Ever look at your hardwood floors and notice how dull and scratched they are? But you really don’t want to deal with a full blown sand and poly? Well, the solution may just be waxing.

We researched alternatives to polyurethane earlier in the year when we were getting ready to put our house on the market. The best option for us was to wax with Johnson’s paste and then buff. We bought an inexpensive hand held orbital buffer at Home Depot and it we are still using it.

Waxing is kind of an idiot proof method of getting your floors to look nice. It doesn’t take long at all and it’s as easy as a good cleaning.

Make sure you vacuum up all the dust and dirt, then mop with hardwood floor cleaner and wait until the floor is thoroughly dry before applying the wax.

Let the wax dry completely before buffing! In other words, have patience. You should see a film start to develop as it dries.

Go over the area a few times with the buffer. You’ll know when it’s right when the floor starts to shine. Not a horrible glossy shine, but it will look sealed and protected.

And that’s it. Just don’t do it if you’re getting your floors sanded soon. This is kind of an in-between solution. For instance, I just waxed the apartment where our tenants lived for 3 years. Just wanted a quick fix before we moved all the furniture in. The floors look great now!