To condition and shine when done cleaning, add some vegetable or olive oil to a little undiluted white vinegar and rub into floor—kind of like adding a finishing product for shine after you shampoo!
Vegetable oil will preserve the finish of your floor and keep it looking shiny and new. If you're going to take this approach, combine two cups of vegetable oil with two cups of distilled white vinegar. Pour the solution into a spray bottle and spray it on your floor while wiping it down with a clean, microfiber cloth.
Since vinegar is an acid, it will actually break down the finish on the surface of your floor, and over time it will reduce the shine, and leave a dull appearance. Using vinegar and water to clean floors can also lead to an excessive amount of water on the floor, which can cause swelling and discoloration.
In a large bucket or sink, combine 1 gallon of water with 1 cup of distilled white vinegar or 1/2 cup of cleaning vinegar. If you decide to use a commercial hardwood floor cleaner, follow the product instructions carefully. Only use the amount as directed to avoid waxy buildup, which can make wood floors look dull.
Mix a one-to-one ratio of water and vinegar, dampen a cloth, and rub off the hazy buildups. Rinse with another cloth dampened with clear water and dry the floor immediately with a third rag. Washing coupled with wear and tear can eventually make the hardwood floor look old and cloudy.
Olive oil naturally hydrates and polishes wood floors without leaving behind the dirt-attracting film common with store-bought products. It can clean and polish your floor at the same time or allow you to quickly buff dull areas back to a stunning sheen.
Begin by dusting or sweeping your floors well. Then make a cleaning mixture using 4 cups warm water and a few drops of castile soap or dish soap. Do not shake, but gently mix this, then mop or scrub small sections at a time, drying them with a clean cloth or dry mop after."
A mixture of warm, soapy water is one way to do so, using a mop and mop bucket for spectacular results. You can also use a combination of baking soda, dish liquid, and white vinegar to achieve excellent results. It helps wash away dirt and grime and leaves you with a shiny, beautiful floor that looks great.
Waxy buildup: If the floors were not sealed with a polyurethane finish and rely on a carnauba paste wax to create the shine, the wax can build up and look dull. Even if you use wax appropriately only once or twice a year, eventually, it will build up and turn dull in low-traffic areas.
All hardwood floors, whether made from new or recycled wood, or even vintage floors that have been in place a century or more, need periodic waxing. Floor wax helps seal the porous wood surface, protects it from stains, hides scratches and dents and increases shine.
WOCA Hardwax Oil – Often used by professionals, this high-quality hardwearing oil is more expensive, but it provides a more effective result. Bona Hardwax oil – One of the most popular waxes available. Bona dries quickly, is easy to apply, and provides excellent coverage.
A dry Pure Tung oil finish will provide a deep rich color to wood floors. It does not, however, provide a gloss or even semi-gloss finish. To make a semi gloss surface you would need to wax the surface or buff when the floor is dry. Any type of finishing oil can go over Pure Tung Oil at a later date.
Tung and Linseed Oil
Tung and Linseed oil are the best natural penetrating oils for hardwood floors. The technical term for these oils is drying oils because they polymerize, forming a long-lasting protective layer on wood and stone. Tung provides the most durable finish of the oils and linseed is not far behind.
Polishing helps to extend the life of your hardwood floors and adds shine. Before polishing, dust or sweep the floor to remove loose debris. You may also want to follow up with vacuuming to make sure you pick up all the dirt and dust. Use water-based polishes to restore luster and shine every two to three months.
The best option is to use a varnish or lacquer to give the wood a high gloss finish. While varnish can be sprayed or brushed on, lacquer is best applied by simple spraying. Spraying makes the surface seem finer than painting as it doesn't leave any strokes behind.
Vinegar and Ammonia: Cleaning products that have a base of vinegar or ammonia eat away at the dirt on your floor - and also the floor's finish itself. Overtime, the acid will wear down your hardwood, leaving you with splotchy patches that are difficult to revive.
Don't use vinegar or baking soda.
Many DIY home cleaning solutions involve the use of vinegar or baking soda, but these are, in fact, the worst things you can apply to your wood floors. They actually damage and dull the polyurethane, which can irreparably ruin them.
The Winner
The hero and 100% natural cleaning active is – vinegar. Distilled (aka purified) white vinegar. Yes, you can smell vinegar when using but let an hour pass and any scent is a thing of the past. Our reliable Aunt Fannies describe this as your floors smelling of clean, not of chemicals.
Diluted vinegar can dissolve the finish that protects the wood and leave it looking cloudy, dull, or scratched. (The same goes for wood furniture.) Follow the manufacturer's cleaning recommendations or pick a cleaner that's made specifically for hardwood flooring.
Mix half as much mineral spirits as gloss in a painter's tray. Apply it to the sanded, clean surface of the wood in an even coat with a paintbrush. Apply two coats of polyurethane with a brush. After the seal coat is dry, use a clean brush to evenly apply a coat of undiluted gloss to the surface of the wood.
Since high gloss is not the best option for high traffic areas in your home, a low gloss finish might be a better choice for those areas. If you want a slighter appearance of high gloss though, and still want a hardwood finish that will last a long time, semi-gloss is your best option.