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Last updated: 28 Apr 2023
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The Very Best Hardwood Floor Polishes

Best Overall
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Bona Hardwood Floor Polish
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Runner Up
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Quick Shine Hardwood Floor Polish
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Honorable Mention
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Rejuvenate Hardwood Floor Polish
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Also Consider
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Restore-A-Floor Hardwood Floor Polish
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Howard Products Hardwood Floor Polish
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Weiman Hardwood Floor Polish
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Murphy Hardwood Floor Polish
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Hardwood floors are a beautiful luxury to have in your homes. They add a pleasant touch of class and sass to your interior environment. But, to maintain the natural luster and vanish that gives your wooden floor its appeal, you need to understand all the things it takes to properly maintain a hardwood floor. Typically, in most situations, this would mean learning the proper way to clean, treat and wax these floors. But it goes beyond that, you also need to polish your hardwood floors so that they do not get damaged and lose their desired glossy finish. For your convenience, we’ve compiled a list of the best hardwood floor polishes in 2023. This careful selection of premium hardwood floor polishes will help keep your floor looking fresh as the day you moved in.

Let’s dive in!

Compare The Best Hardwood Floor Polish In 2023

1

Bona Hardwood Floor Polish

– Best Overall
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Bona Hardwood Floor Polish helps you give your floor the care it deserves. Its protective formula renews hardwood floors by filling in micro-scratches and scuffs, shielding against future wear and traffic.

Bona Hardwood Floor Polish keeps your floors revitalized and looking new and adds a durable high gloss shine that is timeless and safe. With this amazing product, you can restore your aging floors to their previous glory and maintain them for a lifetime. 

Pros
  • It’s safe for all kinds of unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane finished wood floors
  • Can be used to even out the appearance of the floor
Cons
  • The product will not work well on wooden floors with worn out shape
2

Quick Shine Hardwood Floor Polish

– Runner Up
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Quick shine Hardwood Polish restores the richness, color, and beauty of your hardwood floors with added durability to withstand heavy foot traffic. It adds a protective layer filling in micro-scratches and evening out the appearance of your hardwood floors.

Quick shine hardwood polish is fortified with pure, natural, plant-based carnauba and is free from aluminum, ammonia, formaldehyde, fragrance, paraben, phthalate, and gluten. It provides the “WOW” glow that your floors need with the health and safety of your family in mind.

Pros
  • This hardwood polish is fragrance-free 
  • It’s EPA approved, a safer choice for polish for a renewed finish and lasting polish
  • It’s free from aluminum, ammonia, gluten, paraben, and phthalate
Cons
  • The polish doesn’t survive the test of time well
3

Rejuvenate Hardwood Floor Polish

– Honorable Mention
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Rejuvenate Professional wood floor polish fills in scratches, restores glossy shine, and protects hardwood flooring. Its amazing features bond to the existing finish on your hardwood floors to resist stains and spills with no waxy build-up.

Rejuvenate professional wood floor restorer is perfect for all residential and commercial hardwood floor restoration and polishing projects. Its methods of application are quite easy and require little fuss, so you do not have to stress to get the best quality your floors deserve.

Pros
  • Perfect for all commercial and residential hardwood floor restorations
  • One bottle covers up to 525 sq. ft
  • You can buy it in a pack of two
  • It dries quickly
Cons
  • It will not remove any scratches or scruffs
4

Restore-A-Floor Hardwood Floor Polish

– Also Consider
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Restore-A-Floor Wood Floor Polish is a specially formulated floor finish and polish that works on all hard floors. This product effectively fills in scratches and rejuvenates dull spots, sealing old and new floors to a clear, brilliant, shiny, and polished finish.

Restore-A-Floor wood floor polish is easy to apply and renews aging floors very efficiently. Before you begin pricing expensive new floors or paneling give Restore-A-Floor a try and see the restoring miracles that countless others experience each and every day with this remarkable product.

