16 Cleaners to Take the Guesswork out of Washing Hardwood Floors

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Although not always in style, hardwood floors are decidedly in fashion at the moment. They increase the value of a home, don’t stain and work with just about every interior decor available. It’s easy to see why people love wood flooring.

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However, hardwood has its drawbacks. Pets, furniture and shoes can easily scratch and scuff hardwood, and cleaning such floors can be a burden. It’s important to use the best hardwood floor cleaners as many general cleaning agents will damage the finish and the wood itself. This is because wood is susceptible to water damage, so any non-specialized solutions with a high water content may leave visible markings and detract from the beauty of the floor.

When shopping for the best hardwood floor cleaners, there are a number of different options to choose from. In general, they fall into two categories: concentrated and premixed. Here are some reasons to consider each cleaner type:

• Concentrated – You’ll find concentrated hardwood floor cleaners usually come in large-capacity containers. These concentrated solutions require dilution before being applied to your floors. Owning a top-quality mop and bucket or electric floor cleaner is essential to achieving the best results. Plus, it’s important to carefully follow any instructions to ensure you are using the correct balance for your cleaning liquid.

• Premixed – You can save on time and effort by choosing a pre-mixed hardwood floor cleaner. They often come in spray-top bottles, making them a more user-friendly option and better suited to tackling specific areas or small spaces. To get the best out of a premixed solution, you’ll need a clean cloth to wipe over the surface prior to application, as well as after application, too.

To clean your floors without damaging them, it’s important to use a cleaning agent specifically formulated for wood flooring. In general, to keep your hardwood floors looking their best, you’ll need to spot clean or sweep your floor daily and mop using one of these cleaning agents once a week.

Below, we’ve selected the 16 best wood floor cleaners on the market. Read through our recommendations and find the right one for your cleaning needs.

1. Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray

Bona is one of the big names in hardwood floor care, and their Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray is one of the best products they make. To clean your floors, all you have to do is spray the liquid on your floor and mop over it using the Bona Microfiber Floor Mop. There’s no need to rinse as this water-based formula dries fast without a waxy residue. Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray is safe for use on all unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane finished wood floors.

2. Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner

Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner is an effective cleaning product with a budget-friendly price tag. Despite being one of the most affordable options in this roundup, its concentrated formula means it will last much longer than other premixed alternatives of an equal size. This hardwood floor cleaner is powered by plant-based ingredients and capable of tackling tough dirt, grease and grime. Plus, it’s infused with essential oils which leave your floor smelling lemony fresh.

Buy: Aunt Fannie’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner $10.99

3. Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner

Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner comes in a handy spray bottle which makes it ideal for targeting specific areas or covering smaller floors. For the best results, it’s recommended you wipe down the surface before applying the spray. Then finish the treatment with a final wipe. This cleaner utilizes a bio-enzymatic formula to both clean your floor and create a protective finish. Plus, it’s great for dealing with pet accidents or breaking down stubborn greasy substances.

Buy: Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner $12.99

4. Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner

Young children and babies spend a lot of time on the floor, so if you have little ones wandering around the house, you’ll definitely want to choose a non-toxic wood floor cleaner. Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner falls into this category. This cleaner sports a formula that is free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates and artificial fragrances. It’s also made from plant-derived ingredients and can be used on a variety of surfaces, including tile, porcelain, carpet, vinyl, sealed hardwood and laminate.

Buy: Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner $81.20

5. Ekena Millwork Murphy’s Oil Soap

If your grandmother had hardwood floors, she likely used Murphy’s Oil Soap to clean them. This brand has been trusted to keep hardwood pristine for over 100 years. The cleaner itself contains 98% naturally derived ingredients, including water, coconut and plant-derived cleaning agents. Inside the bottle, you’ll find no ammonia and no bleach. For a natural shine, nothing beats Murphy’s Oil Soap.

6. Pledge Gentle Wood Floor Cleaner

For a familiar lemony scent, turn to Pledge Gentle Wood Floor Cleaner for your hardwood cleaning needs. This formula works to reveal your floor’s natural beauty with just a quick cleaning. Ready-to-use out of the bottle, squirt this Pledge product on your floor and mop it up to get rid of the dirt and grime that build up over time. The liquid dries without leaving behind a dull or sticky residue, allowing you to enjoy scuff-free, beautiful floors.

