How to Make Wood Floors Shine Naturally – The Complete Guide

The way wood floors shine gives off a royal feeling when you enter a place. All the shining and smooth texture of wood radiate a peaceful aura.

However, it all goes down when the wood floor becomes dull and dirty, the whole place looks dull. To maintain the beauty of the hardwood floor, people, use floor shine products that contain harsh chemicals.

There are some commercial products with fewer chemicals that promise to bring back or retain shine but with time hardwood floor loses their majestic appearance.

Not only do commercial products cause the loss of shine but also some cleaning habits or home environment plays role in it as well.

Finishing of  Wooden Floors

• Most importantly to keep the shining of your floor you need to know what type of finish your floor has, is it paste wax or polyurethane.
• Drop a bit of water on the wooden floor which is in constant use, if water is absorbed then your floor is not sealed. You should not use water to clean on a regular basis because if the water stays then your floor is sealed.
• To test the floor finishing use a steel wire wool and gently rub the surface in a corner if there is a gray waxed film on the wire then there is paste wax used for finishing.

Why Do Wood Floors Look Dull?

• When you forget to dust the floor before using cleaning products, it will only cause the dirt to stick on the surface or even in the cracks.
• Using too many commercial floors shine products to clean the surface will damage the wooden floor as they contain harsh chemicals.
• Not cleaning properly when you mop the floor with water and not dry or buff the hardwood floor afterward leaves streaks or watermarks.
• Areas that are in use every day often quickly lose their shine if not cleaned properly.
• Pets in the house such as dogs, cats, etc. can also cause scratches on the floor as they have sharp nails. Furthermore, hard soles or heels people wear also results in scratches. To avoid it clip your pets’ nails and try not to wear hard sole shoes often in the house.
• If your wooden floor is not sealed with polyurethane but with paste wax, it can build up and cause a dull look. Even if you use wax properly once or twice a year it becomes dull in the low traffic area.
• The wooden floor needs refinishing because it cannot last long if the floor has foot traffic.

Some people ignore their floors’ condition and continue to live, but others go for the refinishing job and call professionals for help to make their floor look new even though it is costly.

If you are looking for a cheaper way to make your hardwood floor shine, then you do not have to run after commercial products. Everything you need is present in your house, mostly in your kitchen.

Using a natural way to make your wood floors shine is not only safe but also environment-friendly as well. Yes, it will take some time but the result will be satisfactory.

You can make your homemade wood floor polish and start shining your wooden floor.

How to Make Wood Floors Shine Like a Pro?

Here are the following options on how to make wood floors shine and look new again.

Vinegar Solution

---

This solution works effectively and many people use it in their homes especially in the kitchen to remove grease stains from their stoves and it works just perfectly well on wooden surfaces.

To make this chemical-free and environment-friendly cleaning solution, you need to mix 1 gallon of warm water with half a cup of white vinegar and dip a cloth in the solution and wipe the floor.

You will be amazed at the result as vinegar has the properties to remove dirt.

Vinegar and Oil Solution

---

Most cleaning solutions have a water base, but many people do not prefer water-based solutions on their wooden floors.

It works fine for laminate floor shining. However, it is not good for the certain wooden floor that comes with a unique finish.

To make a waterless base solution for cleaning mix a half cup of vinegar and a half cup of oil (vegetable or olive) and use it to shine your wooden floor up.

Lemon Juice-based Solution

---

To make a stronger solution add half a cup of lemon juice and three-quarter olive oil in hot water and mop around the wooden floor.

Soap-Based Solution

---

This solution works wonderfully on glass and gleams for wooden floors. Just add one-fourth of vinegar in a spray bottle, a few drops of soap plant-based, and fill with water. Spray on the wooden surface you can also use essential oils for the fragrance.

Oil-Based Solution

---

This solution will leave your guests mesmerized with the shining floor. For the solution, you need to mix a tablespoon of olive oil, two tablespoon of distilled vinegar, 10-15 drops of essential oil in two cups of water.

Spray the solution on the floor and use a mop to wipe and make wood floors shine.

Dish Detergent-Based Solution

---

People who like laminate flooring but are concerned with the cleaning will love this powerful solution.

To make this solution, add half a teaspoonful of dish detergent, one-fourth cup of white vinegar in two and a half cups of water.

Now pour it in a spray bottle, sprinkle it over the wooden floor, and use a microfiber cloth to clean the floor.

Teabags Cleaning Solution

---

In a pan boil two black tea bags, remove them from water, and let the tea simmer for a few minutes. Later, turn off the stove and let it cool.

Now dip a cloth, wring excess water, and wipe the wooden floor it will be clean and shine like new.

Pros and Cons of Making Wood Floor Shine

Pros

• Natural ingredients
• No harmful chemicals
• Long-lasting shine

Cons

• Time-consuming

Measures to Take Before Shining Wood Floors

Before applying, any of the solutions above make sure the surface is clean. It is important to wipe the wooden floor to get the dust particles off the surface. Therefore, the solutions work perfectly.

Otherwise, there will be residues sticking on the surface along with the solution that will result in an even more dull and dirty look.

Conclusion

Wooden floors are indeed a bit hard to manage but if taken care of properly they last long.

People use many products to restore the wooden floors’ shine, but it is important to restore them without causing any danger to the environment. Use any of the above solutions to keep your wooden floor shiny and long-lasting.

In my personal opinion, the oil-based solution is the best with the touch of essential oils’ fragrance not only does it clean and make wood floors shine but also leaves a nice and refreshing fragrance.

So, what are you waiting for to make your floor shiny?