Pros
  • Effectively fills in scratches and rejuvenates the floor
  • Easy to apply with just a mop or foam – eliminates the need for a polishing machine
Cons
  • It comes in a small bottle – you may have to buy 2-3 of these
5

Howard Products Hardwood Floor Polish

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Howard Products FW0016 Wood Polish is an ideal way of enhancing the depth of grain while providing added protection and luster to wooden floors, furniture, antiques, and cabinets. This product helps introduce conditioning oils that ‘feed’ the wood while providing a protective coating of beeswax and carnauba wax. 

Howard Products FW0016 Wood Polish can be used on finished or unfinished wood to help preserve and keep the wood from drying out, fading, or even cracking. It should be used

Pros
  • Can be used on floors as well as antiques, tables, cabinets, doors, and more
  • Can completely rejuvenate your floor to a soft luster
Cons
  • It has to be used in a well-ventilated area and is flammable
6

Weiman Hardwood Floor Polish

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Weiman Hardwood floor polish and restorer imparts your floors with the beautiful high-gloss finish that it deserves. This product is a “ready to use” product formulated to get rid of greasy messes, dirt, and grime on all hardwood floor finishes. 

The Weiman Hardwood floor polish and restorer will make your hardwood floors look and feel brand new. It revitalizes your cleaning experience and takes your floors up several notches in quality, appearance, and function. This floor polish is also quite versatile and can be used on any finished hardwood surface, rejuvenating a shine with no sticky residue.

Pros
  • It comes loaded with a cherry, pine scent
  • It’s multipurpose and can be used on any hardwood surface
Cons
  • It’s a bit thin
7

Murphy Hardwood Floor Polish

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Murphy’s Oil soap wood cleaner and polish kit are specially designed to clean both finished wood and non-wood surfaces so they maintain their beautiful shine at all times. This product aims to bring out wood’s beauty in a gentle and natural way. 

Murphy’s Oil soap wood cleaner doesn’t contain any ammonia or bleach and is biodegradable and phosphate-free. It is a natural organic wood Cleaner that is specially formulated with water, coconut, and plant-derived cleaning ingredients that give it its natural homely fragrance. 

 

Pros
  • It comes in a pack of three – removes the hassle of buying it over
  • Does not contain ammonia or bleach
  • You can use it to clean your wood and bring out its beauty in a gentle, natural way
Cons
  • Its smell is too strong

Best Hardwood Floor Polishes Buying Guide

Day-to-day life can be tough on hardwoods. To protect and properly maintain your Hardwood floors, there are a lot of things you have to do. One of the more necessary precautions you would need to take is the consistent application of hardwood floor polishes. These polishes not only brighten the look of your wooded floors but also provide a coating that protects and helps prevent damage and wear. 

Hardwood floor polishes are not miracle workers. They cannot fill in deep or wide grooves, gouges, and large imperfections. Instead, they are usually more of a precautionary and maintenance move to prevent and fill scuff marks and small scratches that accumulate over time.

If you are looking to purchase one that will work properly for your floors, you should probably go through our guide below. Our guide examines the factors you will need to consider and should assist you in your goal to get the best hardwood floor polish that suits your home floors.

What Things Should I Consider When Buying Hardwood Floor Polish?

Here are some of the major things you should look for in a wooden floor polish:

Safety of application

Firstly, before making a purchase of a hardwood floor you have to determine what kind of polish is appropriate for your own specific kind of floor. This is usually mentioned most times on the body of the polish. That’s why it’s so crucial that you read the instructions and understand them before making a purchase.

All hardwood floors are not the same. Keep this in mind before you make your choice. A great trick you can execute as a final fail-safe for your floors is to perform a patch test – meaning you apply the polish to a hidden part of the floor to test its effects before spreading it around your house.

Finish

Another thing you should know before buying your polish is that every hardwood floor polish has a different finish. You have to make sure that the polish you end up selecting has the kind of finish that you require and this depends on the activity performed on the floor and the slipperiness of your floors. 

