Choosing the best wood floor cleaners for your home is not just about keeping your hardwood flooring looking pristine; it’s about preserving the beauty and longevity of one of the most significant investments in your home. With a myriad of products on the market, each promising to be the ultimate solution for your wood flooring, navigating through the options can be overwhelming.
This article simplifies that journey for you by delving into the top Google results for “best wood floor cleaner,” bringing together expert opinions, consumer ratings, and industry recommendations. By focusing on trusted sources and user experiences, we aim to equip you with the knowledge needed to make an informed decision that aligns with the needs of your wood floors. Ready to preserve the beauty and longevity of your hardwood floors? Discover the best wood floor cleaners of 2024. Keep reading to find your perfect match!
SHORT ANSWER: We find Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner to be the best overall option for wood floor cleaning between professional cleanings.
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Uncover the secrets to maintaining your investment with our guide on the best wood floor cleaners. Dive deeper into why the right choice matters below.
Why Choosing the Right Wood Floor Cleaner Matters
The longevity and appearance of your wood floors are heavily influenced by the choice of cleaner. Using the wrong product can lead to a myriad of issues, ranging from dulling the finish to causing irreparable damage over time. In contrast, the right cleaner can:
- Enhance the natural beauty and grain of the wood
- Extend the life of your floors by preventing wear and tear
- Ensure the safety of your home environment by using non-toxic ingredients
To safeguard the health of your floors and your family, it is crucial to select a cleaner that is both effective and appropriate for the type of wood and finish of your floors. When selecting a wood floor cleaner, several key factors come into play to ensure that you’re making the best choice for your floors and your family:
- Ingredients and Safety: Opt for cleaners with non-toxic, environmentally friendly ingredients. Products certified by the EPA’s Safer Choice program are a reliable choice, offering peace of mind regarding health and safety.
- Effectiveness and Type of Wood Finish Compatibility: The cleaner should be effective on your specific type of wood and finish without causing damage. Consult the NWFA’s maintenance guidelines for products best suited to your flooring.
- Ease of Use and Residue: Look for cleaners that are easy to apply and leave no sticky or dulling residue behind. A no-rinse formula can save time and preserve the floor’s natural beauty.
In summary, the decision on which wood floor cleaner to use should not be taken lightly. The impact on your home’s appearance, the longevity of your floors, and the health of your living environment are all at stake. Making an informed choice is not just about cleanliness but about the overall well-being of your household.
Top Wood Floor Cleaners of 2024
Navigating through the vast array of wood floor cleaners can be daunting, but we’ve distilled the top picks for 2024. These products stand out not only for their cleaning prowess but also for their commitment to preserving the integrity and beauty of wood floors. Here are the brands that made the cut:
- Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner
- Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner
- Murphy Oil Soap Wood Cleaner
- Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner
- Black Diamond Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner
These products have been selected for their outstanding performance, safety profiles, and ease of use, ensuring that there’s a solution for every need and preference. Have you found the best wood floor cleaner for your home in our top picks for 2024? Don’t stop here! Learn how to use them effectively in the next section for sparkling results.
How to Use Wood Floor Cleaners for Best Results
Maximize the efficiency of the best wood floor cleaners with our expert usage tips. Continue reading for step-by-step guidance to enhance your floor’s natural beauty.
Achieving the best results from your wood floor cleaner doesn’t just come from the product itself, but also from how you use it. We followed this step-by-step guide while testing the above products. It’s important to follow the same process so your floors stay pristine and damage-free:
- Pre-Clean: Using a dust mop, broom, or vacuum cleaner, sweep or vacuum to remove any loose dirt or debris.
- Apply Cleaner: Follow the product instructions for applying the cleaner. For spray cleaners, a light mist across the floor is usually sufficient.
- Wipe or Mop: Use a microfiber mop or cloth to gently wipe the floor, following the grain of the wood.
- Dry: Allow the floor to air dry, or use a clean, dry microfiber cloth to remove any excess moisture.
Tips to avoid damage:
- Do not over-wet the floor. In general, avoid using excessive water as much as possible on your wood surfaces. Excess water can quickly lead to water damage. This includes steam cleaners or steam mops.
- Avoid using harsh scrubbing tools like steel wool, or abrasive cleaners and cleaning solutions that can scratch the wood. This is why we recommend dust mopping with a clean cloth before beginning any other cleaning.
- Test the cleaner in an inconspicuous spot first to ensure compatibility.
Are you using the best wood floor cleaners correctly? Ensure the longevity and shine of your hardwood by following our detailed cleaning guide above.
