7 Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners, Tested by Cleaning Experts
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Hardwood floors may be favored for their clean and polished aesthetic, but foot traffic, kids and pets can quickly make those pristine floors look tired and worn. Luckily, cleaning and caring for a wood floor isn't that difficult. Good upkeep means using the right mop for hardwood floors or a vacuum cleaner designed for hardwood floors to remove gritty, abrasive dust that can scratch and choosing a liquid cleaner that is wood-safe.
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In the Good Housekeeping Institute Cleaning Lab, we test all kinds of cleaners for all types of floor surfaces from carpet stain removers to robot mops to wood floor cleaners. When evaluating the latter, we track efficacy — how well each product removes simulated stains — plus other important factors like ease of application and dry time. In the end, the best cleaners are the ones that contain ingredients that dissolve dirt and grime without damaging the coating or dulling the shine of the floors we used them on.
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Spray
Pros
- Dissolves tough soil
- EPA Safer Choice-certified
- Dries quickly
Cons
- Requires a separate mop
Bona has a top-tier reputation when it comes to cleaning wood floors. It began as (and still is) a professional wood floor refinishing company, so it knows how to safely clean wood. And in our testing, Bona's Hardwood Floor Cleaner cut through our sticky test soil and erased shoe scuffs faster than all the other products we tested.
You do have to use a microfiber pad mop to get the job done, but there's no need to dilute the product, so it's overall a fairly simple process. Just lightly mist a 3-foot section of floor at a time and go over the area with said mop. Bona's formula evaporates quickly, so there's no need for extra dry buffing before you move on to clean the next section of the floor — important for the overall longevity of your flooring.
We also like that the formula is EPA Safer Choice-certified, which means it's made with ingredients proven safer for both humans and the environment — great for households with kids and pets.
Form: Spray | Size: 32 oz | Requires diluting: No
Pros
- Erases scuff marks
- A little goes a long way
- Can be used on more than floors
Cons
- Requires mixing in a bucket
- Some users don't like the scent
Murphy Oil Soap is a time-tested wood cleaner that's been around for generations. Our cleaning pros love the versatility — it not only tackles grime on hardwood floors, but can also clean wood cabinets, furniture and more. It needs to be diluted in water in a bucket, so the concentrated formula will last you a long time, making it a great overall value. (The cost per bottle is less than $4.)
In our tests, this wood cleaner did a nice job erasing scuff marks with just a few swipes. It was also impressive at removing sticky soil, though it did take a little more scrubbing than Bona to completely banish the residue. It's worth noting that the scent may be overwhelming to anyone with sensitivities — while the signature fragrance has many fans among testers, a small percentage said they didn't like it.
Form: Liquid | Size: 32 oz | Requires diluting: Yes
Bona Hardwood Floor Premium Spray Mop
Pros
- Large cleaning head to clean faster
- Reusable microfiber pad
- Refillable cleaner cartridge
Cons
- Mop pole may be too long for some users
Cleaning is a whole lot easier with Bona's all-in-one microfiber spray mop system. It has an oversized head to cover more ground quickly, and it cleans floors with a washable, reusable microfiber pad. We also appreciate that its onboard cleaner cartridge is refillable with Bona formulas for less waste.
In our tests, we found the mop dispenses a wide, fine spray evenly onto the floor. The long rectangular head maneuvers easily into narrow spaces, and the corners on each side are soft and flexible, so they flip up when you go along walls and baseboards to catch every speck.
Bona offers deep-cleaning and even dusting pads that can also be used with this mop for added versatility. While the pole has a second grip section to make scrubbing easier, it may be a little long for short users and might fall over in storage if not hung from a hook.
Form: Microfiber spray mop and refillable cleaner cartridge | Size: 34-oz cleaner | Requires diluting: No
Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner Spray
Pros
- EPA Safer Choice-certified
- Leaves no residue behind
- Dissolves grime and reveals the shine
Cons
- Requires a separate mop
True to form, we're recommending another impressive product from the best-performing wood floor cleaner brand in our tests, Bona. This time, it's the PowerPlus Deep Cleaner Spray designed for wood floors that haven't been wet-cleaned in a while or are in need of deeper cleaning.
