Advice on Cleaning a Waxed Hardwood Floor

[drewllly]

Hi all, hopefully someone can set me straight!

I've got a load of solid oak parquet flooring, that had wax applied about eight years when it was put down. Although I stay on top of sweeping, and occasionally vacuuming, it's time to give it a proper clean as it's looking a bit grubby. It probably could do with a fresh waxing, but I guess it makes sense to clean it first.

The thing is that quite a few of the things I found suggest using a 4:1 mix of warm water and white vinegar, but won't vinegar strip off what wax is left on there? Although at that ratio, and used sparingly, maybe the wax will be ok?

Some other pages I found suggest avoiding water entirely and just using odourless mineral spirits. But I've never used mineral spirits before and I'm concerned that this isn't a good idea since I've got pets, and mineral spirits are toxic.

And once I've cleaned the floor, do I need to remove the old wax before applying new stuff? I've no idea what brand of wax was originally applied, so is that a concern? Or are all waxes pretty much the same anyway?

So, anyway, any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[vinn]

First, are you absolutely certain that it was waxed?
Second, so much depends on the condition of the floor eg. traffic wear patterns, sunlight deterioration etc.

Be cautious with the spirits/solvents idea. Pets loathe them & there's a hefty fire risk.

Others on here have far more experience than me in floor finishes - I've stayed away from them because one wrong move, and the whole floor can need re-sanding.

 

[drewllly]

Hi Vinn, I'm 99% sure it's waxed. It's not a polyurethane finish, and it's worn off in a few places leaving bare wood, so I know it had some treatment. That said, I might just do a super-dry very, very weak vinegar solution on a patch to test it out. Provided it's not too acidic, it shouldn't hurt the remaining wax too much, and so long as I keep it as dry as possible, it shouldn't harm the wood. Fingers crossed anyway!

 

[foxhole]

Plenty of online guides.
http://www.peakoak.co.uk/guides/how-to-restore-your-oak-floor-finish/