What is the Bona product that you have been using?

Yikes, I can't image having to refinish the flooring so soon after installing it. We were told in it's lifetime it can only be refinished 2-3 times because it's engineered flooring which we were told we needed to use because we live in a slab home.

We use Bona's Hardware Floor Cleaner and the Bona washable mop system.

I'll try some vinegar this weekend.

Jodi-

Screening and recoating isn't refinishing. It doesn't involve sanding down to the bare wood like refinishing does. You only rough up the dulled surface of the finish only with a sanding screen and then re-apply a top coat. It's a fairly ordinary maintenance procedure with most floors when they begin to show wear in the traffic paths. However, it does require the inconvenience to the homeowner of refinishing in that you need to move the furniture to expose the floor and you may not want to sleep in the house until it's fully cured.

Well, hopefully our 4.5 year old flooring won't need to be recoated. It shows no wear anywhere, just a dull film.

This is the first time I've ever lived with wood floors and I love them. This particular wood is warm and soft on the feet, which really surprised me the first morning I stepped on it.

It's never had a high gloss, more like a satin finish, so I can't imagine adding a coat of anything that might add shine to it.

I'll try the vinegar this weekend.

Jodi-

If you product has a pull top (Bona Shine) throw it away!!
Bona cleaner is fine. We are running into more than a few home owners who think they are doing the right thing using the Shine product but what they are doing is putting a cheap finish over their much better finish.

To get it off try washing it down with a damp terry cloth towel using a good cleaner (Bona, Woodwise, Basic Squeaky Clean or any number of the flooring manufacturers labeled,approved products. Mix in about 1 cup of household ammonia per gallon. Let it sit for a minute then gently scrub it off in the direction of the grain. You may have to repeat the process.

Some flooring professionals have special machines to do a deep cleaning of wood flooring and will be happy to take care of your problem for you.

Orange Glow will cause the same issue as Bona Shine. Never use a product that says it renews the shine.

The only Bona product we've used is the Hardwood Floor Cleaner shown at the link below.

We'll first try vinegar and if that doesn't work, the cleaner/ammonia combo.

Is Murphy Oil Soap acceptable to use as the cleaner?

Jodi-

Here is a link that might be useful: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner

NOOOO! Death to murphys oil soap. Lol.

Forget most of the commerical cleaners. They are okay for once in awhile cleaner but 80% of the time just use warm water and a small amount of vinegar.

If the dulling film is even under your furniture, where you don't usually clean, then it is a product problem and no the cleaner you are using. I never had anyone report a problem with the Bona product.

Are you cleaning the floors yourself or do you (wait for it...) employ a house cleaner?

Jodi-
Are your floors oil rubbed with no poly? They look similar in finish to mine and I am wondering what the best way to clean them is also (without going straight to rubbing tung oil on them all the time). I am scared to DEATH of using water anything because it's wood without any poly to protect it....but I love the finish - no gloss or shine at all. It's holding up great with our 2 boys and 70# dog. So far I have used a very damp cloth on my hands and knees to clean high traffice areas or clean those puppy paw prints that show up.

I haven't tried Bona. I did try to 'damp mop' it with a cloth but that didn't go very well. It definitely didn't glide across the floor more like studdered over it if that makes sense and didn't seem to really do anything. Does Bona help it to glide?

By the way - I am totally in LOVE with your backsplash - clipped your kitchen posts a long while back. :)

I have solid hardwood floors that have been installed less than a year and have used nothing but Bona Cleaner, not the shine, wax product. I am having the same exact issue as the user above where my floors look very dull, not shiny. It's like it's putting a dull finish on the floor.

I have engineered hardwood floors in my kitchen and dining room. We just had them installed in March and I only use Bona on them. Now they have a dull finish on them. Help!!!!

What product from Bona did you use, and how often? if you had them in march and you used bona more than 2 times since then, you used it WAY too much.

Chemical cleaners should only be used periodically like once a month or less. Dry dust mopping and warm water cleaning is all you should need.

