Cleaning a polyurethane floor that’s been coated with wax

Q: I moved into a house that has real hardwood floors. I do not know for certain what finish is on it but after testing, it seems to be polyurethane. However, it must have been waxed over at some point because it gets clear streaks/marks when things get dragged across it. I’ve tried a few techniques, but nothing has worked to remove the marks.

Also, should I use a cleaner for waxed floors? Thank you!

A: I would try to remove the wax. A product that can help accomplish this is Tie Tac from Poloplaz. You would need a floor polisher with a mildly abrasive pad. Put the cleaner in a spray bottle and mist a section at a time. Buff over the wet spray thoroughly and do this to the entire floor. Then have a towel well dampened in the solution and wrap around a push broom. Go up and down the floor. Let this dry and then with a clean towel wipe it down again.

Similar Q: I recently bought a house with wall to wall hardwood flooring. The floor could use another protective coat to spice it up; however, I believe it has been waxed in the past. My question is, how do I remove the wax and put another coat of urethane on the floor?

A: Are you saying wax has been applied to a polyurethane finish? If so, here are a couple of possibilities. You could clean the floors with any number of polyurethane cleaners on the market. Here is one of them: www.hardwoodcleaner.com.

You might also use a TSP solution. I think I would go over it a couple of times and then buff or abrade the existing finish, clean up well and re-coat.

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