Vinegar and water or oil soap?
Q: Our home was built in 1991 and has hardwood floors. I don’t know for sure, but it looks like oak. How do I know for certain if the floor has a polyurethane finish? For now I have used vinegar and water, or oil soap to clean the floors. Are these OK to use?
A: If these floors are bevelled edge and factory finished, they are not likely waxed. Given what you have been using to “clean” them, you would know by now if it was waxed. Neither product you currently use is recommended for cleaning polyurethane finishes. Water/vinegar in a mild solution mix of about a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water used as a stop gap measure is OK, but over time can attack and dull the finish. Oil soaps can leave a residue that not only makes the finish look dull over time, but can create adhesion issues if you ever wanted to have the floors buffed and coated. There are recommended polyurethane cleaners created by floor and floor finish manufacturers that work well. You can buy one from Home Depot made by Min Wax. Others can be purchased from you local hardwood flooring retailer.
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