Make your floors sparkle with these top picks
A hardwood floor is one of the most stunning surfaces one can have in their home. They not only enhance your living space’s look but are incredibly durable. The one downside, though, is that they can be tricky to clean. While there are hundreds of hardwood floor cleaners available, it can be challenging to find the right cleaners to use on your floors. Sometimes these might even damage the hardwood if you’re not careful.
To help you, I’ve scoured the market to find the best hardwood floor cleaners. You’ll find that they each have their unique abilities, and many are perfect for spot cleaning.
If you’re interested in learning more, keep reading!
Read Next: Best Way to Clean Hardwood Floors
The Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is a water-based cleaner that’s perfect for hardwood floors. You can use it on all floor types thanks to its water-based formula. This ensures that no residue is left behind. It will also prevent chemicals from seeping into your floors. This could otherwise cause them to warp or not dry correctly.
This professional-grade cleaner removes stains, but it can quickly remove dust, dirt, and grime. As you spray this hardwood floor cleaner on the hardwood, you’ll find that it doesn’t leave behind a strong odor. This is because it has low VOC emissions. As you spray it on the floor, you can run a floor mop (which you can find at Home Depot) to ensure it reaches all areas of concern. After a few minutes, it will dry.
While it’s an excellent cleaning solution overall, a few reviewers do have trouble with the bottle tip. Some find that this high performing hardwood floor cleaner’s tip is a bit difficult to adjust. This might make it hard to spray at first. Some also find that it’s a little difficult to spread with a mop hardwood.
If you’re looking for one of the top-rated hardwood floors cleaners, Bona is useful to consider. Not only is it safe for pets and kids, but eco-friendly. It also comes in a compact spray bottle, making it easier for you to move around and clean.
The MURPHY OIL SOAP Original Hardwood Floor Cleaner is suitable for those who need a multi-purpose cleaner. It not only safely cleans hardwood floors, but can clean all surfaces as well. This includes tiles and ceramic.
This all-purpose hardwood floor cleaner is made with mainly natural ingredients.
You’ll find numerous plant-based ingredients (such as coconut) in it. It’s free from ammonia and bleach. This reduces strong odors and makes it a somewhat environmentally-friendly option.
To use this hardwood floor cleaner, simply measure the amount indicated on the bottle and then dilute it with a bit of water. It’s essential to look at this measurement when doing so carefully. Otherwise, you risk ruining your hardwood floor.
Most reviewers have positive reviews about this product. However, some find that it doesn’t always leave behind a lasting shine. Because of this, you might find yourself needing to go over a specific spot a few times.
MURPHY OIL SOAP is ideal for those who need something that will clean hardwood floors and a variety of other surfaces. It’s a good option for hardwood floors and free from many harmful chemicals, making it safe to use throughout your home.
The Swiffer Wetjet Spray Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner is an inexpensive cleaner that features a calming lavender scent. This hardwood floor cleaner features a unique formula that not only removes dirt and debris but dissolves it.
You’ll also find that the Swiffer Wetjet quickly dries when you apply it to the floor. This ensures that it doesn’t cause the floor to warp or grow mildew. For best results, it’s essential to use this floor cleaner is the Swiffer Spray Mop Cleaner. These spray mops are designed to work alongside the spray to ensure it spreads evenly and dries within a few minutes.
While a durable product, there are a few things to keep in mind. One thing that a few reviewers point out is its scent. Many like the lavender smell, but for some, it might be a little too loud. It’s also important not to use it on surfaces like unfinished hardwood floors or non-sealed tiles. Otherwise, it could ruin them.
This hardwood floor cleaner is perfect for those who are on a strict budget. It’s not only one of the most affordable wood cleaners but dries quickly to prevent your hardwood floors from warping. All of these benefits make it worth the investment for floor cleaning.
The EcoMe Concentrated Multi-Surface and Hardwood Floor Cleaner are one of the top eco-friendly hardwood floor cleaners. While some ecological products don’t always do the best job at removing set-in stains, this one does. It contains unique plant extracts that can remove debris altogether.
You’ll also find that the EcoMe is pet friendly. If your furry friend happens to lick this natural, non-toxic product, there’s no need to worry. It contains no harsh chemicals, like sulfates, that could cause health issues.
This hardwood floor cleaner is also able to clean a variety of different surfaces. These include tile, linoleum, stone, and vinyl. To use it, all you need to do is dilute about ¼ cup of this cleaner in one gallon of water. After mixing it together, you can wipe it over your floor. As you wipe it over your floor, you’ll find that it will dry quickly and won’t leave behind a sticky residue as many similar products do.
