Better Life Floor Cleaner : An In-Depth and Unbiased Review

Is Better Life a better way to keep floors clean?

While cleaning your floors isn’t exactly at the top of your to-do list, it’s still a chore that needs doing. And whether you’ve got hardwood, tile, or laminate, a little elbow grease really does make your whole home feel that bit fresher.

But finding the right floor cleaner to tackle daily dirt and grime is another issue, especially if you prefer an eco-friendly option. And that’s why we’re taking a closer look at Better Life’s Naturally Dirt Destroying Floor Cleaner.

We put it through its paces in a home with pets and kids to see just how well it performs. Keep reading to find out the results and if it’s worth adding to your cleaning closet.

The Better Life 32 fl oz bottle isn’t as jam-packed with tiny print as many other floor cleaners are. But it still displays all the details you need in a simple fashion.

You’ve got basic directions on how to use it, surface suitability, key info about the plant-derived cleaning agents, and a full list of ingredients.

There are also stickers letting you know it’s a leaping bunny-certified company and that it’s proudly produced in the USA.

I love the tone of voice you get with Better Life products. Rather than just bland directions and technical jargon, you can feel the personal touches coming through with their choice of words.

It makes it clear how best to use the product and pinpoints all the good stuff you want to know at a glance. We’re off to a great start before I’ve even opened the bottle!

You can use Better Life on any sealed floor, making it versatile enough for most homes. Especially if you’ve got a mixture of surfaces to clean, like hardwood, marble, and vinyl.

If you’ve got delicate floors that require a specialist cleaner, you may want to stick to that specific product. But for anything else, it’s worth having a bottle of this to hand.

The Better Life formula is designed to leave any type of floor with a pleasant shine and streak-free finish. Now, I haven’t tested it on every type of flooring, but it’s a pretty accurate claim from what I have seen in my own tests.

It’s just a shame that unsealed floors miss out yet again, as they’re not recommended for use with this product. And that’s why I’ve knocked a point off the rating for this section.

The application of Better Life is what let it down the most for me. You’re meant to squirt it straight out of the bottle and onto the floor, but it makes mopping more of a faff than it needs to be. And what a wasteful way to clean!

It’s very easy to use a lot of cleaning solution with this application method. And you don’t need a lot. A little goes a long way, so I decided to try and use a different method than the instructions suggest.

I poured some of the cleaner into the water tank on my spray mop (O-cedar ProMix) to see how I got on that way. And let me tell you, it worked an absolute treat.

It was much easier to apply by spraying and a fine mist was plenty of product to work with. I used way less solution like this, so I’d definitely suggest doing this yourself at home.

The Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying cleaner took a little longer to dry than some other floor cleaners, but it still didn’t take more than a few minutes.

I mopped with two different methods: Use the bottle to squirt directly onto the floor, and then I tried dispensing it from my spray mop. And there’s a noticeable difference in the drying times of these two approaches.

It was much slower for the floor to dry when I followed the instructions given by Better Life. Maybe I used too much product, but there was a much thicker layer when applied straight from the bottle.

The spray mop provided a finer mist, which dried within minutes. And there was still plenty enough solution to deliver a powerful clean, so I’d say a little goes a long way. And doesn’t take long to dry!

The other thing I noticed as it dried was the lack of any sticky feeling or residue. I ran my finger across the tiles and didn’t see or feel anything. It’s also the first product I’ve used that doesn’t leave streaks when it’s dried, which is a huge bonus!

The scent is one of the best things about Better Life. It’s delicious! So delicious, in fact, there’s an added warning on the bottle reminding you not to drink it.

The scent is described as “citrus mint” with notes of grapefruit, peppermint, and bergamot. I definitely picked up on the peppermint and it reminded me of candy canes hanging on the tree at Christmas :).

With a scent this pure, you can crack on with some worry-free mopping, knowing your nose is picking up the smell of fresh essential oils. The non-toxic and natural ingredients are far preferable to the sodium lauryl sulfates and petroleum solvents you so often find in cleaning products.

There is a tiny amount of a synthetic preservative in there to keep the ingredients smelling sweet. But it only makes up 0.01% of the 32 fl oz bottle.

In short, I love it! And I never thought I’d feel this enthusiastic about cleaning products. But it smells great and is super light and refreshing without any whiff of harsh chemicals.

With muddy paws in the hallway, far-flung food in the kitchen, and toothpaste in the bathroom, Better Life floor cleaner didn’t have an easy run. But I wanted to see just what it can handle.

The solution refreshed my floors and left them looking clean, but it wasn’t all plain sailing. The cleaner struggled with sticky marks, and I needed to use a fair bit of extra elbow grease to remove them.

That said, it cut through most spots and stains without any issues. It uses citrus essential oils, which are a great cleaning agent to tackle grease. So I tried it in the kitchen and found it handled cooking spills with ease.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the lack of any residue and the streak-free finish. It’s not often you come across a product that’s such a strong all-rounder. It’s worth keeping a cloth to hand to help scrub at tough stains before you mop.

Extra Thoughts

Plant-derived cleaning products are filling more shelves than ever, and I’m here for it. I was dubious about their cleaning abilities even just a few years ago, but now I’m converted.

The non-toxic corn and coconut oil cleaning agents used in Better Life did manage to leave my floors sparkling clean. At least as clean as other chemical-based products, if not better.

And best of all, there wasn’t a single whiff of harsh chemicals or synthetic fragrances in the air. So I feel safe letting my pets and small children roam around on the floors knowing they won’t come into contact with anything nasty.

If you’re on the fence about Better Life products, I urge you to go ahead and try them out. Not only are they affordable, but the USA-founded company is doing their bit to keep our homes clean while protecting the planet too!

Common Complaints

While I love Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying floor cleaner, not everyone does. Here are some of the common complaints I came across during my research.

Leaves a Film

A few users reported Better Life leaving a film on laminate and hardwood floors. You can try mixing some of the floor cleaner with water in a spray bottle if this happens, as it’s less of an issue with a diluted mixture. But watch out for sticky spots as your floor dries.

Read Next: Best Laminate Floor Cleaning Solutions

Tricky to Apply

The squirt and mop system divides opinion, with some reviewers finding it a bit of a faff. It’s easy to use too much floor cleaner when using a squirt bottle, too. I found it much easier to go off-piste and use with a spray mop.

Not Enough Shine

If you’re looking for a guaranteed brilliant shine, Better Life might not suit your needs. Another common complaint is how the floor cleaner doesn’t leave enough of a nice shine.

I’m not sure what floor types these complaints refer to, but I found it left a natural shine on my tile floors.

Alternatives

Not convinced the plant-based power of Better Life is for you? No problem. Here are some other ideas to freshen up your entire floor.

Rejuvenate Floor Cleaner

Rejuvenate All-Floors cleaner is another product that doesn’t require a bucket. Simply spray straight from the bottle or pour it into the spray bottle on your mop.

The pH-balanced formula is gentle enough to use on all types of flooring, including tile, laminate, and wood floors. And it’s infused with a light lemon scent to leave your whole home smelling fresh.

READ FULL REVIEW: Rejuvenate Floor Cleaner Review: Everything You Need to Know

Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner

The ready-to-use formula is easy to apply straight from the bottle without any need to rinse afterward. And it’s water-based, so it doesn’t take long to dry and is even certified as a “Safer Choice” product.

You can use Bona’s Hard Surface Floor Cleaner on most floor types, including tile, laminate, and stone floors.

READ FULL REVIEW: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Review: An In-Depth Review