I think the best way to keep them clean and shiny is by just wiping them down with a "damp" cloth every day. There are tons of cleaners out there, but this is the best thing that I have found that works.
I agree with Homegal. Our hardwood floors have always looked just fine with nothing more than water on them. My sister however, swears by Murphy's Oil soap. As long as you don't leave the floors too wet, all is good. We also have one of those soft sweepers, or dust mops as my mom used to call them, that kind of buffs them up while sweeping.
I used to clean houses for a living and always used a mixture of vinegar and hot water. It seemed to get the job done and kept the floors nice and shiny until I came back to clean them again within a few weeks.
Christine, I use Murphy's Oil Soap for my wood floors and for the furniture. My youngest has bad allergies and that's what the doctor recommended to make sure I get up all of the dust mites. It's never hurt anything so far and it leaves a really nice scent.
I'd be so worried about the water slowly damaging the wood over time. I try to sweep my wood floor and use a swiffer as often as I can, and only very rarely actually use water and cleaner on it.
I use Murphy's Oil Soap but I make sure I have an old towel that I use after I rinse the floor. I make sure that all the water is sopped up so I don't get any damage.
Best way to clean hardwood floor 
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