I agree with hollysprings about Minwax products and disagree with Sparklingwater about Bona finishes. Difficult to say what was at fault with the finish job, as there is no way to tell if the job was done properly or not and what specific products were used. Because this was raised in another thread, I will repost my response in that other thread here for anyone's interest: Sorry to hear about some consumer problems with waterbourne polyurethane. However, that is not my experience. Not one of my customers has ever had a wear problem with the products I use, and I have been doing this for almost twenty years with waterbourne the only fim-build finish I specify. I would not specify or use anything else; the results are consistent and the technology is proven. If you use top shelf products, you will get top shelf performance. Any wood floor finish can be problematic when applied contrary to manufacturer directions, so that sometimes can be factored into disappointment with a product. Also, there are cheap products in both types of film-build finishes and quality ones in both. You generally do get what you pay for in wood floor finishes. My guess is those who experience disappointment with waterbourne polyurethanes is because either a cheap product was used or it was improperly applied.

we have a very busy household, 4 teenagers, dog, etc and our floor guy very highly recommended oil over water - we have three coats in the kitchen and two thoughout the rest of the house - it looks and is holding up beautifully....a friend has three coats of water base that is showing wear and tear after two years (less busy household...only two teens!) - yes you have to be out of your home for several days - but there was very little if any odor when we returned...

Hi there, we recently had our red oak hardwood floors refinished with an oil-based polyurethane stain/finish. It was recommended to use Bona's cleaner for oil-based wood floors, but i cant find it in my area anywhere. Most retailers just carry the regular Bona wood floor cleaner. Would this still be safe for my floors? Is there something else I can use? Thanks!

Great tips and advice. I would like to add, house plants will help filter out polluted air, along with maintaining humidity and adding color to a space as well.