Q: We had *****wood floors installed about 9-10 months ago, and have had lots of trouble with the finish: very dull, hazy finish that shows every foot print! I bought a floor kit and only used their cleaner as directed, when I called them for help they said I probably had a build-up and told me to use vinegar and water, which made them more hazy.
So I called back and they actually told me to try a competitors product, so I bought ***** and used it, still no change in the hazy finish. We are now thinking of paying a lot of money to an independent floor consultant, provided by *****woods to come look at our floor. Is there a easier solutions to this?
A: This certainly sounds like a build up of an un approved cleaner which is leaving an oily residue. I am a bit surprised they don’t send someone to inspect their product. Maybe you should call Bob Villa? (Just joking)
I would try a different cleaner and I will recommend some. You should be able to get one of these locally. If not, contact the respective companies.
Bona Kemi Pacific Floor cleaner is really exceptional. You can mix it either 9-1 or 5-1 in a spray bottle with water, depending on the strength of the mix you need. I had a customer who used a swiffer on her freshly finished floors. When I went back for more work, I saw that the finish was all dull, hazy and streaked. What on earth is this mess? I got her a jug of Bona Pacific cleaner and it removed the residue left by the swiffer. She commented that this was excellent stuff.
Another good one is Squeaky Cleaner from Basic Coatings. www.basiccoatings.com. Even Min Wax has a cleaner in a yellow bottle that you can buy from Home Depot. It is used straight out of the bottle and is inexpensive. www.minwax.com.
Water and vinegar is ok as a temporary stand, but I don’t think it has the same “punch” to remove whatever is on your floor. Also, if used over long term, it could eventually etch into the finish and leave it dull.
Similar Q: I had my real wood floors refinished, sanded, and stained a satin clear on it about a year ago. Now the floors look hazy, dull and you see every foot print or dog paw mark. What can I do to get the haze off and not have every mark show up?
A: I have little doubt this haze is from some sort of ‘contaminant’ on the surface of the floor finish. What have you been using to clean the floors? There are plenty of products which say they can be used for hardwood floors and don’t leave a residue, but they do. What you need to do is purchase a floor cleaner manufactured by either a hardwood manufacturer or a floor finish manufacturer. I will give you a link to one good product, Poloplaz Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Follow their directions. This should remove the contamination/haze and help restore the original look: http://www.poloplaz.com
Related Q: I have had the same problem with hazy floors. Would the Koblenz P-620A Upright Floor Machine Polisher be a better solution for me than using the Bona I have tried. Floor has Poly coating.
A: I’m sorry but I need a bit more information. I’m not sure what you are doing here.
Follow-up Q: I just want the lustre and shine back if I use the lambs wool pads every week will that keep the shine? Do I have to apply wax or will the polishing work?
A: If these floors are coated with a polyurethane product and the finish appears hazy, it is very likely residue from some oily product has gotten on the surface. This could be anything from over spray using furniture polish, to using to using oil soaps or duster products. The MSDS product sheet at their web site indicates it contains wax. Wax should not be used on a polyurethane finished floor. I would suggest using a product such as Poloplaz Floor cleaner to help remove such contaminants. If the condition is more severe then their other cleaner may need to be used first. Poloplaz Tie Tac.