A method for treating flooring not designed for sanding and having a multi-layer wax finish reduces the frequency of stripping the wax layers down to the flooring and recoating the flooring in carrying out periodic maintenance on the flooring. A mobile floor treating machine includes at least one rotating brush which is driven at a first circular speed x for cleaning the flooring and is driven at a second circular speed y for removing the two uppermost layers of wax, where y≧2x. The top remaining wax layer is then cleaned with the brush operating at the original circular speed x. Two layers of wax are then sequentially applied to the top remaining wax layer in replacing the two removed layers of wax on the floor and restoring the flooring to its original finish. The brush may be operated at 800-1500 RPM for burnishing and polishing.