No one can argue that hardwood floors are beautiful but if you’re hesitant to purchase them because you think that it’s too much trouble to keep them clean, think again. When you research the best hardwood floor cleaner & solution, the task is much simpler than you might think and finding that high-quality cleaner is even easier. Once you know what to look for in your hardwood floor cleaner, choosing the right one becomes as easy as tying your shoes.
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Best Hardwood Floor Cleaner Solutions Reviews
How to Get Started Choosing the Right Cleaner
When it comes to cleaning your hardwood floors, it is crucial to keep in mind one main rule: damp, not wet! In other words, water is the worst thing that you can use on hardwood floors because it can damage them permanently. When you do clean these floors, you should use a damp mop only and cleaners that are specially designed for hardwood floors only.
Some people choose to make their own cleaners, which is fine as long as the ingredients don’t damage the floors even more. You can start with an easy solution made of four cups of warm water with a few drops of dish soap or castile soap mixed in. Never shake the solution, just gently mix it together before using it. In addition, never use any type of oil or furniture spray on your hardwood floors as these can make the floors slippery or leave behind a residue.
If your hardwood floors are new, you can use the cleaner recommended by the manufacturer, which ensures that the floors will always be cleaned properly. You should also use caution when using any type of homemade formula found on the Internet or through friends because the type of wood used for your flooring needs to be considered before choosing the right rotating surface cleaner or other surface cleaners.
Why Clean Your Hardwood Floors?
Just as with other types of floors, hardwood floors need regular cleaning to stay looking their best. Many hardwood floors are made out of pine but you’ll need to know for sure which type you have before choosing the right cleaner. Hardwood floors should be swept at least once a week and more often if you have children or pets in the home. In addition, it’s important to damp mop them every two weeks to make sure that they stay clean.
Just why is regular cleaning of your hardwood floors so important? First of all, dirty floors are unsanitary, especially if you like to walk around barefoot all the time. Dander, dirt, and dust can make your hardwood floors look dingy and faded but regular cleaning can make them look shiny and new. They both look better and last longer with regular cleaning.
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How to Choose the Best Cleaners for Your Hardwood Floors
If you’re confused about the number of products available to clean your hardwood floors, there is no need to be concerned. Basically, the cleaning product you choose is just fine as long as it is made specifically for that type of wood. Here are a few “do”s and “don’t”s that you may also want to consider:
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Don’t use anything with ammonia in it.
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Don’t use an alkaline-based cleaner.
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Don’t use abrasive cleaners.
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Never use lemon juice that isn’t diluted.
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Stay away from any type of floor wax.
Ammonia- and alkaline-based cleaners or abrasive cleaners can scratch or dull the floor’s finish while lemon juice used undiluted can damage the floor’s seal. Floor wax shouldn’t be used because it can make the floors too slippery and can even make recoating difficult in the future.
Are There Special Instructions for Cleaning Hardwood Floors?
The main rule applied to cleaning hardwood floors is — you guessed it — make sure that the mop is damp and never wet. Self-wringing mops work great on hardwood floors because you have a lot of control over how damp they are. Before you start to mop, make sure that the floors are thoroughly swept and that rugs and furniture are out of the way so you can clean as much of the floor as possible.
When you’re mopping, try working in a circular motion and mop small areas at a time. This is the best way to lift dirt and stains from the floor as you work. Once the water or solution that you’re cleaning with becomes dirty, you should change it before you go any further. Finally, make sure that no one is allowed to walk on your newly cleaned floor until it is 100% dry.
Some Words Of Caution:
There is little doubt that hardwood floors need specialized care and there are certain things you may not have thought much about when caring for these floors. Some of these things include:
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Keep in mind that even if your hardwood floors don’t look dirty, this doesn’t mean that they are clean. Dirt and grit can become embedded in hardwood floors and aren’t noticeable, which is why regular cleaning is so important.
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If you come inside when it’s raining or snowing, be aware that the rain drops you bring in with you can possibly damage your hardwood floors. Make sure that you dry off the floors before you do anything else.
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If your floors start to look cloudy, it might be because of items such as hair spray or some other type of spray that you use without considering that it is falling onto your hardwood floors and causing them damage.
Most Convenient Professional Hardwood Floor Cleaners - Comparison Chart
5 Good Hardwood Floor Cleaner For Quick Shine: A Buying Guide
1. Method Squirt + Mop Hardwood Floor Cleaner
The Method squirt-and-mop hardwood floor cleaner is super easy to use because all you do is squirt or spray some on your floor and start mopping. It is a plant-based product that is biodegradable and perfect for hardwood floors that are sealed as well as laminate floors. In addition, there is no need to rinse the product off because it dries in a smooth, streak-free manner, allowing you to have beautiful floors that are shiny and never sticky.
If you want your hardwood floors shiny but not slippery, the Method floor cleaner will not disappoint. Best of all, it is a great product to use even if your floors take a beating because of children or pets in the household. You can use it to both clean and spot-clean your wood floors and it comes in scents such as Almond, Lemon Ginger, and Spearmint Sage. The scent, however, is not overpowering but stays behind just enough for you to enjoy it after you’re finished mopping.
Another one of the product’s many advantages is that you can purchase both the original bottle and refill bottles, which can save you a lot of money over time. With this product, your floors will both look good and smell good. Its reasonable price is just icing on the cake.
Pros
- Comes in many different scents.
- Produces shiny but not slippery results.
- Easy and fast to use.
Cons
- Some complaints about the smell being too strong.