How We Evaluated the Best Wood Floor Cleaners
Curious about how we determined the best wood floor cleaners for your home? Learn about our evaluation process below to understand what makes a cleaner stand out.
To make it easy, we picked a few specific traits we care about when it comes to our floors. This includes the type of formula, eco-friendliness, and price range, among some other traits. Please note, this information is current up to February 2024. Manufacturers may update their products, formulations, and so on. For the most current information, please consult the product listings directly.
| Feature/ Product | Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner | Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner | Murphy Oil Soap Wood Cleaner | Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner | Black Diamond Stoneworks Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formulation | Water-based | Plant-based, water-based | Oil-based | Water-based | Water-based |
| Suitability for Wood Types | All unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane-finished wood floors | All unwaxed, polyurethane-finished wood floors | Finished wood and hard surfaces | All hardwood floors | Hardwood, laminate, and engineered floors |
| Eco-Friendliness | Low VOC, biodegradable | Biodegradable, dye-free | Biodegradable | Eco-friendly, biodegradable | Eco-friendly, biodegradable |
| How To Use | Ready-to-use, no-rinse required | non-toxic, no rinse required | Traditional cleaner, concentrated formula | Ready-to-use, no-rinse required | Hypoallergenic, safe around children and pets |
| U.S. EPA Safer Choice | Certified | Not Certified | Not Certified | Certified | Not Certified |
| Price Range (128 Fl Oz) | $17.96 | $13.59 (68 Fl Oz) | $22.98 | $24.98 | $24.99 |
Formulation
Formulation refers to the specific combination of ingredients used to make the product. This includes active ingredients, solvents, pH adjusters, fragrances or dyes, and preservatives. Our preference is water-based, as this means the product can be easily rinsed if needed, and these tend to dry faster. Oil-based products tend to be used for conditioning.
Suitability
Suitability, in this context, refers to what the product is designed for. Of course, we picked products that are meant for cleaning hardwood floors, but it is nice to know more of the details. For example, unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane-finished wood floors are different than engineered wood floors.
Eco-Friendliness and U.S. EPA Safer Choice Certified
This is a bit self-explanatory. Today, being gentle on the environment is a must, so we look for products that are biodegradable, and safe for kids and pets to be around. Products can be considered eco-friendly without being certified, but the Safer Choice criteria does give you a little more peace of mind.
A Word About Ingredients
We’ve been in this industry for a long time (almost 20 years now!), and we’ve spent an equally long time looking for products that are eco-friendly and safe for pets, kids, folks with sensitive respiratory systems, and so on. This is the case for all of our services, from deep carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning to our wood floor cleaning service.
That said, there are certain ingredients we know to avoid. Please check out this article about pet-safe hardwood cleaning for more information. It’s also important to note that even if the packaging is green, that doesn’t mean the cleaner is natural or safe. Carefully inspect even the popular products to find the natural cleaners you truly are looking for.
How To Use
As mentioned above, it’s important to follow a very specific step-by-step process to ensure the product is being used correctly. In this case, the product provides a little more detail on how the wood floor cleaner should be used. For example, to rinse, or not to rinse? The answer can make the process a little more complicated.
Some folks might recommend looking for a wood floor cleaner that can double as a wood furniture cleaner as well. This is not something we particularly recommend, as wood floors and wood furniture require different kinds of treatment. Even the finish on furniture is different than the floor, and what might work for one might not for the other. So, if you want to use the same product for multiple things, go for it! But, please be cautious and test a small area first.
Cost
Mom always said you get what you pay for. That, however, does not mean the most expensive option is the right option. We’ve included this as a metric for you to make your decision, but as you can see, the options are all roughly the same cost.
Top Wood Floor Cleaner Picks
For every test, we used the same kind of spray bottle and mop. Specifically, we used this chemically resistant spray bottle, which tends to last the longest with cleaning products, and this microfiber pad. We find microfiber to be less streaky, which is important when testing wood floor cleaners. It’s also important to note that we are not going for “shine” but rather “clean and not streaky or sticky.”
When the cleaner calls for a rinse cycle to remove the product from the floor, we make sure to use warm water, and ensure we change whatever bucket or towel we’re using so we’re always using clean water.
We would also like to point out that we did not use any product, or even evaluate any product, listed as a hardwood “polish”. These products are designed to leave a glossy film on the hardwood, and it does look beautiful for the first few weeks. Eventually, however, with continued application, this waxy film begins to darken and is incredibly difficult to remove. We highly caution against using these kinds of products.
