Lindac: I'm sorry about that. My technical side popped up to have a say, and it isn't very diplomatic. I do agree with you that several frabics, linen in particular, will take a set and hold creases and flat shiny surfaces if dampened and ironed. When my mother laundered her crocheted doilies, she heavily starched those to make the ruffles stand up and the piece to hold its shape. Back when she made those, she used cotton cord/thread. (I had to request her not to starch my hankies, starch only the ones that were to be placed in a suit jacket breast pocket.) And yes, I have ironed a few articles of my own clothing. I avoid it as much as I can [smile]. The use of the term, thermoplastic, has a very specific definition in the business I was in (as applied to materials). I have designed many molded parts in both thermplastic and thermset plastics for a living.

I have a Bosch Next 500 that I have owned for about two months. So far, I have washed my running shoes and multiple baseball caps in it. Both the shoes and the caps came out very clean and in good condition - much better than when washed in my old top loader.

There are some questions that need to be checked out first. What kind of finish does the wood floor have? Old-school shellac? varnish? oil-based urethane? water based urethane? penetrating seal? wax? All these react differently with other products. It could be that water-based urethane doesn't react with the tape. Not sure but, just be aware of all the different finishes of wood floors and know what you have before getting tape or sticky lino tiles to use. Is the tape to be used just to "nail-down" the corners or to be used for the entire perimeter of the rug?

My 1934 old house had had a fire before I bought it. I was told to use terpentine and linseed oil mixture, it looked really beautiful..I sanded it first. Danish oil also looks beauriful on old wood. Stains? You just have to sand first, then use a stain darker than the original. Use a wood conditioner first, then hand stain the wood, trying to blend around the stain until the spot on the floor blends in better. Apply 2 coats of poly. Keep the room as dust free as possible. I still have a dark spot on my living room floor that was burned. Doesn't bother me, just reminds me that this old house has a story to tell.