been treated before in order to identify we carried what type of product they work out with and go along with it. Natural products are called wax, while synthetic products are called finishes.
If the floor is not shiny and you can feel the original material with your touch, then it has not been treated.
Then clean a small section of the floor with a rag dipped in mineral spirits or paint thinner, if the rag is brown or yellow, the floor has been waxed. Otherwise, if the rag does not catch any residue, the floor has been treated with a finish.
Rinse the floor
We recommend adding a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent to a bucket of water. Properly wring out the mop until it’s just damp. Mop the floor in the same direction as the wood grain in smooth motions. Do the mopping process from the inside out so that you avoid stepping on top of the wet floor.
Remember that wooden floors reject excess liquids, so be careful not to leave stagnant water, as this can cause damage and deformation to the floor. Then use a clean rag or towel and dry properly.
Choose a wax or finish
According to the study carried out in the previous stage, if your wooden floor has never been treated, you can choose a wax or a finish made specifically for the material of your floor. Polyurethane is a popular choice, but you should inspect it properly to choose the most suitable option for polishing or waxing your floor.
For example, wax is difficult to remove completely, as it soaks into the wood. This makes the floor unsuitable for applying a synthetic finish; unless you hire a professional team to remove the wax completely, but you can apply a new wax without difficulty. After removing a said layer of wax or you can even apply it on the old layer if it is torn, not dirty.
If the floor has been treated with a finish, you can go over it with a floor machine with a scrubbing tool that removes some of the finish, then apply that same type of finish to improve the look of the floor.
If you don’t know what type of finish was used or if you want to use a different type, it’s important to note that you must first remove the old finish completely.
As long as you don’t want to remove the old finish, you can use a water-based silicone polish instead of wax. Sweep the floor first, then apply several even coats of wax with the mop. And ready!
Application and Drying
Depending on your choice, you will apply evenly and follow the instructions on the label of each product. Just like mopping the floor, it needs to be done from the inside out so you don’t step on it before it’s dry.
The floor will feel cakey or sticky until it has completely dried. To be safe, wait 6-24 hours before walking on the floor in socks.
SCS Group Cleaning Solution: Specialists in the Cleaning area
At SCS Group Cleaning Solution we have the best quality equipment, tools, and products to meet your needs. If you need help with the maintenance of your offices, home, building, windows or floors, contact us!