I hear you on the maintenance side. Waxed floors do look amazing when they're fresh, but in my house (two kids, a dog, and someone always forgetting to wipe their shoes), that shine gets dulled pretty quick. I remember thinking, "How bad can it be?" when we moved in, but man, I spent more weekends buffing and reapplying wax than I ever expected.
Has anyone tried layering oil over old wax, or is that just asking for trouble?
Tried it once—wouldn’t recommend. The oil just sort of sat there, never really soaked in, and ended up feeling tacky for weeks. Had to strip the whole thing back down, which was a pain. If you’re thinking about switching to oil, I’d say bite the bullet and get rid of the wax first. Oil’s been way easier for me to touch up, and it hides the scuffs better, too. That said, I do miss the soft glow of wax sometimes... just not enough to go back.
If you’re thinking about switching to oil, I’d say bite the bullet and get rid of the wax first.
Honestly, I get the love for oil, but I’ve had the opposite luck. Wax might be a pain, but when I tried oil, every crumb and paw print seemed to stick like glue. Maybe it’s just my chaotic household, but I’m still team wax (for now).
I hear you on the sticky oil floors—been there with two dogs and a toddler. What worked for me was switching to a plant-based hardwax oil. It’s like a happy medium: easier to spot-clean than wax, but not as tacky as straight oil. Still, I get why wax feels safer in a busy house... old habits die hard.
It’s like a happy medium: easier to spot-clean than wax, but not as tacky as straight oil.
That’s interesting—never tried a plant-based hardwax oil. Did you notice any difference in how it held up against scratches or water spots compared to regular oil? I’ve always worried about long-term durability with the eco options.
Plant-based hardwax oil’s been a bit of a mixed bag for me. I used it on a white oak floor in a client’s mudroom—figured if it could survive there, it could survive anywhere. First year, it held up better than I expected. Water spots wiped right off, and scratches didn’t seem as obvious as with straight oil. But after about 18 months, I started noticing some dull patches where boots got dragged in every day. Not terrible, but definitely more maintenance than a traditional poly or even a heavy-duty wax.
I will say, the spot-cleaning is way easier than with wax, and it doesn’t have that sticky feel you sometimes get with oils. But if you’ve got dogs or kids who treat the floor like a racetrack, you’ll probably be reapplying more often than you’d like. Still, for folks who want to avoid the chemical stuff, it’s not a bad trade-off. Just don’t expect it to be bulletproof.
