Ok...put the Swiffer down. The wet jet and the wet wipes are normally not the things you want to use on hardwood. Especially if these floors MIGHT contain wax as the finish (yes...waxed floors were VERY popular in the 50's). If it is POSSIBLE the floors are a wax finish, then the Swiffer things (which I HATE with a passion for this very reason) are going to produce nasty results.

Swiffer has a history of adding products that leave a shiny finish once it dries. This "polish-like" stuff is a no-no on hardwood. The reason: it creates a build-up of polish that eventually dulls the finish (sound familiar) leaving a streaky mess behind that requires STRIPPING after only a year or so of use!

So...what to use? A microfibre mop (I purchase two...one is used as a "dry" dust mop and the other is used as the wet mop) is a must. Then the purchase of a pH neutral hardwood floor cleaner (Bruce makes a nice one). And then DILUTE the CLEANER as stated on the BACK of the bottle. Remember: LESS is MORE!

Ok...now that you have the TOOLS you need to know the USE:

1. 1. Dust mop every few days...sweep/vacuum (NO beater bar) as you wish

2. WATER ONLY "damp" mop (very little water...almost dry to the touch) ONCE A WEEK!!!!

1. 3. Use the pH neutral cleaner ONCE A MONTH!!!! (in lieu of your water-damp clean)...again less is MORE.

The biggest complaint of wood owners is "dulling" of the finish. And this dulling is 95% related to OVER CLEANING with the wrong products.

The methods described above should mean that 90% of your cleaning is DRY cleaning (dusting/sweeping/vacuuming). Then the water-damp cleaning is another 9%. The use of the pH neutral cleaner will be 1% of your overall cleaning routine.

Give it a go. See how you feel. How long ago was the floor refinished? It looks in great shape.

^^^^^ Agree.

We aren’t sure how long ago they were redone. The previous owners spent their entire 18 month’s here redoing the whole main floor. Not sure if they did the hardwoods too but it’s possible. They moved out of state before we moved in and have been very unresponsive to questions. According to the neighbors, they had two very large dogs (which we never saw) but we’ve only found one scratch. And that looks like it was from moving furniture or dropping something heavy. Part of our problem is that we have pets and try as we might, they track in dirty feet and get litter on the floors that needs actual cleaning.

Agree 100% with SJMcCarthy. For ease of routine I have two Rubbermaid Revel spray mops that have washable microfiber cloth. One is water. The other is my professional (buy on amazon--not available in supermarkets) Bona for o 1X a month wiping after the dusting. I also have the Roomba rotate rooms on a weekly basis to keep dog hair and dust to a minimum. Easy routine in a one story house. I refinished these 1952 hardwood floors when I bought property in 2016. I didn't like the orangish finish and had them stripped and stained with a walnut color. The refinisher used a Bona finish. They are as good as new.

I use murphys oil soap mixed with water as directed an a wash rag in my swifter mop once a week as needed I do not ever use the swifter cloths. I have very old distressed floors recently redone.for scratches I use vinegar mixed with oil. Must rub it in and wipe off as it can be slippery. The swifter mop is a great tool for washing walls but use your own cleaner products. I have found a great cleaner for floors(not wood )Meyers clean day lavender multi surface does not leave streaks like swifter pads for most floors not wood. I wish swifter co could come up with better chemical as the mop it self is awsome

I have to contradict Dee Bee. The Murphy's Oil Soap is the most DAMAGING product on the market when it comes to wood floors. I'm sorry but that is the truth. It is soooooooo damaging that it will end the life of a wood floor. It makes it nearly impossible to refinish a wood floor. The oil in the Murphy's Soap contaminates the wood to the point that it may not be possible to salvage them. Even with DEEP sanding (taking off several layers of "life") may not remove the contamination.

People have reduced their wood's life span from 3-4 refinishing events to 0...Zero refinishing events. Instead of having a floor that is to last 80 years, they created the situation where they had a very expensive 20 year floor. The wood was so badly contaminated that the refinisher took off ALL the life from the floors and STILL could not defeat the oil contamination. The floor had to be ripped out and replaced after only 20 years. Very very sad.

Someone PLEASE start a Class Action Lawsuit against them! Please. In the USA, with the level of litigiousness in the general population, I am surprised that no one has attempted this.