Get matched with top floor polishers in Prescott, MI

Before starting on a full refinishing project, determine if your floors need to be completely sanded down to the bare wood or if the damage is shallow and mostly cosmetic. Deep scratches and gouges will require you to rough sand using a drum sander or belt sander, but small surface scratches or floors that have only lost their luster don’t need a complete overhaul. Instead, you can skip the rough sanding step and sand-screen the old finish with a buffer, removing only the top layer of polyurethane.

The best solution for mopping floors depends on the type of floor you have, but a good all-around or multi-purpose DIY floor cleaner is 2 cups of warm water, 5 to 10 drops of liquid dish soap, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. This is safe to use on tile, laminate, wood, polished concrete, vinyl, and more, as it’s relatively neutral and lacks caustic and abrasive chemicals that could be harmful to children and pets. You can also use a multi-purpose commercial cleaner, but make sure to follow the directions for safety.

While it is not recommended, you can mix Bon Ami with vinegar for a more powerful cleaning mixture. However, you should avoid mixing other types of powder cleaners, such as Comet and Ajax, with vinegar or with each other, as the reaction often creates a toxic gas that’s dangerous to the human body.

Yes, vinegar and water can strip wax. For a DIY wax stripper, mix about a quarter cup of vinegar with one gallon of warm water. You can also mix one cup of cream of tartar, one cup of white vinegar, and one gallon of water. Before using it on a large area of the floor, you should test it in an inconspicuous place to make sure it works like you want it to.