It's important to be able to identify damage caused by MOS, especially if you're thinking of buying a new home that has hardwood floors installed. Many sellers or agents will do the minimum necessary to “make a flat shine” and help it sell faster and for more. This section will provide you with the information you need to avoid such disasters in the future. We will also provide you with an alternative solution for drum-sanding your floors to bare wood, which is much cheaper.
If you're struggling with greasy glare on your hardwood floors, our professional diagnosis is that you're suffering damage from MOS. This is a simple explanation because it is only based on understanding the concept of evaporation. MOS comprises sodium hydroxide, water, sodium thalate, citronella oil, lauramidopropylamine oxide and tetrasodium EDTA. Chemical names don't exactly matter, but it's important to note that citronella oil, a vegetable oil, is an ingredient included in the list.
It does not represent a large percentage of MOS, but it is present. The reason this is important is because of the way MOS works. It is a water-oil emulsion that is temporarily stable, which means that in a liquid state the oil is suspended in water. Once MOS is applied to the soil, the water in that compound begins to evaporate.
Once the water evaporates from the soil or “dries up”, all that's left are the other chemical ingredients found in MOS. Basically, all of this means that every time you place MOS you leave a shiny but oily residue on the floor, especially if MOS isn't properly diluted, which normally doesn't happen. This is what another hardwood flooring specialist said about a person who asked why MOS seemed to leave their floors dirtier instead of clean and noticed stains on the enamel. This phenomenon usually begins to unfold over months or years.
Your floor will seem fine until one day it isn't. This is what happens to your floors when they start to fade and become dull. Basically, it's like this: when you apply a new layer of MOS in an attempt to clean the floors, you're actually trapping a new layer of dirt and grime that's now encapsulated inside and underneath the MOS finish. Do this long enough and it will turn into layers like an onion.
A layer of MOS, a layer of dirt, a layer of MOS, a layer of dirt, etc. The result is that the grain and color of the wood on the floor become more opaque, darker and dirty as you try to clean it unsuccessfully. This is another flooring professional's astute opinion on the matter. In their defense, companies that sell polish directly to the general public in grocery and home improvement stores say in their instructions that the polish should be applied by a hardwood flooring professional.
Unfortunately, most people think that it can't be that difficult, after all, they studied carpentry in high school or have painted their walls before. The problem is that no enamel or oil should be applied to the hardwood floor, unless recommended by both the hardwood flooring contractor and the company that manufactures the finish that was applied to your floor. If you don't know what the finish is, keep vacuuming or sweeping the hardwood floors and then cleaning them from time to time with a spray bottle of water and a mop that has a plush cloth or microfiber pad. Time, even with just one or two enamel applications, leaves an acrylic residue that other cleaners cannot remove from the wooden floor.
The only way acrylic residue can be eliminated is by hiring a professional to deep clean and mechanically or chemically etch the finish of your existing hardwood floor and then apply a new coat of finish, or hiring a professional to sand the floors until you get the raw wood. Inevitably, many solve this by applying another layer of MOS, but sadly the original sin has already been committed if MOS is applied in the first place. There are a few options when it comes to removing it correctly without irreparably damaging the functionality of your floor system. If you know that the damage is only on the surface, but many of your boards are still in good condition, it's best to repair the floor rather than replace it completely.
Even so, a professional should evaluate your floor before deciding whether to repair or replace it. By carefully selecting a polish for wooden furniture, your weekly cleaning ritual will ensure that your dining table stays as fresh as it seems. Periodic cleanings will keep dirt at bay and ensure that the table is completely clean, but the right polish for wooden furniture depends on several factors. .
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