Keep in mind that a few users find that it’s not very strong. Because of this, you might need to go over an area a few times. While it doesn’t have a fragrance, a handful finds its natural aroma to be a little overpowering.
If you’re searching for a plant-based hardwood floor cleaner, this might be good to invest in. It won’t only keep the family safe but ensures no residue gets left behind. It’s also easy to dilute and spread across your hardwood floor.
The Pledge Hardwood Floor Cleaner Liquid is suitable for homeowners who need a hardwood floor cleaner that can clean high traffic areas. It’s ideal for this job because of its strong formula. This ensures that even the toughest of dirt is removed from your hardwood floor.
Pledge works great on hardwood floors because it has a healthy mixture of alcohol and potassium hydroxide. While not eco-friendly, these ingredients do a great job of dissolving debris. This ensures that no residue is left behind. It also helps to prevent this liquid floor cleaner from leaving behind streaks.
This hardwood floor cleaner features a lemon scent. You can use it directly on your floors, so there’s no need to dilute it. As you scrub it over your hardwood, you’ll find that it removes dirt and brings out the natural look of the floors. This product comes with three 27-fluid-ounce bottles.
Reviewers are generally pleased with this floor cleaner, but a few do have trouble leaving behind a sticky film. While this is uncommon, it could be due to you using too much of the liquid cleaner on your floors. In addition to this, it’s not the most pet-friendly and isn’t safe to use on other surfaces.
The Pledge Hardwood Floor Cleaner is ideal for those who have high traffic areas in their home. If you need to clean a large area in your living space, this might be one product to check out. It quickly dissolves dirt, grime, and other debris. It also ensures that streaks aren’t left behind.
The Black Diamond Stoneworks Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner is composed of some of the most high-quality ingredients. This makes it good for homeowners who want to give their hardwood floors a professional look. You can use it on both a hardwood and laminate floor.
Despite being a professional quality hardwood floor cleaner, this hardwood floor cleaner is safe for home use. In fact, pets and kids can safely play on it without the floor cleaner, causing irritation. The Black Diamond Floor Cleaner is made of biodegradable ingredients, so if you happen to miss a spot, it will dissolve on its own. This feature also helps to remove dirt and debris with it because it will cling to them.
Besides this, you’ll find that this wood laminate floor cleaner is hypoallergenic. This can be very helpful for those who are sensitive to floor cleaner ingredients or fragrances.
As you wipe this cleaner over your floor, you’ll discover that it brings out the natural floor colors and wood grains. This can help your floor look as if it’s brand new! For best results when using it, spread it around with mops for hardwood floors.
This product comes with one quart and one gallon. The quart has a large opening and is ideal for large areas that you need to clean. The gallon is inside a spray bottle. This way, you can quickly clean off small spots.
Reviewers do point out that too much of this commercial product can result in streaks. If you don’t want this to happen, make sure only to use a small amount. You might even want to use a little less than what the bottle recommends.
Black Diamond is a high performing cleaner that will give your home’s hardwood floor surface a stunning look. While it’s made to do a tough job, it’s still safe for pets and kids to play on. It’s also ideal for those who are searching for a hypoallergenic option.
Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner Vinegar Wash is perfect for those who want to invest in a family-friendly cleaner. Unlike similar products that have high amounts of chemicals in them, this floor-cleaner is vinegar-based.
This plant-based hardwood floor cleaner contains an impressive amount of essential oils to help clean your hardwood floor. These oils are safe to use around kids and pets. When you apply them to your hardwood floor, they’ll get to work breaking down dirt and grease on it. You’ll find that it won’t leave behind a sticky residue. In addition to this, you don’t need to clean the wash off with water. This can help save you quite a bit of time.
Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner comes in a 32-ounce bottle. For its size, it’s pretty affordable. While it’s meant to be used on hardwood floors, you can also apply it to tiles, bamboo, and laminate surfaces.
While it has positive results, some reviewers point out you need to use the exact amount required in the directions. Because it’s incredibly concentrated, too much of this vinegar wash could damage your floor. This could cause it to lose its shiny floor finish and even slightly warp it. However, this can all be prevented by simply following the directions.
Aunt Fannie’s is a kid’s safe cleaner that you can safely use throughout your home. It contains no harsh chemicals, so there’s no need to worry about your kids getting sick from it should they play on the floor. In addition to this, it’s safe on hardwood floors and won’t cause them to warp.
Before you invest in a hardwood floor cleaner, it’s essential to consider a few things. Below are four aspects to keep in mind when shopping.
