Q: I have an alloc wooden floor. Ive tried cleaning with different products that say they are safe for real wood floors. (Scotts liquid gold wood wash and Scotts wood cleaner and preservative.) This last one looked like I put oil on the floor and it just stayed there. They all seem to leave a residue and you can see where we have walked. After a day or two, it looks dirty again. Then I tried vinegar/water damp mop. This made the floor look dull with streaks.
Can you please help?
Patty
A: Although advertised as safe for wood flooring, the Scott’s cleaners, which are an oil-based cleaner, can cause dull or oily residue to pre-finished wood floors. Most wood flooring these days comes with either a urethane or acrylic finish modified with aluminum oxide which typically does not mesh well with oil or wax based cleaners. These cleaners tend to leave the exact some problems you are dealing with – dull or streaky appearances, oily-residue and show traffic again rather quickly.
The biggest problem is that even when using a vinegar-water solution cleaner, which is pretty close to the preferred cleaners for pre-finished wood floors, after using an oil-based cleaner they can cause the streaking you are seeing. Your best bet here is going to be looking into a cleaner such as the ones made by BonaKemi, which are water-based cleaners designed for pre-finished wood floors. It may take several cleanings to get rid of the residue remaining on your floor, but this should do the trick. If not, you can look into using a white vinegar and water solution that is slightly more concentrated than the normal 1/2 cup of white vinegar per gallon of water ratio, but I do warn you that excessive use of this mixture or going too concentrated can permanently dull your floor’s finish.
As another suggestion, make sure you are avoiding any polishes, or cleaners which have an additive to “increase your floor’s shine” as these will leave similar residue issues that can be almost impossible to remove without screening or refinishing your floor.