Best Overall: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Bona’s hardwood floor cleaner wins out as best overall. This product is ready-to-use and requires no dilution, so it was easy to fill a spray bottle and get started. It’s also a neutral pH, which, as a reliable professional wood floor cleaning company, we know is one of the most important things to consider to maintain the polyurethane finish on the hardwood.
Bona also recommends using their specific microfiber cleaning pad. Their cleaning pad attaches to their special mop that is refillable and operates like a swiffer wetjet. It’s probably easier, but we find any microfiber mop works just as well.
So we spritzed a little of the cleaner on the floor and mopped away. We found it dries quickly and doesn’t leave your feet feeling sticky. The floor had no residue left over when we were done and was totally streak-free.
We prefer the odorless option, but this does also come in cedar wood and lavender thyme scents, and at $17.98 for a full gallon, this also ended up being the most cost-effective option.
Click here to view Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner on Amazon
Runner Up: Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner
As the only other product on our list that is U.S. EPA Safer Choice Certified, we were excited to try out Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner. It’s similar to Bona in that it’s ready-to-use and rinse-free, which makes it easy to work with. We performed the same process, spraying a little on the floor and mopping with the microfiber mop. We did notice this felt a little sticky after the first go around, so we diluted the solution and tried again. That seemed to help.
The other thing we noticed about this product, specifically with the undiluted experiment, is that we needed to go with the grain of the wood, otherwise, there was some noticeable streakiness. Aside from that, however, we would use this in place of Bona, if they were out of stock. It is a little pricier, coming in at $24.98 a gallon, but again, we had to dilute it, so maybe it’ll last longer.
Click here to view Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner on Amazon
Honorable Mentions
Black Diamond Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner
We like that Black Diamond specifies it works for laminate floors, which are very different from wood or vinyl flooring. Traditional laminate floors are typically made of pressed board with a picture of wood printed on it. As you can probably guess, cleaning these floors with water is a definite no-no.
This is another no-rinse cleaner, and it did a pretty good job of getting our floors clean. It also meets a majority of the criteria we were looking for, though it isn’t EPA-certified at this time. It’s important to know that this is a cleaning agent and not a polish, so we did not expect a shiny finish, but it was very clean and streak-free.
Murphy Oil Soap Wood Cleaner
As a result of our experiences as a professional wood floor cleaning and restoration company, we had some reservations regarding Murphy’s Oil. We’ve seen too many homes where Murphy’s Oil has been improperly used and caused a fair amount of damage. That said, be cautious as the ingredients in Murphy’s Oil Soap have been shown to damage the flooring finish after extended use. But, this was recommended to us, and experience provides many lessons.
The first lesson is that Murphy’s Oil is a concentrated liquid soap. This means it needs to be diluted before it can be used. So we did that first, diluting 2 oz of the soap into a gallon of warm water. Then we proceeded with the cleaning as we did with the rest of the products. Now, the smell was a little strong, but it is a citronella scent. We have citronella on both our patio and porch, so we’re familiar with the scent. This was like that but as if you stuck you’re whole face in the plant for an extended amount of time.
The directions do say “no rinsing required,” but we found the floors were sticky and felt a little gummy, so we rinsed anyway. We used warm water and made sure to change our bucket of water every 150 square feet or so, to make sure we always had clean water. That said, this is an oil-based soap, so the water didn’t do a fantastic job at rinsing with just one pass.
Some people swear by Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean wood floors, and we can accept that, but it’s just not for us.
Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Method was the most expensive of the 5 options we tested, with the largest bottle size being 68 ounces, almost half the size of the other wood floor cleaners. The almond scent was fantastic, the performance, however, left some to be desired.
The directions are easy: just squirt and mop. No dilution or rinsing is required. However, we found this product left a sticky film on the floor rather than cleaning it. We should note that the bottle does say “clean + gleam” which we very specifically avoid. Again, not our favorite product, but some folks are incredibly happy with it.
Keep Your Floors Clean Longer
So you’ve decided which cleaner to use, and you are happy with it. But what else can you do to keep your favorite hardwood floor clean? Regardless of the type of hardwood floor, keeping floors looking spotless can feel like a never-ending chore. Here are some strategies you can employ to keep your floors clean longer.
Hardwood Floor Cleaning: A Routine
Routine cleaning is essential for maintaining the beauty and lifespan of hardwood floors. Daily clean-ups with a broom or vacuum help to remove dirt, dust, and debris that can scratch or damage the wood over time. You’d be surprised at how much regular sweeping protects the floor surface from foot traffic that brings gritty particles into the house.
