Most people ask about cleaners after they installed brand new floors, or your existing floor could be in better shape. Either way, they're looking for the best floor cleaners to keep their home looking like a dream. This boils down to effective cleaning and a little bit of elbow grease.
You need a cleaner that removes dirt and grime without leaving any sticky residue or dulling the finish. It also must be safe for your family and pets. Harsh chemicals are not an option when little ones and furry friends are constantly playing on the floor.
I'm sharing what I think are quality wood floor cleaners. Let me know if you agree after reviewing my choices. Any replies down below can help others find the best hardwood cleaner for their home.
Table of Contents:
- Finding the Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners for Your Needs
- Different Types of Hardwood Floor Cleaners
- Routine Cleaning for Lasting Floors
- FAQs about hardwood floor cleaners
- Conclusion
Finding the Best Wood Floor Cleaner for Your Needs
Brett Miller, NWFA's vice president of technical standards, recommends a cleaner formulated for hardwood floors. Avoid all-purpose cleaners, these non vinager based cleaners will damage the floor finish over time. Skip products promising "shine" or "polish," as they leave a film that tricks you into thinking you've done a good job.
What Makes a Hardwood Cleaner 'Safe'?
With toddlers and pets, consider plant-based cleaners such as Aunt Fannie's Hardwood Floor Cleaner. It cleans effectively using naturally derived ingredients and essential oils, avoiding harsh chemicals and excessive packaging. This makes for a much more little one's home friendly approach to keeping clean.
Watch Out for Polish and Scent Ingredients
Avoid cleaners with ammonia, bleach, or other harsh chemicals. These damage the floor's finish and compromise indoor air quality, impacting kids and pets. ChirpChirp founder Robin Murphy, offer a solution that is both safe and powerful. A clean smell is possible while using natural products.
Different Types of Hardwood Cleaners
Your cleaning style is a big part of finding the best cleaner for you home. Consider your preferred methods and past experiences when making a decision. Do you like the traditional mop-and-bucket method? Or do you prefer the speed of a spray mop?
The best choice depends on your approach to maintaining gleaming floors. Choosing the best cleaning products can be daunting, especially if seeking more than just basic clean. But, a variety of hardwood floor cleaners available can provide many different choices for individual tastes.
Top Picks are Concentrates
Concentrates, like Murphy Oil Soap or Pallmann Hardwood Floor Cleaner Concentrate, offer value and cleaning power. However, they require measuring and mixing. This gives you more for your money.
If mixing isn't appealing, consider ready-to-use sprays or spray mop systems with refills for wood floor cleaners. These options offer a more efficient cleaning process.
Ready-to-Use Sprays
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is a popular ready-to-use option. It's effective and EPA Safer Choice-certified, minimizing harsh chemicals in your home. With so many hardwood floor cleaners available, it is worth noting Bona has remained a favorite for a long time and does a good job.
Spray Mop Systems
For convenience, consider a spray mop system with refillable bottles. Buying a large refill size, like the 128-ounce bottle size to refill your spray mop with, makes the process more efficient.
Washable microfiber pads with large mop heads also expedite cleaning. Many experienced hardwood floor owners will opt for this combination. Deep clean hardwood floors effectively with this setup.
Routine Cleaning for Lasting Change
Regardless of your chosen cleaner, regular cleaning prolongs the life of your floors. Brett Miller emphasizes regular sweeping, vacuuming, and occasional cleaning with a pH-neutral formula.
Quick Daily Housekeeping
Sweep or dry mop with a microfiber dust mop every day or two. This prevents debris buildup, minimizing scratches and scuffs. It is a small step often overlooked but it helps preserve floor finish.
Weekly Vacuum Up Flooring
When vacuuming, turn off the beater bar or use a vacuum with soft rollers. Dirt and grime act as abrasives on hardwood floors. National Wood Flooring Association recommends this approach. Clean hardwood floors can look scuffed very quickly if dirt is ground into the floor with harsh beater brushes.
Monthly Power Cleaning
Use your chosen cleaner monthly, following the manufacturer's instructions, to remove sticky residue and dirt buildup. Don't over-saturate the floor with cleaner. Deep cleaning hardwood floors can seem confusing, but once a proper rhythm is achieved it becomes simple. Avoid mixing products when cleaning your wood floors.
Wring out your mop until it’s damp, as excess water damages hardwood floors. This simple practice goes a long way. Wood flooring can swell with moisture, so moderation is important to effectively clean hardwood floors while keeping the integrity of wood floor planks. A good deep clean should include addressing marks left from wear.
FAQs about hardwood floor cleaners
What is the best thing to sanitize a hardwood floor?
The ideal method involves regular sweeping or dry mopping. Supplement this with a monthly deep clean using a pH-neutral, hardwood-specific cleaner and a damp mop. For those seeking more than just basic maintenance for finished floors, there are specialty products designed to clean finished floors specifically.
Why not use Bona?
Bona, while popular, will leave a wax film. This is usually fine, unless you later switch cleaners, which can create a hazy look. Consider this and past product use before choosing Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. This helps understand which wood floor cleaners to choose to clean finished floor surfaces and can clean finished floor surfaces while avoiding causing the haze. The National Wood Flooring Association can provide more information for proper care.
How to clean an extremely dirty wood floors?
For heavily soiled floors, use a sponge mop and bucket. Rinse the mop frequently and change the water often to effectively lift dirt with your cleaner. The flooring association also agrees. Cleaning hardwood is simpler with the right techniques.
Is Murphy's soap good?
Murphy's Oil Soap is a classic choice for some hardwood floors. However, some find its scent overpowering and notice residue. Use sparingly, as excess water harms wood floors. When using Murphy’s oil soap, always measure and mix product according to instructions. It’s good for cleaning hardwood floors by removing stains, including tomato paste, but avoid leaving residue left from dirty mop water.
Conclusion
Finding the best cleaning solution is all about priorities and lifestyle. Combine a safe product with gentle yet effective cleaning techniques. Proper care for your hardwood floors will add to your home's ambiance. It cleans floors quickly with residue free results that remain dirt-free and sanitized.
Getting a beautiful shine from your floor is super rewarding. Keeping floors clean offers a sense of pride in a beautiful home. Using smarter products that have ph-neutral formulas with a subtle citrus scent can be a game changer for vinegar users. There are spray bottle size cleaners that only need a microfiber dust mop to buff out a quick shine. NWFA recommends you monthly cleaning your wood floors, which can help maintain its charm and avoid needing products for tough stains.
