Alcohol can be hard on polyurethane and ammonia seems crazy? What are you trying to correct on floors that are so new? Did some use a polish on them you need to remove?

Thanks for the response. Yes I agree that alcohol and ammonia sound pretty bad for hardwood floors, so I was surprised that that is what this company offered. The floors look like they are in good shape, but my wife wants them to "shine" more (maybe I should just apply some Bona?). Plus they did get plenty dirty during the move-in. Lastly we have some scratches that need to be treated, but I don't think cleaning would help with that.

You need to know what the existing finish is before you start adding things to the mix. Shine may not be possible. What ever you do, do not add any polish or "Orange Oil", "Murphy's" or snake oil type products as you will destroy the floor finish and quite possibly ruin the chance of ever refinishing them effectively.

I know that the stain used was this one: Minwax Wood Finish Oil-Based Jacobean Semi-Transparent Interior Stain (1-Quart) in the Interior Stains department at Lowes.com.

Is there usually a layer of poly/varnish on top of the stain? If so, I don't have any details about what that was, but I can rummage in the basement to see if the last homeowner left a can or two around that will give me a clue.

Is Bona hardwood cleaner a good (and relatively affordable) way to clean hardwood floors? How often do people apply Bona to their floors?

" Is there usually a layer of poly/varnish on top of the stain? "

100%, something is used over the stain for sure. You need to know what it is before you apply anything more than a cleaner. Hopefully they used a quality finish as Minwax is typically not considered a professional floor stain. Yes Bona Hardware Cleaner is a good product. use only as directed however.

Thanks, much appreciated. (Just for my own information – what is a more professional brand than Minwax? Varathane?)

I assume there is a layer of poly, but I will find out. Assuming it is poly, what is the right way to "refresh" the floors (eg something we can do every 1-2 years to maintain the floors, make them look better, etc)?

Duraseal at a bare minimum. Boma makes stain as well. You would need a floor finisher to look at them but you could probably do a buff and recoat, but that is not typically DIY.

Thanks. Buff and recoat is something we should do how often – once every 5 years maybe? Do you have a sense of pricing per sq ft for a buff and recoat?

Depends on how hard you are on the floors really. No clue on the cost as it will be area dependent as well. This is also assuming that the current poly finish (if that was what is used) is acceptable for a buff and coat.

If your floors have a good poly finish but it is satin, or perhaps even matte, it won’t be “shiny” and isn’t supposed to be.

I’m not a floor expert, but before we moved into house with existing hardwood floors, we had a flooring professional do some sort of buff and refresh if the poly with I think 2 coats, not refinished. I can’t remember what is the official name for thd process, but the prior owner’s rugs had left waffle marks.

Anyhoo, we were asked what level of shine, and we wanted satin. So apparently there was an option at that point to go glossier if we had wanted to.

So if you are finding that you just actually want a shinier floor than you have now, methinks you would need to have something like that process done. You might want to research a bit the dust-showing aspects of different finishes.

But , point is, you don’t take a something like a satin finish and then apply some kind of shiny floor mop product whenever you want it to look shinier.

Awesome, exactly what we needed to know.

Do not put any aftermarket stuff on them, on clean with any oil soaps or polishes. That can easily ruin a wood floor finish. The age of the floors SHOULD mean that nothing other than cleaning needs to happen to them. A buff and recoat maybe after 10-15 years of normal wear. Doing that every 7-10 years after the original, will get you to year 30-40 before you ever need to sand off the top coat of finish down to bare wood to start over. That is if they are well taken care of, and ideally, in a shoe free, or indoor shoes only, home.

What do you recommend for cleaning the floor (assuming we are sweeping/vacuuming regularly, of course, and spot cleaning as necessary when there are spills)? Bona Hardwood Cleaner every few months?

Tiny bit of water with a well rung out mop regularly and Bona Hardwood Cleaner once every 6 weeks or so should be sufficient.

Awesome, thanks!!

I was advised to use water with a bit of white distilled vinegar to clean my hardwoods. Damp mop and dry quickly.