Semi-gloss varnish should not look dull and matte. I don't think that cleaning the floors is going to change the appearance. Maybe you need to call the owner of the company and let them know you are unhappy with the results. As for cleaning hardwood floors, my opinion is the less water, the better. I just vacuum my hardwood floors.

I would use a dust mop and if I felt it was dirty, I would use a damp mop. Put some
Endust on the dust mop it picks up the dust instead of moving it around.

Are you sure you used varnish, or was it a polyurethane product? Varnish hasn't commonly been used as a floor finish since the 1960's and requires slightly different care than polyurethane. Varnished floors required waxing and buffing, while that's not necessary with polyurethane finishes.

There is usually stain, sealer (there are now one-step stain/sealer products), and more than one coat of the finish applied, and the highest gloss is used for the final coat to provide the most durability. Even using high-gloss (which is the hardest and most durable), it "softens" over time, and so will the semi-gloss finish. I would suggest you consult the manufacturer of the finish, or check their web site, to get more accurate information about care.

When we had our hardwood floors refinished with polyurethane, the most I had to do was to run a professional-grade cotton dust mop over it (which I did daily, and washed the mop head frequently, because a dirty mop can hide debris/sand and scratch the finish). I never used a vacuum on the floor because they can also scratch the finish. Occasionally I would use a brush attachment on the vacuum to do the edges. When there was something to clean off the floor (usually wet footprints from people who don't wipe their feet on the rug), I was told to use a damp cloth or Windex and a soft cloth to dry it immediately. Once a year I would do the whole floor, on my hands and knees, with Windex and a soft cloth. It always looked great. But I was given a care instruction sheet after the floor was refinished.

You should also use caution with dusting products containing petro-chemicals, like Endust or Liquid Gold. They can damage a finish and void the warranty, so check with the finish company for ACCURATE information concerning cleaning.

-Grainlady

Grainlady, you are always spot-on with your advice. And you were certainly correct to point out that the original poster (OP) most likely has polyurethane on the floor, not varnish.

But I want to let you know that there are vacuum attachments designed for hardwood floor use, and they don't scratch the floor. The advantage of using that over a dustmop, in my opinion, is that the dirt is picked up and sucked into the vacuum versus being held in the dustmop. Both ways will work, obviously.

Still, cleaning the floor is not going to solve the OP's problem.

It is called varnish. It's a water based Eco friendly product with no VOCS. I had called the company awhile ago and he said that it's probably locked water vapor giving a hazey finish and would require a lite sanding and the reapply the semi gloss. They said to use hot water and that's it. Anything with ammonia will harm it. They floor guy is coming back to redo a room because he messed up big time so I'm thinking of just redoing everything :(

But I guess my main concern here is a mop. I didn't know if those spin brushed or steam mops are worth it?

Steam mops do not pick up loose dirt. You still have to sweep or vacuum first to pick up the loose dirt, and many people feel that hot steam can damage wood floors. Unless you are regularly getting a lot of mud tracked through your house, dry dusting - be it with a dust mop, broom, or vacuum - is going to suffice.

Vacuum first using floor attachment on your vacuum, not the rug beater bar. to get up all the loose dirt. Then mop with Bona mop and Bona hard wood floor cleaner.

My favorite mop is one that has the strings attached on top and the bottom end of the mop. I just dip it in the water and twist a ribbed ring attached to the top of the strings to ring out the water. I believe it is a common mop maker and I got it at Walmart many years ago. It keeps my hands out of the water and it can ring more water out than I could ever do. I just remembered, it was a Libman.

I am new with my carbonized bamboo floor. It has a kind of glossy appearance. I just get down on the floor and wipe with a damp cloth and then rub with a dry one, any spots I see. I suppose once a year I should go over the whole thing. I would simply be afraid to mop the floor -- how can I be sure I get it dry? Even down on my hands and knees I have to rub and rub to get just to dry it after using a squeezed out damp cloth on it! Am I crazy?

Thorough vacuuming, a bucket of hot water with a dollop of white vinegar and a cloth strip or string mop. Make sure not to run the carpet beater bar on your hardwood floors, use straight suction. If your vacuum won't do that, use a broom. Wring the mop well and let air dry. Vinegar water leaves no residue.