I just bought a house built in 1900 and under the carpet I've found decent hardwood floors in all the rooms but one. I'm running low on money and time and just want to do the least I have to for now. There is no poly on the floor, just wax or shellac of some kind. What can I clean the floors with that will work wonders? What kind of finish should I put on the floors after cleaning them? I have alot of children and the floors will recieve alot of wear.

The way to maintain waxed floors is to peroidically strip the wax, rewax and buff. Sounds like lots of work, doesn't it. Well, Bruce makes some floor cleaning and maintenence products that should work fine on your floors. On a wax finished floor, do not use water based cleaners. Here is a link to maintaining waxed floors.
http://www.florstor.com/Bruce.html#Dura-Satin

You also can consider hiring a janitorial company experienced in waxing wood floors. They can come in and clean, wax and buff your floors. With a waxed floor, you can't get by without a buffer unless you hire someone on a regular basis to come and buff the floors.

IF I WERE YOU I WOULD PUT SOME SATIN OIL BASED POLY OVER THE FLOOR. SHELLACK IS HARD TO GET UP.

Hi JTUNES21,

Welcome to our little discussion board. A couple of things. First, internet etiquette. Typing in all upper case letters means you're YELLING. So, use upper case to emphasize and capitolize but not for your entire message. Also, you say you're an expert in hardwood floor refinishing, and that's great. However, to recommend someone apply a urethane finish over a waxed floor is not expert advice. The wax would need to be totally removed by sanding before another finish could be applied. I mention this only as a reminder to all our posters that any advice that is given here should meet industry standards. We should all take this responsibility seriously. It could cost someone a lot of time and money to follow poor advice. Thanks.

Regards,

Gary
Gary Clontz Flooring
Licensed flooring contractor and NWFA member

Be careful about opinions some are better than others. putting oil urathane straight over wax is a real bad idea.

Once waxed, ALWAYS waxed. Even after sanding there is the very possible situation that wax is between the boards that will produce finishing problems.

I have refinished many, many waxed floors over the years and have never had a finishing problem with my floors from any wax residue. It is the NOFMA and NWFA recommended approach. That being said, I am a flooring professional with 25 yrs. of experience so I do not recommended DYIer's refinish waxed floors. And although I have not had any problems does not mean no one will have problems. In refinishing, there are so many variables that I always recommended an experienced flooring professional with sterling references.