Like our top overall pick from Bona, you do need to use a mop with this solution, but the heavy-duty formula performed so well during testing that it earned a previous Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning and Organizing Award. One of our Cleaning Lab experts who used it said afterward, "My wood floors were so clean and shiny after using it that they looked like they had been refinished!"
Certified by the EPA's Safer Choice program, its oxygenated, fast-drying formula penetrates grime and heavy build-up without leaving any trace behind. Plus, when it's time to re-purchase, you can buy this formula in a 128-ounce size to refill the spray bottle and reduce your plastic waste.
Form: Spray | Size: 32 oz | Requires diluting: No
Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner Machine Formulation
Pros
- EPA Safer Choice-certified
- Recommended for most major brands of vacuum mops
- Dries quickly
Cons
- Some machine brands may require using their own cleaner
If you already own or are in the market for a vacuum mop, you'll need a cleaning formula to use in it. Most machine brands offer their own multi-purpose formulas designed to clean a variety of floor surfaces, but when it comes to cleaning wood floors, we like the idea of using a product specifically made for wood.
Given how well Bona products perform in the Lab, we were pleased when the brand launched its EPA Safer Choice-certified Hardwood Floor Cleaner Machine Formulation. When we put it to the test in our machines, we found it cleaned well, dried quickly, removed marks and left our floors streak-free.
The consumers on our test panel agreed — so much so that it earned a spot in a past Good Housekeeping Best Cleaning & Organizing Awards. While Bona claims it's safe to use in most brands of vacuum mops, we recommend checking with your mop's manufacturer to ensure it won't void your appliance's warranty.
Form: Liquid | Size: 64 oz | Requires diluting: Yes
Pros
- Disposable pads for easy clean-up
- Easy to navigate under furniture
Cons
- Need to buy pad and cleaner refills
Swiffer's Good Housekeeping Seal-holding, battery-operated WetJet Wood Floor mop dispenses a wood-safe cleaning solution at the press of a button. It uses disposable and absorbent textured pads designed with a scrubby strip to attack dirt and grime and keep it trapped in the pad rather than redepositing it back on your floors.
In our tests, it received a perfect score for how easy it was to dispense the liquid onto our hardwood floor test panels. And, because the pads are disposable, there's no dirty, germy mop to store or pads to wash.
Lights on the mop head make it easy to navigate under furniture too. We reviewed test data supporting that the liquid cleaner is safe on wood, and in our tests, the floor dried quickly after mopping and without streaks or residue. Like the pads, however, the cleaner bottle is not refillable and will eventually need replacing.
Form: Spray mop with disposable pads and cleaner cartridge | Size: 10 pads and 40-oz cleaner | Requires diluting: No
Libman Hardwood Concentrated Floor Cleaner
Pros
- Dissolves scuff marks and removes sticky residue
- A little goes a long way
- Easy to measure
Cons
- Requires diluting
Whether you prefer cleaning your floors using a traditional mop and bucket or a newer spray mop, Libman's Freedom hardwood floor cleaning formula can do both. It's made to be mixed with water for use either in your own bucket or with Libman’s Freedom Dispensing Microfiber Mop. In our tests, it did a very good job of quickly dissolving sticky soil and scuff marks, and because it can be diluted, a little goes a long way.
The bottle top has a handle for easy carrying and a built-in cup for mess-free measuring. Simply squeeze the bottle to fill the measuring cap with the recommended dose of cleaner and pour it directly into a bucket or the Freedom Mop canister. One little bottle makes 4 gallons of cleaner, and this innovative package prevents spills and eliminates the need for a separate measuring cup.
Form: Liquid | Size: 16 oz | Requires diluting: Yes
How we test hardwood floor cleaners
To test hardwood floor cleaners, we evaluate how well they remove a sticky, dried-on gelatin mixture that we paint precisely onto hardwood planks, how quickly and completely they remove the scuff marks we make with a rubber shoe heel, how easy they are to apply and how quickly they dry.
We’ve found that the best cleaners are those specifically formulated for hard, surface-finished or polyurethane-treated floors. These cleaners have ingredients to dissolve dirt and grime without damaging the coating or dulling the shine.
