Linoleum and Wood Wax-Free Floor Cleaning

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  Sweep floors before cleaning them with a wet cleaner.broom image by L. Shat from Fotolia.com
  
  Sweep the floor. Wet-cleaning processes will be easier and more efficient after large dirt particles are swept up.
  
  
• 2). Remove any mildew from floors with an alkali floor cleaner, such as one containing baking soda. West Virginia University recommends thoroughly scrubbing away mildew spots with an alkali cleaner and sponge. Mildew tends to grow on floors that have survived a flood or some water damage. Use steel wool or a very abrasive sponge to scrub away any dark spots, but keep in mind that steel wool may scratch a wooden floor's finish, causing it to need touching up.
  
  
• 3). Clean the floor with a commercial floor cleaner. Martha Stewart recommends a cleaner formulated for polyurethane, because this type of cleaner dries faster and does not allow water to soak into the floor. Mix the cleaner with some warm water and use the solution to scrub the floor with a sponge.
  
  
• 4). Speed up the drying process by wiping the floor with an absorbent cloth.
  
  

Cleaning and Waxing Wooden Floors

• 1). Choose a wax-based cleaner to clean and add a protective layer of wax to wooden floors without a thick finish. Michigan State University recommends a solvent-based wax cleaner for very dirty wooden floors and a paste wax cleaner for floors that are not extremely dirty but could still use extra protection.
  
  
• 2). Follow the instructions on the floor cleaner and rub or mop a thin layer of the wax cleaner over the surface of the entire floor.
  
  
• 3). Allow the floor to air-dry. Do not rub wax-based cleaners off of floors with a rag to help them dry quicker. Allowing them to air-dry leaves as much protective wax as possible on the floor surface.
  
  

Polishing Floors

• 1). Polish waxed floors immediately after waxing without adding an additional floor polish. Since waxed floors already have a protective layer of wax on their surface, Michigan State University recommends polishing them by buffing them with an electric floor buffer immediately after waxing. Recently waxed floors also create a slippery safety hazard, and buffing them not only polishes them, it makes them less slippery and dangerous. Polish the floor in the direction of the wood grain.
  
  
• 2). Choose a floor polish that works well with the floor type. Use a wax-based floor polish for waxed wood floors, which may need touchups between waxings. The University of Nebraska at Lincoln recommends using a water-based floor polish for water-resistant floors (like linoleum) and a solvent-based floor polish for solvent-resistant floors which may be damaged by water. Self-polishing floor polishes are great for people who have back problems and may not want to spend time rubbing a polish onto the floor, since they dry onto the floor with a shiny finish, without scrubbing. Local hardware stores, local home improvement stores and online stores sell a variety of floor polishes for every floor type.
  
  
• 3). Follow the directions on the floor polish container and apply the polish to the floor. Polishing a floor usually means rubbing some floor polish onto the surface of the floor with a rag. Self-polishing types dry and polish themselves, so they may only require a thin layer mopped onto the floor's surface.