There are a couple things you should not do when maintaining hardwood floors:

Don’t use a steam cleaner because it will force water between the planks and might ultimately cause warping

Don’t wax a hardwood floor with a polyurethane finish because it will dull the floor, not make it shine

If you’re not sure what finish your floor has, avoid wax.

If you suspect a buildup of wax is dulling the floor, then mineral spirits ($10/quart or $25/gallon) on a cloth followed by wiping with a clean, damp cloth might work without harming the floor’s natural finish.

If you can’t get the wax off or the mineral spirits harm the floor’s finish, you’re left with the more aggressive options discussed next.