Q: We just bought an old home and the hard wood floors have lost their shine. Is their an inexpensive method we can do to bring the shine back? Like a store bought wax or something?
A: It really depends what they are finished with? Are they oiled and waxed? Or is it a polyurethane coating? If you put a few drops of water on a board for several minutes, it will leave a spot if it is wax. In that case, you could use a product made by Dura Seal called “Renovator” which will both clean and coat the floors. www.duraseal.com. If it is Polyurethane, it may be that someone has used a product on them to “clean” the surface, and it has actually left a dulling residue. One of the best cleaners for this sort of finish is Bona Pacific floor cleaner. www.bonakemi.com. Both of these products could likely be purchased through your nearest hardwood retail outlet.
Bring back the floor shine
Similar Q: How do I bring back the natural wood floor shine, after rolling up long term carpets, removing what appears to be a dull tacky film?
A: That partly depends what type of finish is on the floor. If a wax finish you might use a Dura Seal product called Renovator. If a varnish or polyurethane, a buff and re-coat could help but you would have to be sure there are no contaminants on the existing coating that might interact with the fresh application and cause adhesion failure.
Put the shine back
Similar Q: How can I put the shine back on a polyurethane floor?
A: If the finish appears dull because of a buildup of grime and possible residue from various cleaners, soaps etc. you may be able to refresh the look simply by removing all that with a proper cleaner. This would be a cleaner which does not leave any residue and does a good job of removing contaminants. Wood floor finish manufacturers and some floor manufacturers manufacture such cleaners. If the dullness is caused by the surface of the finish itself being worn with use then it needs to be properly prepared and cleaned to accept another application of the finish.