Cleaning old hardwood floors

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Stephanie-

It sounds like we have similar houses. Our's was built in 1917. I stumbled on this remedy by accident while "cleaning" the oak trim in our home. I was using a mixture of 1 part turpentine and 1 part linseed oil. It did such a good job on the trim that I tried some in a hidden corner of the dining room floor and the results were amazing. Of course, the floor was not sealed with polyurethane. I don't know if this is the case with your floor. If you have lots of wax build-up I would suggest removing the wax first with mineral spirits and steel wool. Then you can try the above mixture. Rub on with 00 (Very Fine) steel wool, wait for awhile then rub off excess with rags. Word of caution: make sure you take your rags and steel wool outside and away from the house to dry as they can ignite. Also, it helps to have good ventilation while doing this. Let dry for 5-7 days. After drying, I waxed with Bruce Dark'n'Rich liquid paste wax and buffed to a shine. I think it turned out just as good as some professional refinishing jobs I have seen and I plan to do my living room floor this spring. My floors are also quartersawn oak on the lower level and maple on the second floor (carpet over these). The floors were in good structural shape and fairly smooth but very dry from years of being covered with carpet. They responded very well to the linseed oil. Hope this helps.