A number of web-based home improvement consultants recommend a combination of lemon oil along with some other components as a tonic to your hardwood flooring — but before you follow their advice, there is something you ought to know. The manufacturers of two major commercial lemon-oil therapies for timber furniture — Bene-Clean and Old English — counsel against with their products on hardwood flooring. Lemon oil makes your floor dangerously slippery, and it may void your flooring warranty. If your floors are really old and require help, you might decide to use lemon oil anyway for a little bit of spit and polish.
Use a business lemon oil polish or make your own. If you opt to make your own, follow this easy recipe: Mix 1/4 cup of olive oil along with 1/3 cup of white vinegar in a bowl. Add 5 cups of warm water and 12 drops of lemon essential oil, and stir.
Clean the floor thoroughly before applying lemon oil. Sweep or vacuum away the dust, and wipe away grime with a damp rag. If the floor needs extra cleaning, mix an ounce of dish soap in a gallon of warm water and rub down the floor with a rag; then dry it thoroughly. Don’t leave any water standing on the timber.
Use the lemon oil polish with a soft, absorbent rag. Wipe on a very thin layer, going with the grain of this timber. Allow the mixture dry on the floor, go over any sticky spots with another dry rag to remove the extra oil.