First we must understand a few differences of the finishes.
Compare rain boots and natural leather shoes.
- Urethane/Lacquered finishes would be compared to the rain bootsdesigned to seal over the pores of the wood and coat the surface like a hard plastic cover, in an effort to keep all elements off of the wooden surface.
- Wax Oil Finished Products would be compared to the natural leather boots which is a breathable product, these products are designed to protect in a natural way.Benefits: Healthy, Sustainable, Nice to the touch, and Natural Looking.
- Wax Oil Finishes can be renewed by cleansing and using our Wood Polish, for only the traffic areas without removing all furniture and no sanding.
Maintaining wooden surfaces properly always starts with using the right products and equipment. Just because a cleaning product in a store says it is suitable for hardwood flooring, what is important to know is that not all floors have the same type of finish, so how can one product be used for ALL wooden surfaces. Urethanes in general are considered a hard non penetrating finish. And still there are finishes that I have seen at such stores that can not only damage the surface, but make it difficult to apply a refreshing coat in the future because of such contaminants.Wax Oil Floors are designed to be nourished as you clean. Even using water only on these types of floors can dry them out and damage the finish after a prolonged period. The analogy is this, just as you would clean and moisturize you skin, these particular finishes are designed to be treated in the same way. So by using hot water and Wood Soap you are not only cleansing but you are putting back onto the surface the waxes and oils that it needs to stay protected.
Even selecting the right equipment such as a high powered vacuum with a brush type head attachment can make all of the difference when prepping your floor to be washed.