How do I get rid of the smell from not-so-recently refinished wood floors?

QUESTION:
I recently moved into an apartment that, back in November of 2008, had the hardwood floors refinished with what I think is polyurethane. When I first looked at the place, there was a fairly strong chemical odor that I thought was from the recent painting of the apartment, but now that I've moved in I'm realizing that it hasn't dissipated. I've put my nose to the hardwood floors and there is definitely a sharp chemical smell coming from them. Do you know what would cause floors to smell this strongly months after they've been refinished? Is there anything I can do now to dispel the odor? Thank you.

ANSWER:
It could be polyurethane, but the toxic kind. 

If it were water-based polyurethane, the odor would have dissipated by now. But there are still oil-based wood finishes on the market that continue to outgas for several years. 

Heat treatment is the best way to handle this. Just remove people, pets, and plants from your apartment, close everything up, and turn up the heat as high as you can. It may take a few days or a week of heating to cure the finish so it no longer outgasses. Then open all the windows and air it out before you move back in.

Debra :-)

This answer was provided by our friend, Debra Lynn Dadd. Hailed as "The Queen of Green" by the New York Times, Debra Lynn Dadd has been a pioneering consumer advocate since 1982, specializing in products and lifestyle choices that are safer for human health and the environment. She is the author of Home Safe Home.