Popularized in the 1940s, waxing is a floor-finishing technique in which clear or colored wax, made of a blend of solvents and synthetic and/or natural waxes like beeswax or carnauba, is applied ...

And the standard method of treating and maintaining these flooring types was with floor wax and lots of elbow grease. Early floor wax came in paste form and had to be applied the hard way — on hands ...