Whether you’ve invested in stunning hardwood floors or vinyl flooring, it’s essential to clean them regularly. What’s even more important is to choose the best floor cleaners that will keep your floors neat at all times.
After trying out countless products, we decided to review our favorites and go more in-depth about their uses, pros, cons, and features. If you want to find the best products for your flooring, keep reading because we’ve included all-purpose cleaners, solutions suitable for wood floors, and even cleaners for natural stone flooring types.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: Pledge Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner
- Best for Hardwood Floors: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray
- Best Eco-Friendly: Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner
- Best for Shine: Rejuvenate High-Performance All-Floor Cleaner
- Best for Marble & Tile: Black Diamond Marble and Tile Cleaner
Floor Cleaner Buying Advice
Best Overall: Pledge Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner
Key Features:
- Available in two sizes: 32 fl. oz. and 128 fl. oz.
- Light rainshower scent
- Concentrated oil-free formula
- Residue: No
- Dilution: Yes
- Everyday Use: Yes
Pros:
- This is a concentrated cleaner meant to be diluted, so it lasts a very long time
- Most affordable purchase on the list
- Doesn’t leave any residue or buildup on your floors
- Streak-free
- Meant for various flooring types, including hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tiles
Cons:
- Not suitable for unsealed floors
- Not safe around children and pets
Our best-rated and best-budget finds are packed in the same product. The Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner is perfect for all flooring types; it’s an inexpensive purchase and leaves floors shiny after every use.
This concentrated formula is oil-free and can be used on hardwood floors, laminate floors, vinyl flooring, tiles, and more. Just be sure to avoid using it on unsealed floors.
You can use the Pledge Multi-Surface Cleaner in two ways. The first method is for routine floor cleaning. Dilute ¼ cup cleaner with 1 gallon of warm water. The second use is meant to remove stubborn, waxy build-up from previous cleaners. Mix ½ cup of cleaner with 1 gallon of water and leave the solution on your floors for five minutes.
We think this is the best overall product because it’s very affordable, lasts a very long time, cleans various types of floors to perfection, has a mild smell, and doesn’t leave a waxy buildup.
This everyday cleaning concentrate is our absolute favorite because it is suitable for most floors in the home and leaves floors squeaky clean with a gorgeous rainshower scent.
Since it’s a formula that needs to be diluted, it will last you a very long time, and it’s incredibly affordable. It’s an all-purpose floor cleaner that will never disappoint you.
Best for Hardwood Floors: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray
Key Features:
- Available in five sizes: 22 fl. oz., 32 fl. oz., 36 fl. oz., 64 fl. oz., 128 fl. oz.
- Comes in three scents: original, cedarwood, and bona lemon
- A ready-to-use liquid formula
- Residue: No
- Dilution: No
- Everyday Use: Yes
Pros:
- Suitable for all unoiled, unwaxed, polyurethane finished wood floors
- Doesn’t leave any residue or streaks after cleaning
- Ready-to-use formula
- GREENGUARD GOLD Certified and low VOC ingredients
Cons:
- Not suitable for other flooring types; only meant for wood floors
When you need the best floor cleaner liquid for wood floors, we recommend the Bona Hardwood Cleaner Spray.
The Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray is an excellent solution for all unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane finished wood floors because it doesn’t contain harsh chemicals. This is a water-based product with a low pH. It’s ready to use in a spray bottle, so you don’t have to dilute it.
This is a GREENGUARD GOLD Certified product that is also low VOC without toxic ingredients. It didn’t leave any streaks or residue on our floors, and it’s one of the most affordable options for hardwood flooring we’ve found so far.
Wood floors are more sensitive to harsh cleaners than other types, so they should be treated with a solution such as this one. It’s gentle, affordable, and cleans various wood floors without damaging them.
Best Eco-Friendly: Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner
Key Features:
- Available in three sizes: 64 fl. oz., 128 fl. oz., and 640 fl. oz.
- Perfume-free with a light citrus scent
- Based on natural ingredients such as pure essential oils of spearmint, grapefruit, bergamot, purified water, vegetable glycerin
- Residue: No
- Dilution: No
- Everyday Use: Yes
Pros:
- There’s no need to rinse it, and it doesn’t leave a residue
- Doesn’t contain petroleum, alkylphenol surfactants, or other toxic chemicals
- VOC-free solution
Cons:
- Can be a little sticky and leave residue if you apply too much product
Are you looking for the best natural floor cleaner? After months of testing, this is the natural floor solution that we loved the most. It’s very efficient in removing even the most stubborn and oily stains on various flooring types, but it won’t damage your floors with harsh ingredients.
The Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Cleaner is the best natural alternative that we’ve tried so far. Although it contains gentle ingredients, it’s still quite efficient in cleaning various flooring types, including stone, bamboo, ceramic tiles, vinyl flooring, laminate, and hardwood. Just don’t use it on floors that are not sealed.
As huge animal lovers, we really appreciate and want to support brands that don’t test on animals. This solution is Leaping Bunny Certified, meaning it’s never been tested on animals.
Another huge plus is it doesn’t contain volatile organic compounds and is free of toxic chemicals, petroleum, or alkylphenol surfactants. The cleaner has a light citrus scent, but it doesn’t contain perfume.
This cleaner’s natural, gentle ingredients make it suitable for people prone to allergies who want to live a sustainable life and avoid harsh chemicals.
If your goal is to find a cleaner made with natural ingredients, this is our top recommendation. Aside from being approved by thousands of happy customers, this product went through our rigorous testing for months and never failed us.
Best for Shine: Rejuvenate High-Performance All-Floors Cleaner
Key Features:
- Available in two sizes: 32 fl. oz. and 128 fl. oz.
- Liquid cleaner with a lemon scent
- Ready-to-use pH neutral solution
- Residue: No
- Dilution: No
- Everyday Use: Yes
Pros:
- Doesn’t leave behind a greasy residue
- Suitable for all floor types that are sealed
- You can pour it, spray it, or use it with a Click n’ Spray mop system
- Suitable for everyday use
- Low VOC product
Cons:
- Not to be used on unsealed floors
The Rejuvenate High-Performance cleaner is a product we’ve purchased many times before, and it never fails to amaze. If you’re looking for a product to use on all floor types at an affordable price, we recommend this one.
This cleaner is available in two sizes: one with a spray pump and a bigger one you can use as a refill or purchase to pour it directly on your mop or floors. There is also the option to purchase the product with a bonnet and a two-size pack.
Since it’s suitable for all flooring types, you shouldn’t worry when applying it on linoleum floors, vinyl flooring, hardwood floors, tile, laminate, and more. One of the precautions you need to keep in mind is that it’s only suitable for sealed flooring types.
It’s a ready-to-use solution you don’t have to prepare or dilute with water. What we love the most is that it’s pH-neutral and, thanks to its shine booster technology, leaves our floors glowing and clean.
If you need a cleaning solution in a spray bottle that offers refills and is suitable for all flooring types, you should look at this one. It even works great on old, stubborn oily stains and doesn’t leave a residue.
Plus, because it’s a low VOC product, you can use it around pets and kids.
Best for Marble & Tile: Black Diamond Marble and Tile Cleaner
Key Features:
- Available in seven sizes: 1 quart, 2 quarts, 1 gallon, 1 gallon/1 quart, 2 gallons, 4 gallons, 6 gallons
- Liquid concentrate
- Eco-friendly and biodegradable
- Residue: No
- Dilution: Yes
- Everyday Use: Yes
Pros:
- Suitable for natural stone flooring including marble, limestone, travertine, granite, ceramic, and slate
- Safe to use around kids and pets
- Eco-friendly and biodegradable product
- Lasts a long time
Cons:
- Not suitable for other floors not made of natural stone
The Black Diamond Marble and Tile Cleaner is our favorite for natural stone floors. It’s a gentle formula designed to be diluted in water, so it will last for a long time.
This is a no-rinse formula that doesn’t leave any streaks on your natural stone floors. It’s safe to use on marble floors, limestone, travertine, granite, ceramic, and slate. It’s also safe to use around kids and pets.
Since this is a concentrated formula, we used it according to the instructions, and it lasted a long time. You can get up to 64 gallons of cleaner from a single one-gallon bottle of the product.
The Black Diamond Marble and Tile Cleaner non-rinse formula is excellent for floors made of natural stones and people who are sensitive to toxic chemicals. This is a hypoallergenic cleaner that doesn’t leave any residue or streaks on your flooring.