★ Top Pick
2. Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray
The Bona hardwood floor cleaner spray is water-based and made specifically for unoiled, unwaxed wood floors made of polyurethane or similar materials. It is also extremely easy to use because all you do is spray and mop. It is a “green” product with very low VOC emissions and is therefore safe for children, animals, and even the environment.
Users of this product testify that it is streak- and residue-free and that it cleans thoroughly and quickly every time. If you have oak or bamboo floors, it can bring them back to life again and it never turns your floors cloudy or gray. When you have minor spots or spills on your hardwood floor, just spray on this product, mop, and the floors will look great once again.
The Bona company is great at making products specifically for use on all types of hardwood floors and this one will never let you down. It never leaves cloudiness or a faded look and it works quickly so that it doesn’t take long even if you’re especially busy. One of its biggest advantages is that you can use it for both overall cleanings or for spot-cleaning, making it a very versatile floor cleaner that you can use in many ways.
Pros
- Very easy and fast to use.
- Streak-free every time.
- Good for both overall and spot-cleaning.
Cons
- Some complaints about the ammonia-like smell.
3. Babyganics Floor Cleaner Concentrate – Fragrance-Free
This is a fragrance-free, plant-based cleaner that is good for all types of floors, including sealed hardwood and laminate floors. It contains no phthalates, parabens, or sulfates so it is guaranteed not to damage the floors in any way. Best of all, it is concentrated so you’ll only use small amounts of it at a time.
In addition to hardwood and laminate floors, the Babyganics floor cleaner is great for cleaning vinyl, tile, and porcelain and it is convenient to use because there is no rinsing required. If you’re sensitive to strong scents, this is a great floor cleaner for you because there is nothing in it to irritate your nasal passages or your eyes. A small amount also goes a long way so the bottle you purchase is meant to last a very long time.
Users of this product have loved that it cleans even tough dirt and grime and the fact that they only use a capful or so every time they mop their hardwood floors. It is made for families that have small children because it is so safe to use but it works great for anyone whose floors are made out of hardwood or laminate.
Pros
- Gentle enough for homes with pets and babies.
- A small amount goes a long way.
- No strong smell that people dislike.
Cons
- Some complaints about it leaving behind a residue.
4. Pledge Gentle Wood Floor Cleaner in Lemon
With a name like Pledge, you can’t go wrong and this cleaner is ready to use right out of the bottle. It cleans wooden floors quickly and thoroughly without streaking or leaving residue behind and it has a great lemon scent. Indeed, if you want your hardwood floors to be smooth, clean, and shiny, this is the floor-cleaning product for you.
The product also dries quickly and all you do is squirt and mop so having clean, shiny wooden floors is a lot easier than you think. Let’s face it; cleaning your hardwood floors regularly is a must but when you find a solution that makes the task fast and easy, it is even more convenient to do so. You can even buy this product in a pack of three, making it even easier to keep enough on hand so that your floors stay clean for a very long time.
A great product for people who stay busy, the Pledge wood floor cleaner is gentle but very thorough every time you use it, not to mention fast.
Pros
- Wonderful lemon scent.
- Works quickly but efficiently.
- Dries fast.
Cons
- Some complaints about it leaving behind a residue.
5. Orange Glo Hardwood Floor Everyday Cleaner Spray
With a fresh orange scent and a special formula that keeps it streak-free, the Orange Glo cleaner spray is both easy to use and very efficient. It dries quickly and keeps your floors smooth and shiny with regular use. It can be used on all types of wood floors. In addition, it is such a gentle spray cleaner that you can use it daily to spot-clean your floors whenever you need to, making it perfect for quick pick-me-ups for all your wood floors.
You can also use this cleaner if you have tough stains or dirt embedded in the floors because its cleaning properties are specifically made for getting hardwood floors as clean as possible. It makes the floors shiny without being too shiny and it never leaves behind any residue or streaks. It doesn’t strip the floors; it just cleans them thoroughly without damaging them even if you have hard-to-clean areas that other floor cleaners haven’t worked on.
Pros
- Cleans thoroughly with damaging the floors.
- Pleasant scent.
- Even cleans hard-to-clean stains and spots.
Cons
- Some concerns about its overall quality.
Best Hardwood Floor Mop
Bissell PowerFresh Steam Mop 1940
Due to having multiple uses, Bissell mop stays the best product among all the reviewing platforms. It has the ability to clean all different kinds of floors with steam for which it specializes. As it doesn’t use any cleaning solution, it lefts a clean luster on floors without leaving any residue layers. Furthermore, its dropdown cleaner could also be activated if it needs to do any scrubbing to clean crabby and stubborn spots.
Its water vessel has a capacity of 16 ounces so it could do the cleaning without refilling for long. It offers to control the level of cleaning by adjusting the steam to high, medium or low power.
It is recommended to use distilled water in the machine for cleaning instead of tap water. To give a fresh fragrance to floors, it lets you add perfume to the water. Bissell says that this product is recommended for sealed hardwoods as steam can diffuse.
In case your floors are damaged and broken, this product would not prove to be a good option. This is because, on the machine head, fetching water up is the cleaning pad which may lead to wet the wood at gouges.
Conclusion:
At one time, many homeowners assumed that hardwood floors were difficult to clean and therefore avoided them but that is no longer the case. Although many wood floors are made out of pine, there are actually all types of wooden floors. The products made specifically for cleaning these floors have the right ingredients to get your floors shiny, smooth, and beautiful.
When researching cleaners for your own hardwood floors, it is important to pay close attention to the cleaners themselves. Once you determine the type of wood used to make the floors, the good news is that you can find the perfect driveway concrete cleaner quickly and without fanfare.