If you’ve recently moved to a home or apartment with wood flooring, how do you protect its beauty? First, you need to determine what type of finish has been applied to the wood. There are many different kinds of finishes, and you need to know which one you’re dealing with, in order to preserve the beauty of the floor. How do you keep it looking marvelous? Perhaps more importantly, how do you avoid damaging wood flooring, by using the wrong cleaning technique?
Here are some very simple tricks that will answer those questions. First, choose a small area of the floor that’s out of sight, such as a closet. Then, dip a soft cloth in paint thinner and wipe it on the area. If a yellow or brown residue appears on your rag, your floor has a paste-wax finish. If the idea of applying a bit of paint thinner scares you, try dropping a spoonful of water onto the floor, and wipe that area with very fine steel wool. If a gummy, gray residue appears, that means your floor has a wax finish. Wax floors should be cleaned with a vinegar and water solution, and then wiped down with wax paper.
If those tests revealed no residue, mix together a very small amount of ammonia, water and dish soap. Then, drop a spoonful onto the wood, and wait a few minutes. If a filmy white discoloration appears, the floor has an acrylic-wax finish. This is the most problematic wood-floor finish, as it tends to become dull, patchy and dirty over time. Professional floor cleaners generally recommend that these finishes be stripped, and a fresh finish applied.
What if there’s no discoloration? Apply a small amount of rubbing alcohol to the floor. If it then becomes sticky to the touch, the finish is shellac.
Are you still unsure? Then, apply a drop of toluene or xylene, which you will find in the paint aisle of the hardware floor. If the finish softens, it’s water-based. If not, it’s a lacquer finish.
If you still haven’t determined the finish, then you’ve probably got a reactive finish, like polyurethane or varnish.
Always keep in mind that water-based products will damage any of these finishes. A special solvent-based cleaner must be used, and applied with a sponge. In the case of extremely dirty floors, mineral oils may be used, but be aware this will remove some of the finish along with the dirt, so only do this when it’s absolutely necessary.
For more advice on the subject, visit the American Hardwood Information Center’s website.