help my home dance floor has lost its slide

situation: previously danceable oak floor in my home, new housekeeper. I don't know what she used but the slide is gone replaced by a gunky heavy feel. I wiped it down with water and sprinkled a little cornstarch last night.

Please share recommendations
1) what I can do now to restore the slide
2) how to maintain it (as simply as possible): damp mop with no product, right?

thanksthanksthanks
sue

Hi Sue,
Having been fortunate to dance on your floor, I thought I might offer the following:

On our dance floor that we built, I used to first vacuum the floor with one of those electric brooms, but then we discovered that one of those "Swifter" duster works better for dust, lint, etc.

Getting the 'slide' back in without getting too much slide is the tough part. I use Pledge . . . but be really careful to use very little of it! You will learn how much to use. Pledge can get very slippery . . . but hey for you Lindy Hoppers, your lessons with Damon should be really fun with a slippery floor!

You may want to try spraying it on a rag first, then doing the dance area of your floor . . . then experiment! The slipperiness does start to diminish after a few days . . . then do it evey so often as it "slows down."

Also, it sounds like your housekeeper used Pine Sol, or some detergent-type cleaner on the floor!!!

suek said:

situation: previously danceable oak floor in my home, new housekeeper. I don't know what she used but the slide is gone replaced by a gunky heavy feel. I wiped it down with water and sprinkled a little cornstarch last night.

Please share recommendations
1) what I can do now to restore the slide
2) how to maintain it (as simply as possible): damp mop with no product, right?

sue

Click to expand...

So what is your floor coated with? varnish? polish? lacquer? nothing?
a beeswax polish is probaby the best if there's no varnish on it, but varnish or lacquer normally would resist being washed.

Try a little in one corner to see what works.
Talc goes a long way to making a floor slidey.
Cornstarch and water makes a roux, I believe!!

bordertangoman said:

So what is your floor coated with? varnish? polish? lacquer? nothing?

Click to expand...

it was professionally varnished five years ago. and has been reasonably slidey ever since. until this week. sigh.

a beeswax polish is probaby the best if there's no varnish on it, but varnish or lacquer normally would resist being washed.
Try a little in one corner to see what works.

Click to expand...

I'd like to try; can you recommend a specific product? I'm not sure what a beeswax polish is.

thanks

thanks everyone

I have done the following:

damp mop; let it dry
spritz a little pledge, mop; let dry
the pledge addresses my immediate need: practicing for my first performance (bal/charleston) next week
and I just put heavy wool socks on and danced all over the floor--it's much much better--I can slide and split hooray

going forward I will make sure to tell my housekepper to dry mop only -- no products! -- forevermore

I've heard Murphy's Oil Soap can ruin a dance floor, not that I'm lucky enough to have a dance floor (next house. I promise). I just have lucky friends. :wink:

suek said:

thanks everyone

I have done the following:

damp mop; let it dry
spritz a little pledge, mop; let dry
the pledge addresses my immediate need: practicing for my first performance (bal/charleston) next week
and I just put heavy wool socks on and danced all over the floor--it's much much better--I can slide and split hooray

going forward I will make sure to tell my housekepper to dry mop only -- no products! -- forevermore

Click to expand...

Just be careful Sue . . . the Pledge can get too slippery! I have slipped and landed on my a** before!

PS . . . I still love your backyard! I'm thinking about a similar theme in ours!

LOL. I have a friend who Pledged the floor to get back at her husband. Classic passive aggressive stuff. He insisted she scrub and polish their hardwood floor at least weekly, til it was sparkling shiny clean. I still can't figure out why he didn't just do it himself. Anyway, when she got fed up with the drudgery, she Pledged the floor. *giggle* When he walked into the house after work that night, he slipped and landed on his butt. Then he got up and slipped again and again and again. :twisted: After that, he stopped bugging her about the floor. LOL!
:lol: :lol:

Um. Anyway. My point is yes, the Pledge can get too slippery. 8)

Just as a general comment, I believe humid weather can also temporarily 'ruin' an otherwise good dancefloor in certain circumstances. It doesn't sound like this is what happened to yours, but there's a floor locally that is fine 10 months of the year, but can be a bit spotty during the worst days of summer.

Chris Stratton said:

Just as a general comment, I believe humid weather can also temporarily 'ruin' an otherwise good dancefloor in certain circumstances. It doesn't sound like this is what happened to yours, but there's a floor locally that is fine 10 months of the year, but can be a bit spotty during the worst days of summer.

Click to expand...

Ah yes. Vince will appreciate this. It's Sacramento. It's a dry heat. Nope. Can't blame this one on humidity.

And thanks all for the warning. I do love to slide and I am watchful and at the same time all over sliding to the max. My floor is working much better now. Just practiced the routine Damon and I will be doing at my first (gulp!) performance next weekend.

suek said:

Chris Stratton said:

Just as a general comment, I believe humid weather can also temporarily 'ruin' an otherwise good dancefloor in certain circumstances. It doesn't sound like this is what happened to yours, but there's a floor locally that is fine 10 months of the year, but can be a bit spotty during the worst days of summer.

Click to expand...

Ah yes. Vince will appreciate this. It's Sacramento. It's a dry heat. Nope. Can't blame this one on humidity.

And thanks all for the warning. I do love to slide and I am watchful and at the same time all over sliding to the max. My floor is working much better now. Just practiced the routine Damon and I will be doing at my first (gulp!) performance next weekend.

Click to expand...

[OFF TOPIC]
Hi Sue,
You going to do it finally, eh??? Where at??? In Sac???

Carolyn's off to Houston for a competition, and I get 4 days to go play and get in some privates with my new Pro. But nothing is planned for other than those privates, and I'd like to come and watch!!!

Vince A said:

[YUP WE ARE OFF TOPIC]Hi Sue, You going to do it finally, eh??? Where at??? In Sac???

Click to expand...

Gulp. Yeah, so it seems. Saturday the 15th at 8 at the Spotlight. Tickets have to be bought in advance. Spotlight Dance & Fitness 628 N Market Blvd - (916) 649-3269. We're doing balboa/20s charleston to Benny Goodman's Sweet Sue. It has been so much fun. Turns out I love choreography. Would be lovely to see your friendly face there Vince.