How To Make Hardwood Floors Shine Without Refinishing?
Wood floors may look dull due to day to day usage. It is necessary to maintain the finish of the wood in order to give it an attractive appearance. Refinishing is the process by which a new surface finish can be applied on to the wooden floors by sanding the old finish off it but the process is very much expensive. The other way to shine wood floors is to polish it after regular intervals for which the steps to follow are given below:
- Test The Finish:
If the user is unaware about the finish used on to the wooden floors, he needs to scrape off a tiny bit of finish from a hidden or inconspicuous area using a sharp knife. In case, no clear material is scraped off but the finish is smudged, the finish on to the floor is probably a penetrating finish that cannot be polished rather it can only be waxed. In case a clear material is scraped off with a finish, then the wooden floor likely has a surface finish that can be polished. In order to be completely sure about the finish, it has been recommended to test the polish on a small inconspicuous or hidden area on the wooden floor before proceeding to the entire floor. - Clear & Clean The Wood Floor:
The next step in the process will be to clear the possible furniture out of the room off the wooden floor and then clean the floor thoroughly in order to dirt & dust off it. For cleaning, it has been recommended to vacuum or sweep the mop on to the wooden floor using commercial wood floor cleaner or a homemade solution containing one gallon of warm water and a quarter-cup of dish soap. The solution helps in removing the lingering grime from the wooden floor. In order to remove the cleaning residue from the floor, the user needs to give a final pass to the wooden floor with a mop dampened in clean water. After that, the user needs to dry the whole wooden floor using a soft clean towel. - Apply Polish:
Once the floor is dry, the user needs to polish it starting from the corner that will allow the user to end up polishing near the exit. First, the user has to pour S-shaped polish on to the floor at the corner in a small amount and then by using a flat mop, he needs to work the polish back and forth on to the direction of the wood grain. It is necessary to smoothen out the air bubbles during the process. It has been recommended to work on to the small areas and the coating should be very thin so that it dries off quickly. If required, the user can apply another coat of polish on to the wooden flooring once the first coat will be dry. - Let The Wooden Flooring To Dry:
Experts recommend not using the flooring for at least 24 hours for better results. The user can have light traffic through the floor after one hour but before moving the belongings back on to the floor, wait for at least one day. For precaution, it has been recommended not to slide or drag furniture on to the floor and the user needs to attach felt pads on to the heavy furniture pieces in order to give the flooring extra protection.