How Do You Clean and Shine Old Damaged Hardwood Floor

Sharing is caring!

The hardwood floor is very delicate and needs regular care and maintenance. But what if your hardwood floor is already damaged?

How do you clean and shine old damaged hardwood floors? Cleaning old hardwood floors is going to make you work a little harder than you need to clean a new hardwood floor. 

Because the hardwood floor is already damaged, you have to be careful that it doesn’t get damaged anyhow. 

Damaged hardwood floors worry every homeowner, they think they might have to do refinishing to make the hardwood floors shine again. 

But that’s not the truth. You can shine wood floors without refinishing. How?

To learn about that, you have to be with till the end. In this guide, we will share the secret steps to clean the hardwood floor and regain its shins.

2 Effective Ways to Clean and Shine Old Damaged Hardwood Floor

There are many ways to clean old hardwood floors. But as the hardwood floor is already damaged, I highly prefer to avoid any commercial cleanser. 

Because most of the market available cleansers are full of a chemical that damages the hardwood floor surface and eats up its shine. I use my own DIY home cleaner that is safe to use on the hardwood floors, as I don’t want my hardwood floor to suffer anymore. And I believe DIY cleaners are the best cleaner for old hardwood floors. 

The ways I clean my hardwood floor I am going to share below. Read them and follow my instructions as I say, because if you lower the quantity of the ingredients, you may face the worst result.

1. White Vinegar

There is no homeowner who doesn’t know about vinegar. Vinegar is an ingredient that is usable from the kitchen to the bathroom. 

Apart from eating, you can use vinegar for kitchen cleaning, cloth stain remover, bathroom cleaning, and hardwood floor cleaning as well. 

But as vinegar is an acidic ingredient, you can’t use it directly on your hardwood floor. Mix it with warm water to reduce its acidic effect that may damage your damaged hardwood floor more. 

Vinegar has the power to cut down the dirt, grime, and debris and make the floor clean. 

And to make the floor a little shiner and better result, you can add a few drops of lemon juice. Lemon juice also helps in removing dirt and grimes.

Let’s dive into it’s using process.

• Take one gallon of warm water, add two cups of white vinegar, one tablespoon of dish liquid, and a few drops of lemon juice.  

• Mix all these ingredients gently until some bubbles are showing up.

• Now take a mop or sponge and dip in the solution. Wring the sponge well and squeeze all extra water.

• Mop away the entire floor with the sponge. Take a stiff brush and scrub if there is any stain or stubborn dirt that is still there. If the floor isn’t yet clean, completely change the solution and sponge and repeat the process.

• It’s time to make the floor free of any water touch. Take a microfiber cloth and wipe away the entire floor to make sure there is no water on the floor.

2. Baking Soda 

Baking soda is another cleaning agent that can clean the damaged hardwood floor. If you don’t like the vinegar scent or want to avoid using it for any reason, you can choose baking soda. 

Baking soda is also effective in cleaning hardwood floors without damaging them. Let’s know the baking soda using process.

•  Take some baking soda and sprinkle it all over the hardwood floor. Make sure it covers the floor. 

• Leave it for fifteen to twenty minutes. Meantime, it will absorb all the dirt and grime.

• It’s time to vacuum to remove the baking soda residue. After vacuuming, mop away the floor to make sure there is no baking soda residue left. If baking soda stays on your floor for a long time, it will sit down and will create a white stain.

• Now make a solution of half gallon of warm water and a few drops of jojoba oil or essential oil, or lavender oil. Pour some solutions on a spray bottle and spray directly on the floor. Or dip a cotton cloth into the solution and mop away the floor.

• You don’t need to wipe away the residue. Let the solution absorb the dullness and make the floor shine again.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Can I Make My Floor Shine without Wax?

You can make your floor shine without wax in no time. Make a solution of one-gallon warm water, two cups of white vinegar, four tablespoons of baking soda, two tablespoons of lemon juice, and one tablespoon of dish liquid. You can skip the dish liquid. Now mix all these ingredients and dip a clean cloth into it. Wring the cloth well and wipe away the floor. Allow the floor to dry naturally.

How Do You Restore Shine to Dull Laminate Floors?

To restore the shine of laminate floors from dull, I use warm water and vinegar solution. Take a bucket of warm water and one cup of vinegar, add a few drops of jojoba oil and stir well.

Dip a sponge into this solution and wring well to squeeze the extra water. Now mop away the floor and allow it to dry for 5 minutes. Give another mop with a clean dry microfiber cloth to remove the residue.

How Do You Clean Really Dirty Hardwood Floors?

Cleaning a really dirty hardwood floor needs to follow a few steps. First, I prefer to clean the loosened dirt with a broom, then I vacuum the floor. I use a DIY solution of apple cider vinegar and warm water to mop away the floor.

Then it’s time to do some scrubbing. Take my soft bristle brush and scrub the area gently until the dirt or stain is gone. Then I use another solution of warm water and dish liquid, mop away the floor with it, and allow it to dry naturally. If there is any residue, I use a microfiber cloth to remove that.

How Do You Clean Hardwood Floors that Haven’t Been Cleaned in Years?

To deep clean hardwood floors that haven’t been cleaned in years, I have to put in a little more effort than regular mopping. First, I clean the floor with brooms to remove extra loose dirt, then I use a vacuum cleaner to ensure all loose dirt is removed. Then I make a solution of warm water, apple cider vinegar, and baking soda.

Dip a cotton cloth into it and wring well then wipe away the floor. If there is any stubborn dirt or stain use a toothbrush and scrub gently to remove that. Then I mop the floor again with the solution and use a microfiber cloth to wipe away the residue. 

How Do You Remove Ingrained Dirt from Wood Floors?

To remove the ingrained dirt from the wood floor, I spray the solution of warm water and distilled vinegar. Leave it for a few minutes until the ingrained dirt soaks the solution. Then I use a toothbrush and scrub the area gently. Now Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away the residue. Repeat the process if the dirt is still on the wood floors.

Conclusion

Clean and Shine Old Damaged Hardwood Floor is simple if you follow the process we have told you above.

We have shared the two best ways to clean old hardwood floors that we follow to deep clean old hardwood floors.

Before you implement any of the above methods, make sure you have to dry clean the hardwood floor like using a broom or vacuum to get rid of dry dirt and dust. And don’t forget to take old hardwood floor care.