cleaning and polishing wood floor?

Question

What is the easiest and cheapest way to clean and polish wood floors and how often should you do it?

Answer 1

Not as simle as it seems, but not hard either. Depends a lot on the floor finish. If less than 20 yr. it's probably a urethane finish and can be damp mopped with water a nd detergent, prefer pine sol or something like it. I say damp, not slopping water on it. I wouldn't use paste wax on urethaane unless I had a buffer, and it can build up around the edges. There are polishs especially for urethane. Older, varnised wood, paste wax or a mop on liquid is good. Still looks best when buffed. Of course a couple of kids in sock can buff the wax,by sliding across the floor.
Regular sweeping with a dust mop is a must. Treated wor untreated.
had a janitorial business for 20 yr.

Answer 2

The best way to clean them is vinegar and water mixture. Clean these floors by mixing one-quarter cup of white vinegar per quart of water in a spray bottle. Lightly spritz the cotton dust mop to barely dampen it. Then damp mop your floor. The floors should be treated with a paste wax made for wood floors to maintain their luster. Depending on household traffic, usually two to three times a year keeps them in sufficiently good condition.