Some polishes will give your floors a high gloss finish but if what you want is a natural finish, high gloss will not give you a natural look. Whatever choice you make in the end, you should still test it out with a patch test to get an idea of the finish you’re going to get before applying it across your entire floor.

Ease of application

You should always check the instructions on usage before making a decision on your hardwood floor polish. An appropriate polish will be one that’s easy to apply and doesn’t leave any marks or bevels on your floors.

If this is your first time doing anything like this you need to be careful during application especially when it comes to the duration of time the polish requires to properly dry and blend properly with your very special floors. You might also need to choose an applicator and a buffer if your situation requires it.

Wax buildup

Most floor polishes are based on wax – as a result of this, they tend to form a layer on your hardwood floors. To prevent the buildup of wax on your floors from your floor polish, it’s necessary that you try to select a polish that has a low amount of build-up. 

A great tip to ensure that you get the best shine and appearance out of your hardwood floor surfaces and avoid wax build-up is to always endeavor to clean your floors thoroughly before polishing.

Drying duration

The time required for a floor polish to properly dry differs from polish to polish. Try to check before purchase how long it will take for the first coat to dry. This duration can also well be affected by external factors like the temperature of the atmosphere. It’s necessary that you know the amount of time you are required to give the polished floor so that it can dry properly. A newly polished floor not given the appropriate amount of time to dry will appear streaky and patchy on the slightest of impacts.

Additionally, if you are looking to apply more than one coat of floor polish, ensure that you wait the appropriate amount of time between coats to avoid the floor looking milky.

Quality

If you select a polish of great quality, you will reduce the number of times you need to polish your floors. When choosing, ensure that whichever product you choose is cost-effective and of the best standard. Some polishes just need one application whilst others need to be applied twice or thrice. When making your final choice consider all these and check customer reviews to know which ones last the longest – this saves you a lot of time and money. 

Here Are Some Tips/Precautions for Polish Application

It’s not really a mind-boggling task to polish your floors by yourself. Here are a few basic steps you can follow to get you started:

  • As a precaution ensure that you wear safety gloves during this process and perform a spot test before you begin.
  • Preliminarily prepare your room for polishing by taking out all furniture, people, pets, and obstacles that may come in the way or be harmed during the process.
  • Clean the area properly and get rid of all dirt by either mopping, vacuuming, or any method you prefer that works.
  • After cleaning, begin applying polish evenly across the designated region using a mop or a microfiber cloth. Start from the angles and corners and work your way towards the entrance.
  • Give the floor some time to dry properly, following the recommended amount of time.
  • After it dries, you should apply an extra coat if your polish or floor requires it.
  • As a safety precaution, always keep the product away from your children and pets. 
  • Also, some polishes can be flammable and it’s not advised to apply them in your kitchen hard floors. Keep this in mind when you’re zeroing in on your desired wood polish. 

People Also Asked

Q: How often should I polish my hardwood floors?

A: The answer to this usually depends on two factors; the amount of activity the area accommodates daily and the strength and lasting of the polish. Some polishes require you to apply them at least once or twice a month, while others need to be applied on a weekly basis to get similar results. If you are looking to polish an area of hardwood floor that sees heavy traffic, you should try using high-traffic wooden floor polishes. This tends to last longer and would reduce the amount of time you'll need to apply them.

Q: What safety measures do I need to take before polishing the floors?

A: As a precaution, you should empty the area you are about to polish and stop the traffic of people and pets in the region. Then, you should clean the area thoroughly to remove any dust, debris, or unwanted substances before application.

Q: What results should I be expecting after polishing my hardwood floors?

A: If applied properly, your floor polish after application will keep your floor looking glossy and refreshed for a long period. If you were lucky and made a good purchase, the scratches on your wooden floor will now be less prominent than they were before!

Cleaning Kitchen
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By Old House Journal Review Team
The Old House Journal Review Team’s product reviews and in-depth guides are here to help you restore, repair, update, and decorate your home. The content is created by The Old House Journal Review Team. The Old House Journal editorial staff is not involved. Old House Journal is reader-supported: When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
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