When it comes to routine cleaning tools, it’s important to choose ones that are gentle on hardwood floors. Soft-bristled brooms, microfiber dust mops, or vacuums with soft rollers are the best options for keeping hardwood floors clean without causing any harm.
For the best results, we recommend investing in a high-quality vacuum specifically designed for hardwood floors. Look for a vacuum with adjustable suction power, soft brush attachments, and a non-abrasive beater bar. Additionally, microfiber cleaning cloths, specially formulated hardwood floor cleaners, and a soft-bristled push broom are great additions to your hardwood floor maintenance toolkit.
It may seem like a slog, but by getting the family involved and incorporating daily clean-ups with the right tools, you can keep the dust bunnies at bay and your beautiful wood floors clean and protected.
Splurge for the Professional Treatment
It’s recommended to have your hardwood flooring professional treated every so often. There are two treatments we and many other flooring contractors provide. The first is recoating, the second is refinishing.
Recoating is the less invasive of the two options. This one involves lightly scratching the topmost layer of your existing polyurethane or floor protectors, and then applying new polyurethane. This option can help deal with surface scratches and some stubborn stains. This type of service can be performed every year if you wish as it doesn’t affect the remaining life of the wood, though we typically suggest every 3 to 5 years.
Refinishing is much more intensive and invasive. Depending on your needs, we sand the floor down to the bare wood, repair and restain, and then apply the new polyurethane. This will generally provide a brand-new look and feel to your floors and home, but it does take off some of the life of the wood. For this reason, refinishing is suggested every 5 to 7 years.
Click here to learn more about the professional wood floor restoration options we offer.
FAQs About Wood Floor Cleaners
Usage: How often should I clean my wood floors with a wood floor cleaner?
About once every one to two weeks should be sufficient. This of course depends on the foot traffic and usage of the space, and if you are keeping up with regular sweeping or vacuuming.
Safety: Are wood floor cleaners safe for use around children and pets?
Some are, and some are not. We mentioned above an article we wrote regarding this and we also detailed the EPA’s Safer Choice certification. In the article, we specify ingredients to avoid if you want to make sure the wood floor cleaning product is safe to use around pets and children. The Safer Choice certification gives you peace of mind that the product is eco-friendly.
Can you use dish soap on hardwood floors?
You can, but note it’s not made for your wood floors. However, if you are in a pinch and need to degrease your floors, a couple of drops of dish soap in a gallon or two of hot water will do the trick.
Why are my hardwood floors still dirty after mopping?
Hardwood floors may still be dirty after mopping for a few reasons. First, how often are you changing the water you are using? If you aren’t changing it frequently enough, you might end up just pushing the dirt from one end of your home to the other.
You might be using too much cleaning solution. Too much soap will leave the floor looking streaky and feeling sticky. Or, finally, the finish on the floor may be damaged. This can be caused by using the wrong product to clean it, or age. This is where we would recommend professional wood floor cleaning services.
What not to use for hardwood cleaning?
Abrasive cleaners or anything listed as a “Glo” or “shine” product. The products may leave a beautiful shine the first few times but they need to be stripped before adding another layer. If these products like Orange Glo or Mop’n’Glo, are continually applied without removing the original layer, you’ll end up sealing the dirt and grime into your floor instead of removing it.
Also avoid anything with a pH over 9 or under 6, as these will damage the finish of the wood floor. You may not notice any major issues right away, but prolonged use of these kinds of products will cause the polyurethane to darken, gum up, or peel away.
Still have questions about finding and using the best wood floor cleaners? Check out our FAQs section for more insights, or contact our experts for personalized advice!
Conclusion: Best Wood Floor Cleaner
In conclusion, selecting the best wood floor cleaner is crucial for maintaining the allure and durability of your hardwood floors. From our comprehensive guide, Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner emerges as the top choice for most homeowners, blending efficiency with eco-friendliness. Remember, the right cleaner not only revives the natural shine of your floors but also ensures they remain safe and inviting for years to come.
However, even the best products can’t replace professional care. For those deep, stubborn stains or an annual refresh, consider our professional wood floor cleaning services. We utilize specialized equipment and techniques to restore your floors to their original beauty without compromising their integrity.
Don’t let the wrong choice of cleaner tarnish the elegance of your wood floors. If you’re unsure about the best approach or need a thorough clean beyond the ordinary, don’t hesitate to call us. Our team is ready to ensure your floors remain a pristine and cherished feature of your home.
For professional advice or to schedule a service, contact us today. Your wood floors deserve the best, and so do you.