Side by Side Comparison
| Product | Our Rating | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
Pledge Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner View on Amazon –> View on Walmart –> | Best Overall Overall: 4.9 | Available in two sizes: 32 fl. oz. and 128 fl. oz. Light rainshower scent Concentrated oil-free formula Residue: No Dilution: Yes Everyday Use: Yes |
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray View on Amazon –> View on Walmart –> | Best for Hardwood Floors Overall: 4.8 | Available in five sizes: 22 fl. oz., 32 fl. oz., 36 fl. oz., 64 fl. oz., 128 fl. oz. Comes in three scents: original, cedarwood, and bona lemon A ready-to-use liquid formula Residue: No Dilution: No Everyday Use: Yes |
Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner View on Amazon –> View on Walmart –> | Best Eco-Friendly Overall: 4.4 | Available in three sizes: 64 fl. oz., 128 fl. oz., and 640 fl. oz. Perfume-free with a light citrus scent Based on natural ingredients such as pure essential oils of spearmint, grapefruit, bergamot, purified water, vegetable glycerin Residue: No Dilution: No Everyday Use: Yes |
Rejuvenate High-Performance All-Floors Cleaner View on Amazon –> View on Walmart –> | Best for Shine Overall: 4.6 | Available in two sizes: 32 fl. oz. and 128 fl. oz. Liquid cleaner with a lemon scent Ready-to-use pH neutral solution Residue: No Dilution: No Everyday Use: Yes |
Black Diamond Marble and Tile Cleaner View on Amazon –> View on Walmart –> | Best for Marble & Tile Overall: 4.5 | Available in seven sizes: 1 quart, 2 quarts, 1 gallon, 1 gallon/1 quart, 2 gallons, 4 gallons, 6 gallons Liquid concentrate Eco-friendly and biodegradable Residue: No Dilution: Yes Everyday Use: Yes |
The Complete Floor Cleaner Buyer’s Guide
When you want to find the best floor cleaner but you’re unsure where to start, we recommend going over these factors. You should try to find the best product for your household based on your flooring types, the ingredients used in the product, the product’s intended application, and the product’s scent.
Flooring Type
Before purchasing a solution, don’t forget to check if it’s suitable for all flooring types. You don’t want to use a cleaner meant for synthetic floors on hardwood flooring.
If you don’t want to use various cleaners around the house, you should opt for an all-around solution that will work on all flooring types.
Natural or Chemical
Since chemical cleaners have been around for many years, you shouldn’t worry about them destroying your floors as long as you use them correctly. Your main priority should be choosing a solution suitable for your flooring type.
However, if you or any of your family members are prone to allergies caused by certain chemicals, are hypersensitive, struggle with skin conditions such as eczema, or are easily irritated by scents and chemicals, you should look for a natural cleaning solution.
Another reason why people choose natural cleaners is because they’re trying to live more sustainably and want to opt for eco-friendly alternatives created without harsh chemicals.
Although the general opinion is that natural cleaning solutions are gentler, that’s not always the case. Some of these solutions include acidic ingredients that can cause damage to your floors over time. Before you purchase a product, check whether it’s meant for the type of floors in your home.
Application
Solutions for cleaning floors come with instructions for their application. Some are meant to be used with a mop; others should be applied with special floor machines. Remember to check the type of application before you buy, since you don’t want to be stuck with a solution that you can’t use because you need a specialized machine.
Another thing to keep in mind is the packaging. For example, spray bottles are easy to use and will conserve product. Some solutions are concentrated and include instructions for dilution. Finally, check if the product is meant to be left alone or if you should rinse it with water after the application.
Scent
Do you mind if your entire house smells like citrus fruits? If so, you need to find a fragrance-free cleaner. But if you don’t mind when the floors have a scent, then you can opt for any fragranced cleaner.
Some of the most common fragrances include mint, floral, citrus, lavender, and pine. If you’re struggling with allergies, skin conditions, and hypersensitivities, you should go for a fragrance-free cleaner.
FAQs
Mopping with just water won’t do much for your floors. If you want to remove soil, dirt, and dust, your best bet is a special cleaning solution like the ones on our list. These solutions are meant to target even the heaviest soils and will leave your floors squeaky clean.
Water can only remove light dust. It’s not suitable for oily residues, sticky stains, and more difficult messes.
As long as you choose a suitable product for your flooring type and use it correctly, you won’t cause any damage. If you’re trying to find a more natural, eco-friendly option, the Better Life Naturally Dirt-Destroying Cleaner we reviewed does a great job at delivering clean floors.
Is it better to mop with cold or hot water?
Most people are confused when it comes to the water temperature they should use when cleaning their floors. The answer to this question depends on your flooring type. If you have floors that can withstand warm or hot water, such as marble, feel free to use hot water.
In most cases, your best bet is to use cool water to stay on the safe side and not damage your floors.
The reason why people opt for hot water is because they think it will destroy bacteria much faster. That’s not the case, because you’ll destroy bacteria with the right cleaning solution even if you use cold water.
Final Thoughts
Finding the best floor cleaning solution wasn’t the easiest task, since there are so many to choose from. Before picking the perfect one for your home, remember to think of the flooring type, size, price, application, and ingredient list.
The Pledge Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner is the highest-rated cleaner by our team because it proved to be an excellent solution for various flooring types, lasts for months, is surprisingly affordable, and won’t leave any residue or streaks on your flooring.
If you have any comments or first-hand experiences with floor cleaning products, please post them below or share your pictures via our social media.
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