I have engineered wood floors that were installed 5-6 years ago. I've used Bona cleaner once a week since then. I've noticed in the past year how dull our floor looks. I love how it looks when they're wet with the cleaner and when they dry...dull. Even more so dull then they used to be. I'd love to find a product that is easy to use that will add shine to the floors and not streaks when applied or streaks when it begins to wear off. The floor was never shiny to begin with, but it also wasn't this dull.

Once a week is too often. You've created a buildup that now has to be removed.

How do you recommend removing the buildup?

My floors are less than a year and a half old, so I definitely don't need them refinished. Also, I can't imagine I need to have them cleaned and recoated this soon! I have never used anything on them except Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner, not shine stuff. I will check underneath the sofa to see if the floors are like that underneath the sofa and might try the vinegar/water. Thx. for the comments.

Just a heads up, my comment was from 2012. and in the industry, everyday things can change. the NWFA is not siding AWAY from using vinegar. Not sure exactly why, my guess is there wasnt a clear consensus on how much vinegar to use. I always say less is more, like a capfull to a gallon of water. But i dont recommend it anymore. just to play it safe.

Warm water is all you should need, and chemical cleaner is good for like once a month deep cleans. for the tough sticky spots that water wont touch, you can use a chemical cleaner, but just rinse the area off with water after its clean.

To remove the "build up" call a pro to come in with a red buffing pad and a chemical cleaner. and then have them do a buff n coat.

Just a heads up, my comment was from 2012. and in the industry, everyday things can change. the NWFA is not siding AWAY from using vinegar. Not sure exactly why, my guess is there wasnt a clear consensus on how much vinegar to use. I always say less is more, like a capfull to a gallon of water. But i dont recommend it anymore. just to play it safe.

Warm water is all you should need, and chemical cleaner is good for like once a month deep cleans. for the tough sticky spots that water wont touch, you can use a chemical cleaner, but just rinse the area off with water after its clean.

To remove the "build up" call a pro to come in with a red buffing pad and a chemical cleaner. and then have them do a buff n coat.

Greg, please clarify ... NWFA is "not" or is "now" siding away from using vinegar?

He's saying they're not recommending it anymore. Thanks for the advice.

Correct NWFA is NO LONGER suggesting to use vinegar to clean hardwood floors

sorry i try to spell check before i post, missed it.

It would be nice to start a new thread to avoid having all these replies sent to the many people who commented on this topic three years ago.

Thanks for the clarification.

JFCWood, you can easily stop the notifications by clicking one of the following links at the bottom of your alert emails.

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I will try just plain water. Thanks!

the top coat of finish shouldnt have any tint to it, unless there was tint added to that coat. and a 4 yr old's balance isnt necessarily the best way to determine if a floor is slippery or not.

I have never had problems with any of the finish coming off at all. Everything has always been clear, not brown, (except for maybe dust) on the mop and also on a paper towel.

I personally have hard wood floors installed all over the house - except for the bathrooms. the person I bought the house from said i will have to do floor sanding every 3-4 years because that particular kind of wood can become dull quite quickly. So it depends on the type of wood you have, because there are types that are softer than others. the softer ones need less floor sanding, because floor sanding is a rough process, while the hard ones can be sanded more often. you can also try varnish them with spray varnish, it is a quick process.

Every 3-4 years the seller told you? Use the right products, care for your hardwood and it'll be more like every 10-15 years.

I believe the company which installed my hardwood floors said they should last around 15 years before needing refinished or sanded.

I installed engineered wood floor in my kitchen and living room little over a month ago. This brand new floor looks completely dull and lifeless. I have used Bona wood cleaner. There is no difference though except for when it was damp. I'm regretting having installed these floors. I obviously can't change my floors that I spent so much money on. Can you please help me figure out my options and what I can to do to bring some luster on it?

Floors that are designed to be matte--as most floors are these days--cannot have an aftermarket application of anything to them to produce a shine. They will need to be refinished, with a glossy finish. And that is a case of be careful what you wish for. Shiny floors show everything.