I have had wood floors for over a year now and i am so sick of my hands and knees washing and drying it. I see cleaning people using a rag on some kind of mop. Do i have to dry the wood right away? I am just so scared to ruin the floors. I have the murphy oil stuff and it works great just dont know how to use it without hurting the floors if i dont dry it right after putting it on!
** We didnt seal it…is that bad?
DEON
Comments
I have wood floors.
For real wood floors - first make sure your floors are sealed really good. Then, use a regular mop and vinegar in the water. You may have to reseal the floors maybe 10-15 years down the road.
If you have lamenant wood floors - mop and vinegar. Just make sure you don’t put a lot of water on the floors.
Get a cloth or mop an put hot soapy water in a bucket you can get some special stuff to make it look shiny normally hardware stores have those kind of things 
or your local supermarket..
If your floor isn’t sealed, then don’t use water of any kind, it will warp the floor.
You now must dry-mop it (check out the cleaning supplies at Walmart or Target). If your floors need a polishing, you can buy a mop to polish with floor polish. Just be careful that they don’t end up too slippery!
Natural floors without sealant are only “bad” if you have small kids or entertain a lot and worry about food or liquids spilling on them. You have to make sure that any spills are cleaned up so that the floors don’t become stained or warped.
Not sure why you didn’t seal the floor. Since you are so concerned about its appearance and condition, I would suffest that you seal it NOW. Check for any discolorations etc. sand them out. Do a thorough job of cleaning/drying the floor. Then you yourself can apply 2-3 coats of Minwax water based polyurethane. Follow the can directions and for heaven’s sake, DO NOT shake the can before use. It will be full of air bubbles if you do. Stir well before use. This application can be done with a good quality floor applicator which can be found at any home builder/supply store usually in the paint supplies section. This is not a big deal project if you follow directions.
you shoudn’t have to dry it- are you wringing out your mop really good? Alittle bit of water will not hurt but the mop should be just damp. As far as sealing the floors- you definetly have to do that- in a short period of time they will start to buckel and warp- then you’ll have a real mess. It’s not that hard to put a clear poly seal on it. It would be basically like “painting” If they are in really good shape-(sounds like they are0- PLEASE seal them.
Also Murphys oil soap is really good- however once you seal them- just use a damp mop with nothing on it.
Hope this helps you
Mar
For our wood floor, I only use this kind of mops:
There are other brands, but, for me, this is the best. When new, make sure to soak it in water overnight so it softens (just one time).
Mop the floor with warm water and vinegar, I use one “Ny Quil” cup per pail of water. Change the water frequently, and make sure to squeeze the mop well.
Buy a product called “Rejuvenate” (Home Depot has it) and spread it on your floors using a “soft” sponge mop like this one:
Doesn’t have to the same brand, just make sure the sponge is soft so it wont scratch the surface of the floor.
After applying the “Rejuvenate”, keep mopping your floors with warm water and vinegar as usual, and reapply the “Rejuvenate” only when your floors are turning dull again, the time between applications will depend on the use and care of the floors.
Good luck!!!
