How To Get Waxy Film Off Hardwood Floors

When cleaning hardwood floors less is more.

How to get waxy film off hardwood floors.

Leaving hot water on your flooring long enough to dissolve wax is just asking for the water to seep through the cracks swell the wood and ruin your floor. Try misting the floor with a light spray of water and mopping it with a microfiber cleaning pad. Hot water can dissolve wax especially if it contains vinegar ammonia washing powder or a similar cleaning agent but no flooring manufacturer would recommend using it. When the film is gone mop over the area with the vinegar solution to remove the soap then dry the area with a soft cloth.

Stronger solvents such as acetone and lacquer thinner will also remove wax but they ll also remove the finish so they re out. After getting them down to the real wood i would wax and start small amounts of ammonia mop water again to slowly strip off. They always shined great and never built up again. Hazy or cloudy hardwood floors can occur from a couple of things one of them being from products you use on your floor.

A small application of cleaner on a microfiber mop is all that s needed to clean your floors. A hazy whitish or cloudy hardwood floor can be caused by bad cleaning agents the buildup of wax or floor cleaner residue. Simply hold the ice cube in place on the wax for 30 seconds even if the wax has already cooled. Pat dry with a soft cloth and allow the area to air dry.

I didn t specify to them what to use on my floors totally my fault and whatever product they used created the most horrible cloudy hazy white film that covered all of my hardwood floors. For tough spots where extra cleaning power is needed put a drop of dish soap on a sponge or cleaning pad and scrub. Best answer i have had beautiful hardwood floors and always used small amounts of ammonia in the mop water every time i mopped. How to remove waxy films.

Regularly vacuum your hardwood floor with a brush head and damp mop for regular maintenance. Using an ice cube to harden the wax drippings is one way to remove wax from hardwood floors with minimal scraping required. If waxing a floor that doesn t need it the wax will react negatively with the finish and create a cloudy look. To get rid of the cloudy film dampen a microfiber towel using lukewarm water and gently rub the area until the cloudy film is cleared.

Spray the glass cleaner liberally over the area and let it sit for about a minute. Letting it sit gives it time to penetrate that tough layer of buildup. Floors that have a polyurethane finish do not need to be waxed.