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It’s likely not the most exciting part of your week, but it’s a necessary one: cleaning your floors. It can be back-breaking work, and it’s natural to feel frustrated if that work isn’t rewarded with a streak-free, fresh finish. Not all floor cleaners are created equal, however. Some clean up the competition when getting your floors so spotless that your white socks stay white. And others get bad press—for good reasons. Floor cleaners should be high-quality, efficient, affordable, and easy to use. Additionally, they should use safe ingredients, especially if you have pets and children who love to eat things off the floor. Finding the best floor cleaner for your unique flooring can be challenging, but with this guide, you’re up to the task. 

How we chose the best floor cleaners

For this guide, we reviewed over a dozen of the highest-rated and most trusted brands of floor cleaners in each category to arrive at our top picks. Our extensive research included consulting online research and recommendations from homemakers and stay-at-home parents to professional cleaners. We analyzed the contenders, looking for the perfect combination of safe ingredients, convenience, fair prices, and products that get the job done well. 

The best floor cleaners: Reviews & Recommendations

If you rent, you know the struggle of moving into a new place that was not cleaned by the landlord beforehand. A clean floor means you can use the five-second rule undeterred. This is to say: everyone benefits from a clean floor. Combined with the best vacuum-mop combo, the best floor cleaners will leave your hardwood, tile, laminate, or linoleum polished and pristine. Any of our picks are up for the job when it comes to getting Risky Business-levels of smooth floors.

Best overall: Rejuvenate All Floors Cleaner

Specs

  • Floor type: Works on all types of floors
  • Spray mop compatibility: Compatible with spray mop system
  • Formula: pH balanced, water-based formula
  • Size options: Available in 32 oz. or 128 oz. 

Pros

  • Excellent on linoleum but works on all floors
  • Non-toxic ingredients
  • Ammonia-free
  • Easy to use with spray mop

Cons

  • Doesn’t provide floor-specific benefits of other cleaners
  • Diluted formula

If you’re looking for the best floor cleaner that you can use throughout your house, Rejuvenate All Floors Cleaner is the best floor cleaner that can handle pretty much anything. You can use this floor cleaner on hardwood, laminate, tile, vinyl, and linoleum, making it a popular option for low-maintenance homeowners. The floor cleaner’s pH-balanced formula won’t leave behind a residue, and it’s gentle on your floor’s finish. The shine-booster technology adds an extra glossy sheen to make floors look newer than they are. 

One of the benefits of choosing this floor cleaner is the option to purchase the compatible Click ‘n Clean spray mop system. As the name suggests, the cleaner simply clicks into the spray mop, making it easier to clean your floors without having to get down on your hands and knees or use a messy mop bucket. Rejuvenate products are made with safe ingredients that are kid and pet friendly. The plant-derived, water-based formula has no dyes or perfumes and is non-toxic and ammonia-free.

You can buy the whole system (spray mop, cleaning pads, and floor cleaner) together for the price of a large bottle of typical cleaner. Overall, Rejuvenate offers a safe, affordable, no-fuss way to clean your floors. 

Best for linoleum: Zep Neutral pH Floor Cleaner

Specs

  • Floor type: Works on vinyl, marble, granite, and stone floors
  • Formula: Concentrated product, pH-balanced formula
  • Spray mop compatibility: No
  • Size options: 128 oz. 

Pros

  • Sustainable packaging
  • Super affordable
  • Concentrated formula means more bang for your buck
  • pH-balanced formula

Cons

  • Requires preparation
  • Not compatible with hardwood floors
  • Formula includes alcohol 

The Zep floor cleaner also wins our best linoleum floor cleaner category because of the concentrated formula. Instead of paying for a watered-down floor cleaner, this concentrated version is diluted with water each time. For normal cleaning, you only need 1 ounce of product per gallon of water. The result is 128 gallons of the finished product and a lot of bang for your buck. Zep floor cleaner is safe for vinyl, marble, granite, and stone flooring. Unfortunately, this product is not good for hardwood floors or surfaces. 

Professional cleaners know that a pH-balanced, neutral formula is safer on the flooring because it doesn’t strip away the protective coating on floor surfaces. What this means for you is that the formulation won’t damage your floors. It also helps maintain your floor’s polish and shine without needing an additional polishing product like a floor buffer. In a no-rinse formula, cleaning your floor is easy and drama-free. 

A Climate Pledge Friendly product on Amazon, Zep floor cleaner is certified to be compact by design, meaning less waste for a more sustainable cleaner. When it comes to getting a whole lot of value from one bottle of floor cleaner, look no further than Zep.