One of the most important things to look at is the hardwood floor cleaner’s quality and efficiency. If the cleaner isn’t made with high-quality ingredients, it won’t do an excellent job removing stains and debris. In addition to this, you risk the cleaner leaving behind streaks and even warping your hardwood floors.
You’ll also want to see if the cleaner is efficient. If it takes hours for the cleaner to dry or need to go over the floor multiple times, it’s inefficient. In the end, it might also cost you more time and money than you’d like.
If you’re unsure that the product you’re interested in has these aspects, look at reviews. You’ll be able to get a better idea of what previous users thought about it. By inspecting these, you can determine if the product is right for your needs.
Keep in mind that sometimes you need to use the cleaners with a microfiber mop. These products help to spread the cleaner and prevent it from congregating in one area. You’ll find this will be especially helpful if the floor cleaner tends to be very thick. If you don’t use one of these, you might find that the cleaner won’t do an outstanding job. It could also damage your floor.
You might also want to consider if you need to use a pour-over model or spray bottle to get the job done. A pour-over one is good for large areas. On the other hand, a spray bottle is ideal for small and quick clean-ups. If you don’t get the right option, you might find that the hardwood floor cleaner isn’t that efficient. This will lead to you probably needing to use a new product or investing in more of the same type, something which can be pricey.
Another thing to consider is the hardwood floor cleaner’s purpose. While all of these are meant to remove debris from this type of surface, sometimes they might have a slightly different purpose. For instance, one hardwood floor cleaner might polish floors while another might be designed to remove set-in stains. Some might also be intended for you to use on small messes while others can clean up large areas.
Due to this, it’s essential to make sure that the cleaner you’re interested in is designed to clean the floor you want to use it on. Otherwise, you risk it severely damaging it. This is because its ingredients might be too potent for a specific surface type.
If you need a versatile cleaner, make sure that it’s multi-purpose. This indicates that it has a unique formula that won’t warp floors, cause mold, or make delicate surfaces crumble.
Using natural products in my home is crucial. If you want to use an eco-friendly option as well, you’ll want to make sure the cleaner you’re interested in is made with natural ingredients. While most are made with safe ingredients, a few might also contain ingredients like bleach or ammonia. These not only have an unpleasant odor but can be very harmful.
While bleach and ammonia might kill germs, they can also have a dire effect on your health. High exposure to them could cause chest pain and difficulty breathing. If you touch a liquid that contains them, it might cause burns and skin irritation.
Because of this, it might be ideal to use a natural floor cleaner. There are many natural products to choose from that contain ingredients based on plant extracts. Some might contain alcohol in them, but this is usually a shallow dose and doesn’t cause much trouble. You can tell if the floor cleaner is an eco-friendly option by looking at its ingredients. If you find items such as plant extracts in it, it’s more than likely a natural product.
One ingredient to look for in natural floor cleaners is vinegar. Due to its strong acidity, vinegar does a great job of removing dirt and germs. In addition to this, it dissolves residue and doesn’t leave any behind.
You might also want to see if the floor cleaner has essential oils in it. These are often used in place of chemicals because they have the same benefits as them. Essential oils aren’t only safer but have antibacterial properties. They also leave behind a fresh scent rather than a strong synthetic one.
In addition to this, see if the floor cleaner has a low VOC emissions seal. This indicates that while there might be some chemicals in it, their dosage is very low.
By considering these different aspects, you’ll be able to ensure that your home is safe for kids and pets to play in. It will also help those who need hypoallergenic options.
Most of these cleaners aren’t too pricey, but others might be a little more expensive. If you’re on a budget, it can add up, especially if you need quite a few. It’s good to look closely at the price of the hardwood floor cleaner to ensure it’s in your price range.
However, keep in mind that sometimes a cheap product doesn’t always mean it’s made with quality. While you’ll save some money using it, it might end up not doing a great job cleaning hardwood flooring. Due to this, you might need to be prepared to invest in something a little more expensive than you’d like.
Sometimes you might also find deals with the hardwood floor cleaners. Some products might come in a pack of three, which might seem pricey initially, but on a closer look, it is a good deal. This might be something to look carefully at if you need multiple floor cleaners to wipe off a large area.
Taking care of hardwood floors can be difficult, but it doesn’t have to be with these cleaners. These products are some of the tops on the market thanks to their high-quality ingredients and versatility. If you’re looking for a safe and durable hardwood cleaner to use, definitely consider one of these.
Do you agree with our picks? Do you think another hardwood floor cleaner should have been added? Have you already used one of these?
We want to hear your thoughts! Feel free to comment below.
About the Author
Jeneva has over years of passion for home decorating and cleaning. She is the founder and CEO of thehousewire.com where she provides honest and objective reviews on home and cleaning products.
