I purchased my home about a year ago. The floors are mostly a worn out/scratched/faded engineered hardwood, but it's not in the budget to replace the entire floor of the home. They look GREAT right after mopping, when they're shiny and the color is brought back, which makes me want to look into something like Rejuvinate or other 'flooring refresher'; however, throughout the house it seems like someone has already tried this, and there is a film of dingy, matte, slightly tacky goo. The cats can leave small foot prints in it, if you look from floor level! It holds onto dirt and NEVER looks clean. In a few sections, there are obvious dribbles and pools of this mystery substance. I've scraped some off using an 'anti scratch' dish washing scrubber and a mix of water and vinegar, but I dread the idea of doing the entire house on my hands and knees, 3 inches at a time, vigorously scrubbing up a white, glue-like substance.

I don't want to destroy the floor! I read so many conflicting opinions about what should and shouldn't go on the floor, and I'm paranoid about too much moisture because there are a few sections with a scratch through the veneer.

I'm not sure what this previous attempt was, maybe an oil soap? Is there a better way to get my floors looking their best?