Murphy's means that you can never do a screen and recoat. It has to be sanded down to bare wood and refinished. Steam mops cook and lift the finish and cause the wood fibers to swell, leaving even more routes into the wood from the damaged finish. Murphy's and a steam mop are the two absolute worst things ever foisted off onto people who think they are caring for their floors.

It's time for a refinish to eliminate the damage that you've done to your floor. Following that, use only a swiffer or a damp mop with no water being able to be wrung out of it. No vinegar, or anything else.

We use water and vinegar.

Okay, Sophie - mind blown. You are making me cry :) All those years of painstakingly caring for my floors, down the drains? These are my floors after 14 years of Murphy's. Really, they need to be refinished again? (I guess every 15 years isn't so bad, with three kids and a dog) but, they still look okay to me. I was thinking of re-staining them to a darker tone anyhow. I guess now is the time.

So why did my steam mop have a picture of gleaming hardwood floors on the box, if they are not meant to use on wood?? That is the whole reason I bought it. (Yes, I'm a sucker for packaging).

What about the Quick Shine? I like doing that a few hours before I entertain because it leaves my floors looking shiny and new. No to that too - even if only every other month or so?

I think a large surface damp microfiber cloth mop is a wonderful thing on the hardwood floor. The chore goes quickly because the mop head is so big, the dampness loosens things up off of the floor without letting water soak into the wood and the microfiber grabs it and takes it away. When you're done you can throw the mop head into the laundry (microfiber needs to be washed with other microfiber but I use microfiber cleaning cloth to dust too so I always end up with at least a small load once a week).

I have a Swedish finish, which I know is a catalized varnish. Not sure if it's the same as poly, but for my floors, Murphy's is a big no-no for exactly the reason Sophie stated.

I just damp mop two or three times a year, but I only have it in my hallway and powder room.

If I spill something on the floor I will use a damp cloth and then dry it right away. If I am "washing" the entire floor I use a slightly damp cloth mop. No vinegar, no cleaners.

We damp mop with a large-surface microfiber mop, and less frequently, use Bona for hardwood floors.

I was told by numerous flooring people, including those on the flooring forum here, the only thing to use was a microfiber cloth mop with Bona.

I use Bona and microfiber. Too bad they only look clean for about 5 seconds with the kids and pets!

I started using an ecloth mop and water about a year ago and very happy.

I noticed the skilled nursing facility where mom is uses the same mop heads although they have a different name.

Basically it is a microfiber.

A very long time ago (decades) I accidentally bought a second bottle of an Armstrong floor cleaner. I'm now halfway through that second bottle. A capful in warm water, a barely wet sponge mop, let dry and DONE. No 'Murphy clean' smell, but no stickies either. No buffing.

You are supposed to wash your hardwood floors??? Actually I do occasionally but that is one of the things I love about them. They never look dirty unless something has been spilled or tracked into the house. Tiny drips and dirt blend in. Out of sight , out of mind. I do vacuum them regularly. The kitchen floor gets an occasional steam mop but not aggressively and occasionally use Bruce hardwood floor cleaner with a microfiber kind of mop. The other hardwood floors less often.

rebeccamomof123 your floors are lovely. If you like the way your floors look, I wouldn't have them refinished now. You know now that when the time comes you'll have to completely refinish them, but there's no reason you have to rush into it since they obviously are in good shape. I'd stop using the steam mop and Murphy's and start using the damp microfiber mop.

We had oak floors refinished in our last house and I used Bona and the occasional steam mop. After 6 years, the satin poly was starting to wear thin in a few spots. Our new hardwood floors are waiting to be installed right now and I don't plan to ever use the steam mop on them!