7. Swiffer Wetjet Hardwood Mopping Cleaning Solution

Swiffer and Wetjet have combined forces to create this Hardwood Mopping Cleaning Solution that is ideal for tackling all of the hardwood flooring in your home. Mr. Clean is already well-known for its highly effective cleaning power, so combining it with a WetJet made a lot of sense, especially as there’s no need for you to get on your hands and knees while cleaning. The supplied, ready-to-use bottles of cleaning solution can be attached to any WetJet model. With these two standout brands behind your cleaning power, your floors will have never looked better.

Buy: Swiffer Wetjet Hardwood Mopping Cleaning Solution

8. Quick Shine High Traffic Hardwood Floor Luster

Make your hardwood floors look their best with the Quick Shine High Traffic Hardwood Floor Luster. Simply squirt the solution over your floor and then spread it using a cloth. This product is a great choice if you want to focus on restoring your floors as well as cleaning and protecting them from regular foot traffic. Not only will the luster leave them with a shinier, like-new appearance, it also fills in micro-scratches as it passes over, as part of the restorative treatment.

Buy: Quick Shine High Traffic Hardwood Floor Luster $15.97 (orig. $16.99) 6% OFF

9. Begley’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner

Using a natural floor cleaner is one of the easiest environmental changes you can make, and it’s a super-effective swap, too, if you’re changing to Begley’s Floor Cleaner. This citrus-based solvent melts away grease and dirt without any harmful chemicals or fumes. With just plant-based ingredients, the made-in-the-USA product produces a streak-free finish with no waxy film or shine.

10. Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner

Hardwood floors are prone to a few small scratches here and there, which can be a worry when you’re investing so much money into them. This Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner, paired with the Polish Restorer, is a great way to tackle these scratches. After cleaning your floor with the cleaning product, the polish restorer uses micro-filling technology to restore your floor, in addition to applying a protective layer to help prevent further scratching in the future. Give your hardwood floor the new lease of life it deserves with this well-reviewed combo of floor cleaners.

Buy: Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner $19.97

11. Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Cleaner

With a lovely scent and a powerful formula, Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Cleaner is trusted by thousands to get their wood looking and feeling clean. The four-in-one formula cleans, polishes, protects and revitalizes hardwood floors. After using Orange Glo, you’ll get used to questions about how recently you’ve had your floors redone.

12. Bissell Multi-Surface Pet Formula

In addition to keeping pets safe when you’re cleaning your own home, each purchase of this Bissel product helps to save homeless pets, too. This Bissell Multi-Surface Pet Formula comes backed by over 3,000 five-star ratings from happy Amazon customers who love their pet-and-family-safe (when used as directed) hardwood floor cleaner. The formula can be used on its own or together with a number of Bissell’s devices for a deeper and more convenient clean. It’s ideal for tackling paw prints, dirt and mud and also includes Febreze freshness to leave a fresh scent after use.

Buy: Bissell Multi-Surface Pet Formula $22.99

13. Black Diamond Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner

For people with allergies, you’ll be happy to note that Black Diamond Stoneworks Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner uses a no-rinse hypoallergenic formula. It’s great on all types of wood, laminate and engineered flooring. Simply spray and wipe dry to remove dirt, dust and footprints from your floors. As an added bonus, this eco-friendly and biodegradable formula is safe for use around children and pets.

14. Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner

This Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner has received over 1,300 five-star ratings from Amazon users who trust its ability to clean. Each of the two 64-ounce bottles gives you plenty of floor cleaner to apply to your floors, whether that be in a personal or commercial environment. The cleaner can also be used on either hardwood or laminate flooring. To top it off, this floor-cleaner is one of the fastest drying options on the list and consistency cleans floors without leaving any residue behind.

Buy: Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner $27.05

15. Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner

A relative newcomer on the cleaning products scene, Method aims to do things a little differently. Their production methods and products are environmentally friendly and benefit local communities. In particular, the Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner is crazy easy to use, just squirt it on your floor and glide your mop across the wood. It’s also plant-based and biodegradable. It’s safe for use on sealed hardwood and laminate floors and comes with a delightfully rich almond fragrance.

16. Absolute Coatings PolyCare

If your floors need a professional-level cleaning, turn to Absolute Coatings PolyCare. The super-concentrated formula is recommended by flooring professionals for hardwood and laminates of all types. It leaves behind no residue and requires no rinsing whatsoever. It’s also fragrance-free. Plus, this particular bottle of Absolute Coatings PolyCare contains one gallon of formula, which is enough to cover an entire house multiple times over.

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