Hey folks, very quick question:

I'm moving into a new apartment next month, one that has hardwood floors. I've always wanted to live in a place with hardwood floors so I'm pretty jazzed about that. In any case I couldn't help noticing that the floors of the place are actually kinda dirty and scuffed and I was thinking I might try to clean them now, while the place is empty. My problem is that when I went online to find the best way to clean the floors, I discovered that there's about a zillion different methods and it depends on the kind of floor you have, etc. Not being a homeowner or a floor expert, I of course have NO idea why type of floor this is, all I know is it's wood. Can anyone out there possibly identify the type of floor I have from these photos?

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/1107/floor1.jpg
http://img72.imageshack.us/img72/1508/floor2.jpg

I'm worried that using the incorrect method to clean will somehow damage the floor (warp the boards or something) so I want to be sure I know exactly what type of floor I actually before I attempt to clean it. I'd really appreciate any info anyone can provide.

Thanks very much!

Looks like Oak to me. A mixture of plain sawn and quarter sawn.

Bona makes a hardwood cleaner, avaliable in most hardware stores like Ace or True Vlaue.

You think Bona would work with this kind of floor? I'm just worried that in my attempt to make things better I'll actually make them worse, etc.

First thing to do is test for wax. Dampen a cloth with Varsol and rub an area of the floor. If a shiny residue appears on the cloth you are using, then you cant use a water-based cleaner on it. Otherwise, any good floor cleaner will do. My preference is for "Woodwise" cleaner.

Interesting. May I ask what Varsol is and where I might find it? I checked the home depot website but it's not listed. Is there another name for it maybe? Thanks very much for the input, I appreciate it.

Sorry, Mineral Spirits, or Paint thinner, I wasnt thinking

Those are red oak strip flooring, 3/4" x 2&1/4". They're in pretty sad shape and even with a good cleaning, will not look so good. You do need to determine if the floor has been waxed before cleaning it. IMO, if the landlord will not pay to have them professionally refinished, then clean them as well as you can and apply a coat of quality paste wax. This will help hide scratches and add some protection.

I talked to the landlord and he said the floors have been varnished and that it probably didn't matter what I used to clean them. He said I could even bring in a sander if I wanted to. That's the good news, the bad news is that according to Gary, no matter what I do, I probably won't make much of a dent. That kinda stinks but I do appreciate the info at least.

Well, if the floors have been "varnished", and no one has applied wax over it, then I suggest either "Squeaky Clean" from Basic, or "Woodwise" from Design Hardwood Produccts.
Give it a try, these floors may clean up nice enough to live with. Dont forget that the space will be furnished so you wont be looking at the floor wall to wall.
Did the landlord indicate WHEN the floors had been refinished?

Of course, opinions vary. But Dennis, go back and look at these floors. They are in sad shape. Now, it's true that after a thorough cleaning, they may appear to look "good enough" for the OP and tenant, but I seriously doubt much of the ground in dirt, stains, gouges, discoloration and scratches can be cleaned off. With a good paste waxing ( something the OP could handle cheaply ), the floors could get a renewed appearance that is far superior to what a cleaning will accomplish. I think we can both agree a refinish would be the best choice.

Agreed, re-finishing in this case would be the best option. But, who's gonna pay? The tenant, pay to upgrade someone elses property? The landlord, who has a tenant who has accepted the floor "as-is", presumably?
I do think waxing may be a good idea, but not before a thorough cleaning first. Hence, ny recommendation for the Squeaky Clean, etal.

A word to the original poster: If you apply a paste wax to this floor, you will need to expect some maintenance such as regular buffing and re-application of wax as needed. Main walking areas more often than concealed non-traffic areas etc.

My personal thought would be to use the TYKOTE system from Basic (provided of course that there is NO evidence of wax) but I would recommend hiring a qualified professional for this. (relatively inexpensive to the tenant compared to refinishing). This would have the additional benefit of not ruining the floor should a major sanding mishap occur and being held responible by the landlord for a replacement floor, at huge expense.

And yes Gary, I acknowledge your evaluation of the floor as being in sad shape, but if the landlord has accepted them, and the tenant as well, then cleaning, and possible recoating seems to me to be an acceptable improvement.

My landlord didn't seem to know when the floors had been varnished, but I got the impression that it was a while ago. The main thing I took away from our conversation was that these floors had been handled in such a way that they could withstand a nuclear blast, so there was really nothing I could do do hurt them.

I wound up going to Home Depot last night and at the recommendation of a guy who works there (who owns hardwood floors) I grabbed a bottle of this product called "Bruce." At the same time I also grabbed a bottle of Bona, just so I could test that out too and see how it works. I'm gonna try them out this weekend and keep my fingers crossed, etc. My only concern with those two cleaners is that they both explicitly state that they cannot be used on floors that have been waxed. I didn't ask my landlord if the floors had been waxed, but the Home Depot guy seemed to find it highly unlikely that I had waxed floors. He said you don't see those too often and though it's not impossible I could have floors that have been waxed, that more often than not floors are unwaxed, etc. This being the case, I'm gonna roll the dice with Bruce and Bona and just hope for the best.

I know that nothing I can do (short of calling in a pro) will make my floors look totally new again, but I'm really hoping that i can at least improve them just a little bit. It's true that when I get my furniture in there it won't matter as much, but still- I'd like the floors to look as nice as possible. Regardless thanks very much for all the input you guys have provided, I really appreciate it. And rest assured, I'll report back with my results!!

I think someone mentioned putting a few drops of water and let it sit a minute or three in an inconspicious spot, if you get a white spot it's waxed

I think someone did mention that but frankly I'd totally forgotten. So thanks for the reminder, I will absolutely do that before any actual cleaning.