Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner : An In-Depth Review (With Pictures)

The Bona brand has been making cleaning products for over 90 years. Their goal is to promote the longevity of hardwood flooring through superior floor care products.

Bona was one of the first brands to cut dangerous cleaner ingredients in their products. Since then, they have become a leader in floor care products that are good for health and the environment.

Household products and formulas with greener ingredients often fall short of chemical floor cleaners. So, it can be hard to find an eco-friendly and safe cleaner that performs well on your hardwood floors.

That’s why I was curious to see how well this Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner performs on sealed wood flooring. It has a water-based biodegradable formula with plant-derived ingredients for safe cleaning.

But does it provide a good cleaning experience?

Here, I’ll provide an honest and full review of how well this wood floor cleaner works on different floors.

Read on to find out how this cleaner works and its results. And to see if you should use it on your hardwood floors.

Convenient Bottle And Packaging

The Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner comes in an easy-to-use 32-ounce spray bottle.

Depending on my cleaning task, I could use one of these two settings:

• The misting setting provided an even distribution of cleaning solution when I was mopping.
• The direct spray setting dispensed a stream of cleaner when I was spot-cleaning or targeting stains.

I could also lock the spray nozzle from the two settings when I wasn’t using the bottle. I found this helpful for preventing leaking in storage.

Bona makes the biodegradable, cleaner ingredients easy to see on the packaging. So I could clearly understand what was in the bottle.

For example, I saw at first glance that there are no parabens, phosphates, gluten, or ammonia.

The main ingredients are water, Caprylyl, and PPG-2 methyl ether. As well as butoxy-propanol, colorant, isothiazolinones, and citric acid.

The spray bottle is also recyclable and has a Safer Choice Label on the package. The Safer Choice label ensures that the ingredients are safe for the environment.

This label makes Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner a safe product to use with kids or pets in the home. I personally find this reassuring, and this was also why we bought this cleaner in the first place.

The packaging also indicated that it has a pH-neutral level. So I was happy to know that it would preserve the floor’s finish.

This means I don’t have to worry about damaging or discoloring the coating with this cleaner.

Flooring Compatibility: Versatile-But With Some Caution

I particularly loved this cleaner because it’s versatile to use on different types of floors. This way I don’t have to buy other cleaners.

I could use the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner safely on a sealed wood floor. And my tests included hardwood and laminate.

But, you should be careful using it on different finishes.

For example, it’s safe if you have an unwaxed and unoiled wood floor. But, don’t apply it on floors with wax or oil-based finish, or it will damage and strip the coating.

Damaging the coating will leave your floor unprotected and also dull the color. So you should take caution if you use Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner when you’re unsure what finish your flooring has.

The label on the bottle also states that you should only use this cleaner on polyurethane-finished hardwood flooring. However, some users have had success using Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner on stone, cork, and tile.

However, using it on these floors would be at your own risk.

Plus, stone and tile floors are more rigid than hardwood. So they can handle more potent floor cleaning products. I would recommend using a stronger product for a deeper clean on these floors.

But, for sealed wood flooring, Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is a versatile cleaner.

Application: Fast And Easy

I found that this Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner (view on Amazon, Walmart) has an easy application thanks to its spray bottle.

It has a ready-to-use spray-and-wipe formula. So I didn’t need anything but a mop or a soft cloth to start cleaning.

I recommend you use Bona Hardwood Floor Premium Spray mop with this floor cleaner. This mop has a Bona microfiber cleaning pad that works well with this Bona cleaner.

Wooden floor manufacturers advise spraying floor cleaners on the mop-head and not onto the floor directly. So this is what I did. This made the cleaning process longer as I had to keep reapplying the product to the mop head.

However, the spray nozzle provided an even distribution of cleaner on the mop head. Simply make sure you don’t spray the product on the floor as well. The product can go very far because of the water-based formula.

A lot of cleaning solution was absorbed after spraying. So it required a heavy application for optimal cleaning.

But, a few sprays did the job well.

After my cleaning tests, the water-based formula didn’t leave any residue or stickiness behind. So I didn’t need to rinse the floors after mopping with this floor cleaner.

Light And Natural Scent

4Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner doesn’t have a strong fragrance, unlike many other floor cleaners.

Because it’s unscented, it does have a slight natural cleaning smell. But, I found the scent very subtle and didn’t last very long.

I prefer the lack of scent in this formula, as many cleaning products can often be too fragrant. Whereas there’s no leftover scent in the air after using this Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner.

Impressive Results But Leaves Streaks

The Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner was very efficient at removing dirt. It was also great at enhancing the shine of hardwood flooring.

To get a better sense of how it works, I tested it on different flooring areas.

Tests on Floors

I first used it on wood flooring that gets a lot of heavy foot traffic. Then, I also used it on laminate floors.

Streaks on laminate

I used the misting setting to spray it on the mop head and to clean different flooring sections. Then, I mopped the floor with the Bona flat mop and its microfiber pad.

I noticed a difference in the appearance of dirt straight away! Most of the mess on the floor was lifted on the first cleaning pass and vanished entirely after a few passes.

Testing Insights

The cleaning results were consistent in every area that I tested. And I was pleased with how clean and bright the floors looked in the heavy-traffic areas.

Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is water-based. So there was no residue or stickiness on the floor.

It also dried very fast after application, and I could use the floors again within a few minutes. This result was faster than any other brand of floor cleaner I’ve used.

