Would anybody recommend a great almost 'miracle' like cleaner for our hardwood floors? We need all the help we can get!!!!!! We rent in a very old brownstone so spending our own money to have them redone is NOT an option. Our floors are very grungy and old so I am not expecting a miracle, but would love them to look somewhat nicer. Any good tips? TIA!!
sophie78
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
I heard vinegar and warm water
LMFitz
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
Do you need to clean them - or are you just looking for shine? For a cleaner, Home Depot has (or used to have) a commercial wood floor cleaner. Only trick is that it works best if you scrub with your hands (on hands and knees - horrible task). I used it before I had my floors re-done - and it really helped to get them bearable until I could afford to fix them the right way. For a shine, I've been using an Orange Glow product, which is giving my floors a great shine (which always makes them appear cleaner).
KathleenG
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
Posted by LMFitz
Do you need to clean them - or are you just looking for shine? For a cleaner, Home Depot has (or used to have) a commercial wood floor cleaner. Only trick is that it works best if you scrub with your hands (on hands and knees - horrible task). I used it before I had my floors re-done - and it really helped to get them bearable until I could afford to fix them the right way. For a shine, I've been using an Orange Glow product, which is giving my floors a great shine (which always makes them appear cleaner).
Thanks, I want to clean and shine!! I am going to try both products.
Kel
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
I've used Orange Glow products on wood .. but NOT on hardwood floors .. I think they specifically say on the label not to use it on floors .. it makes things very slippery.
Also .. the company who refinished our hardwood floors instructed us not to use Murphy's Oil Soap. In prior discussions on this site about cleaning hardwood floors, Murphy's is sometimes given out as a recommendation.
What you use to clean your floors may depend on if they were done oil-based or water-based.
I understand you don't want to have someone do your floors .. but maybe call a company or two and ask what they recommend .. you might get lucky and find a company nice enough to point you in the right direction for the type of floors you have.
August2004
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
I use Murphy's Oil on our hardwood floors. We had them redone before we moved in and that's what they told us to use. It makes the floors look very nice !!
Kel
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As I sort of said before .. it's very important to know the floor .. in order to properly determine what exactly is okay and what is not okay. Not all hardwood is the same.
Diane
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I use vinegar
july0105
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
I think the potential danger with Murphy's and Orange Glow is slippery-ness. I use vinegar and water. My aunt uses a wood floor cleaner made by old english.
LisaT
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
I refinished our hardwood floors myself, and it was inexpensive. You can rent a sander at Home Depot ($35/day) and then coat with polyurethane.
Its manual labor, but the results are worth it.
KathleenG
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
Posted by LisaT
I refinished our hardwood floors myself, and it was inexpensive. You can rent a sander at Home Depot ($35/day) and then coat with polyurethane.
Its manual labor, but the results are worth it.
Thats something that I want to do, but I know it is so much work. Thanks ladies for all the suggestions. It is hard to be motivated to do something with our apt now, our landlord just passed away and her relatives are in charge now. They are out of state so it is hard to say whether they will let us stay 2 more years or turn around and sell tomorrow.
Kel
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
So sorry to hear about the turmoil over your apartment.
But hang in there. When we had our apartment .. 1 month after moving in, the landlord was kicking us out (for making 'too much noise' - and we're about the quietest people around) .. she changed her mind .. 1 month later .. she decided the house was going on the market.
The house was sold (made official about 4 months later) .. but us being there was apparently a 'selling point' .. and the new owners were happy to have us. They turned out to be jerks (so was the original landlord) .. but it gave us the time to get prepared to buy our house.
Hang in there .. and Good Luck!
LisaT
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
Posted by KathleenG
Posted by LisaT
I refinished our hardwood floors myself, and it was inexpensive. You can rent a sander at Home Depot ($35/day) and then coat with polyurethane.
Its manual labor, but the results are worth it.
Thats something that I want to do, but I know it is so much work. Thanks ladies for all the suggestions. It is hard to be motivated to do something with our apt now, our landlord just passed away and her relatives are in charge now. They are out of state so it is hard to say whether they will let us stay 2 more years or turn around and sell tomorrow.
some inspiration for you...
BEFORE (they were covered with carpet and apparently the builders were VERY messy w/paint )
in progress...
AFTER:
KathleenG
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
Lisa, what a great job you did, thanks for posting the pics!!! Unfortunately, our before pics are about ten times worse than yours!!! They are not messy in spots from anything specific, just downright old, worn and dirty. I really need to get to work. How was the cleanup? Was it a big nuissance?
LisaT
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Re: Help for hardwood floors
sorry, just saw this...
the cleanup was a bit of a pain - the dust gets everywhere. You have to wipe down the walls and make sure no dust remains on the floor before polyurethaning.
The condition of your floors shouldn't change the work load much. You just need to sand down to fresh clean wood.