In the Good Housekeeping Cleaning Lab, we’re continuously testing floor cleaning essentials like vacuum cleaners, mops and robot vacuums. During our initial test, we tested 24 wood floor cleaners exactly the same way, cleaning 216 stains and scuff marks from wood flooring panels. We tested how well each product cleaned after an equal amount of passes and how many passes had to be made with each product to completely remove scuff marks and stains. All product labels were reviewed for proper safety and precautionary notices.
Since then, we have continued to test new wood floor cleaning products as they become available, updating this story with the latest noteworthy ones.
What to look for when shopping for the best hardwood floor cleaner
✔️ Type: Hardwood floor cleaners come in various forms like sprays, concentrated liquids and spray mops. In the Cleaning Lab, we found that all the wood floor cleaners we tested did remove at least some stains and scuffs, regardless of how they were dispensed. The most convenient ones to use are sprays and spray mops since the cleaner is applied directly to floors with no diluting necessary. They also topped our performance and ease-of-use tests.
✔️ Versatility: Some wood floor cleaners also double as wood furniture cleaners, like our best value pick, Murphy Oil Soap, making it perfect for homes with lots of wood furniture, woodwork and hardwood floors.
✔️ Scent: You'll likely clean most (or all) of your home's rooms with these hardwood floor cleaners, so choose a product with a fragrance you enjoy enough to smell all through the house.
How do I keep my hardwood floors clean and shiny?
The best way to maintain the vibrancy of wood floors is to leave your shoes at the door, vacuum regularly to remove abrasive dirt and dust (with a straight suction vacuum or with the rotating brush turned off to prevent scratching), clean up spills promptly and keep your pets' nails trimmed.
Use a light application of one of our recommended products and work in small 3-foot square sections to avoid overwetting the floor. Make sure the area you’ve just cleaned dries promptly before moving on to the next section, as too much moisture left on wood for too long can be damaging.
For quick touch-ups, clean in the direction of the wood planks. For deeper cleaning, clean both with and across the planks to nab dirt trapped in the crevices. Only damp-clean floors when they need it, depending on how much traffic they get. There’s no need to overwash them; in fact, doing so can do more harm than good.
What should you not use to clean a wood floor?
You may have read that wood floors should only be cleaned with vinegar — we don’t recommend it. Vinegar may clean the surface, but it's acidic and can dull the finish over time.
Steam mops should also never be used on hardwood floors, even sealed ones. Excessive water and humidity can penetrate and warp the hardwood flooring. Solid wood flooring is easily affected by factors like humidity, water and extreme temperature changes.
Also avoid abrasive cleaners, waxes, oils, furniture sprays and products containing ammonia to prevent damage to the finish and floor.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Carolyn Forté, the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab Executive Director, has a B.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences from Queens College, City University of New York, and is a consumer products expert. She has been testing, speaking and writing about appliances, textiles, cleaning products and more at Good Housekeeping for 40+ years. Carolyn has hardwood floors throughout her home and plenty of experience cleaning them.
Contributing Writer Alice Garbarini Hurley has written about home, food and style for more than 40 years at Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, Coastal Living and more. As a girl, she helped her mother out for holidays by polishing the wood floors in their 1950s home using a can of Butcher's Wax (a.k.a. Bowling Alley Wax) and an electric buffing machine with rotating brushes, a method likely not recommended today. It was hard work, but Alice now wishes she had coaxed her daughters to help out with cleaning the wood floors in their old house.
Carolyn Forté brings more than 40 years of experience as a consumer products expert to her role as executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care and Cleaning Lab. Using deep analytical testing and writing expertise in appliances, cleaning, textiles and organizational products, she produces cleaning and home care advice for GH, has authored numerous books and bookazines for the brand and partners with the American Cleaning Institute to co-produce the Discover Cleaning Summits. She holds a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences from Queens College, City University of New York.
Alice Garbarini Hurley has been a lifestyle and consumer writer since a pizza parlor taste test for the Dumont High School Periscope. She wrote about prom dresses and mascara at Seventeen, then about everything that matters at Good Housekeeping as a senior lifestyle writer for 10 years and as a GH freelancer for 10 more. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, Coastal Living and InStyle. She has published essays and has blogged at Truth and Beauty since 2010. Writing keeps Alice calm and focused while raising a teenage girl. She loves bluebells and daffodils, Cape Cod, accessories, cream in her coffee and reading cookbooks cover to cover.
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