Wood floors look elegant and add character to our homes when they shine. When they’re dull and tired, they aren’t so nice. This is the nature of all hardwood floors that have been walked on for a long time. They age.
There are many different products on the market to make your wood floors shiny. Some floors products that claim to shine your floors will actually make your floors look blotchy and uneven. Any wax product will create buildup making your floors look even duller than before.
People with negative experiences with store bought wood floor polish sometimes choose to make their own. There is a growing trend to make things yourself. Let’s face it. It’s fun to get a recipe and create something rather than buy that magic potion in a bottle.
Some people don’t want to buy what is commercially available primarily because of chemicals and cost. Many homeowners are concerned about the health of their families and the environment. DIYers are learning how to make their own wood floor polish.
Natural waxes and oils are very popular wood floor polishes. For scents, rather than using artificial fragrances, essential oils are being mixed into homemade wood floor polishes. The most common essential oils being used are lemon, orange and lavender.
Some think natural, vegetable-based wood floor polish nourishes wood floors more than commercially available wood floor polishes.
Parents may be concerned about reactions their kids may get to chemicals in the wood floor polish. After all, children love sitting and playing on the floor.
I know there are some benefits to natural, vegetable oil wood floor polishes. Personally, there are also a lot of things that are not so positive about these homemade wood floor polishes.
Any products with long drying times have the potential for creating mildew on your wood floors. If they take a long time to dry, they will cause your floorboards to swell. This can become a serious problem.
Certain vegetable oils will yellow over time, especially on lighter colored hardwood floors. This means that your wood floors will discolor from your homemade wood floor polish. It will be more of a mess to get your wood floors cleaned up and the original color restored.
If the vegetable oil go rancid on your hardwood floor, imagine the smell! Some of these oils being used as wood floor polishes don’t do well at room temperature and need to be refrigerated.
You choose. I am not a fan of any of these homemade concoctions but they are definitely interesting.
Some Common Ingredients In Homemade Wood Floor Polish
Olive oil will add shine and moisture. It will make your hardwood floor very slippery though. It may also yellow your lighter stained wood floor. It is quite common to combine olive oil with white vinegar. Some will even add a drop of orange essential oil to the mixture.
Jojoba oil is popular because it dries completely and is shelf stable. Since it is so nourishing to dry skin, many homeowners are trying it out on their dull, tired hardwood floors.
Tung oil is fast drying and does not yellow on wood floors. It is derived from the nut of the tung tree which is native to China.
Baby oil is very slippery. It is slow drying. It is mineral oil. Even though it sounds like a nice name, it is a petroleum product.
Linseed oil, also known as flaxseed oil, is not as quick drying as jojoba. It is not as shelf-stable as jojoba oil. Some people will used boiled linseed also known as Danish oil, which is faster drying. Rich in omega-3 fatty acids, flax seeds are often found in breads and cereals. Personally, I know that when linseed oil goes rancid, it smells terrible and it gets darker in color. I would never use it on my wood floors!
Beeswax adds shine to wood floors and doesn’t need to dry. Many people say it is good for protecting the wood. It will do that but it will also make blotchy patches. This is the truth about all waxes! A pain to clean up if you choose to use it!