I was happy with how well it restored the shine on the floors, especially in the high-traffic areas. And it was very quick to remove loose dirt and sticky messes with only a few cleaning passes.

Tests For Spot Cleaning Small Messes

I also tested it for spot-cleaning small messes using a dry, microfiber cloth and paper towel. It was quick to remove dirt and grubby marks without any scrubbing action.

But, it did tend to be more streaky during spot-cleaning. And I was unable to buff out the streak marks using my microfiber cloth.

So, I ended up going over these areas of the floor with a mop. This was time-consuming for a spot-cleaning task.

But, I was happy with how gentle this cleaner was on the floors. It tackled tough marks and grime without removing any color or dulling the surface.

I didn’t notice a difference in the appearance of certain stains on the floors.

But, I did notice fewer scuffs. There was a very noticeable difference in reducing scuff marks on the hardwood.

Streaks on hardwood

Plus, it eliminated all the marks from footprints and heavy traffic in this area. But, I recommend pre-treating tough stains if you want a deeper clean with this Bona formula.

After cleaning, there was no residue or harsh chemical odor left behind. The lasting shine added an impressive finish to the cleaning results.

Common Complaints of Other Users

In addition to my review, I’ll also share some feedback from other reviews of this Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Among the reviews, there are several common complaints about this cleaner.

First, reviewers all agree that this floor cleaner needs a heavy application. Because it requires a lot of product during cleaning, it can run out very fast.

So, the cost can add up when you’re using this cleaner. Especially if you’re cleaning large areas and need more than one bottle to get the job done.

Another common complaint is that the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner can be streaky. Users found it particularly streaky when using a damp cleaning pad.

Some users also find this cleaner leaves their floor cloudy and dull after mopping. But, this may be due to a build-up of previous layers of cleaning products on their floor’s surface.

Or, a previous owner or cleaning lady may have treated the floor with a different product. For me, this Bona cleaner left a lasting shine on the floors after one application.

Finally, some users find the subtle scent to be disappointing and unpleasant. They suggest that the smell is barely noticeable and not enjoyable during cleaning.

So, if you prefer a fresh fragrance, you might find this floor cleaner disappointing.

Verdict: Perfect If You Want Your Floors To Shine

The Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner tackled heavy-traffic dirt well. It also brought out the shine of the floor with one application.

It can be streaky depending on how you’re cleaning. But, you can achieve flawless sparkling floors with a bit of elbow grease.

Considering the formula has fewer chemicals, the cleaning performance was very efficient. It’s a great option for an eco-friendly clean that stands up to the cleaning performance of traditional floor cleaners.

Although, one drawback I would recommend considering is the cost. This Bona hardwood floor cleaner requires a heavy application. So it’s not very cost-efficient.

Alternatives For Hardwood Floors

Here are some other products to consider for Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner.

Pledge Gentle Wood Floor Cleaner

This Pledge Gentle hardwood floor cleaner is cost-efficient for cleaning your hardwood floors. It has a gentle formula with a fresh lemon fragrance that leaves floors clean with a smooth finish. Although some say it leaves a filmy residue, many users praise its removal of tough stains and dirt.

This gentle wood floor cleaner is easy to use and only requires a dry mop to achieve fast results.

Black Diamond Stoneworks

Black Diamond Stonework’s wood laminate floor cleaner is great at removing heavy soil. It’s one of the most popular bio-degradable products for cleaning hardwood flooring. You can apply this hardwood floor cleaner straight to your wood flooring.

It’s safe for use on all laminate and hardwood floors and works well with a dry mop. The formula also includes a triple-action shield to prevent soil from sticking. So this laminate floor cleaner is excellent for protecting from future stains.

Other Hardwood Floor Cleaners From Bona

Bona makes a wide range of floor care products alongside Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. Here are a few more Bona products for hardwood floors.

Bona Hardwood Floor Revitalizer

This hardwood floor revitalizer (view on Amazon, Walmart) is another Bona favorite for restoring your hardwood finish. The two-in-one formula cleans and restores natural shine for beautiful floors in one easy step. You can apply it straight onto your wood floors and start mopping to make your floors look brand new.

It’s safe to use this Bona Hardwood Floor cleaner on unwaxed and unoiled wood flooring. It also has a Greenguard Gold certificate, so it’s safe to use with pets or children in the house. Plus, it dries fast. So it’s a great cleaner if you don’t want to waste time waiting for your floors to dry.

Bona Hardwood Floor Polish

This Bona Hardwood Floor Polish (view on Amazon, Walmart) is a great product to pair with your Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. After cleaning, it adds an extra layer of protection and shines. Plus, it prevents the growth of mold, mildew, and more.

This hardwood floor cleaner not only enhances the surface of your flooring. But, it also extends the lifespan of your finish.

Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner Spray

Deep cleaning is essential for keeping your hardwood floors in the best shape. That’s why many hardwood floor owners love this Bona PowerPlus deep cleaner spray.

It has a triple-action formula to fight tough grime and stubborn dirt on your floors. The residue-free formula also dries fast and prevents stickiness on the surface.

Recommended by flooring professionals, this Bona cleaner (view on Amazon, Walmart) is easy to use. It penetrates deep into your hardwood floor for a streak-free powerful clean. This hardwood floor cleaner also has a Greenguard Gold certification for safe cleaning.