Best for hardwood: Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner

Specs

  • Floor type: Works on unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane-finished wood floors
  • Spray mop compatibility: Compatible with spray mop system
  • Formula: Water-based formula without ammonia, environmentally friendly ingredients
  • Size options: Available in 64 oz. or 128 oz. 

Pros

  • Clean, non-toxic ingredients
  • No parabens, phosphates, or ammonia
  • Easy to use with spray mop
  • Sustainable packaging

Cons

  • Only usable on wood floors
  • Diluted formula
  • Expensive

If your home is full of hardwood floors, then Bona is the best hardwood floor cleaner you can get. Bona has been in the business of caring for hardwood floors since 1919, when Swedish grocery store owner Wilhelm Edner began selling his bonvax solution to clean, polish, and protect hardwood floors. Now, over 100 years later, Bona remains a leading manufacturer of high-quality hardwood floor cleaners

Bona’s floor cleaner works on all unwaxed, unoiled, polyurethane-finished wood flooring. With a water-based formula, this cleaning solution promises a residue-free finish. The quick-drying solution was formulated specifically for hardwood floors, so you can feel good knowing you’re using only the best on your wood flooring. 

Another benefit of using Bona’s floor cleaner is its natural ingredients. This product not only meets the U.S. EPA product standards but it is also qualified as a Safer Choice product. Safer Choice products go through a more stringent EPA review, so you can be confident that the ingredients are natural with fewer harmful chemicals. Bona’s formula is free from common cleaning chemicals like ammonia, formaldehyde, parabens, phthalates, phosphates, and gluten.

Bona offers a spray mop system of their own, making floor cleaning easier and more convenient. After a one-time purchase of the complete system, refills are relatively inexpensive. Keep in mind, however, that this water-based product comes diluted, so you aren’t getting as much value for your dollar as you would with a concentrated product. Convenience comes at a small cost here.

Best for laminate: Black Diamond Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner

Specs

  • Floor type: Works on all types of wood, laminate, and engineered flooring
  • Spray mop compatibility: No
  • Formula: Hypoallergenic, water-based formula
  • Size options: Available in quart and gallon sizes

Pros

  • Non-toxic ingredients
  • Hypo-allergenic
  • Residue-free finish
  • Easy to use
  • 100 percent biodegradable

Cons

  • More expensive 
  • Diluted formula 

Technically, Black Diamond Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner works on both wood and laminate floors (as the name suggests). If your home has a combination of the two, we’d recommend Black Diamond, the best laminate floor cleaner. While it’s not certified as a Safer Choice cleaner, its ingredients list doesn’t include ammonia, and it’s eco-friendly. The formula is 100% biodegradable. It is scented to leave a fresh scent behind, which makes your home feel clean, but keep it in mind if you are sensitive to fragrances.

Black Diamond Wood & Laminate Floor Cleaner is easy to apply in a convenient spray bottle. Simply wipe it down with a microfiber cloth after applying. It doesn’t require rinsing after use, so it gets our kudos for being a hassle-free floor cleaner. 

The water-based formula is designed to leave behind a streak-free finish with no filmy residue. It comes in various sizes, including a gallon-sized refill with a spray mop. This product is on the pricier side for floor cleaners. The water-based formula comes diluted but at a higher price point than Zep, a concentrated floor cleaner on earlier on our list. That’s great for ease of use but not so wonderful on your wallet.

Best for tile: Black Diamond Marble & Tile Floor Cleaner

Specs

  • Floor type: Safe for marble, limestone, ceramic tile, and more
  • Spray mop compatibility: No
  • Formula: Concentrated formula 
  • Size options: Comes in a variety of sizes

Pros

  • Eco-friendly, compact design
  • Concentrated formula
  • 100% biodegradable

Cons

  • Formula contains alcohol
  • Not ready-to-use

Black Diamond is a trusted brand for floor cleaners, which is why it made it onto our list a second time for the best tile floor cleaner. This floor cleaner is effective and safe for use with marble, limestone, travertine, granite, slate, ceramic, and porcelain tile. It comes in a highly concentrated solution, so you only need 2-4 ounces diluted with water for a complete clean. It’s a cost-effective option in a value size. 

Black Diamond promises a streak-free, residue-free finish on your tile and marble flooring. This floor cleaner does require a rinse with clean water after use. Between the rinse and dilution steps, this cleaner isn’t as easy to use as some of the alternatives on our list, but it is formulated specifically for hard-tiled flooring. The special formula pulls dirt from the stone’s pores without damaging the surface.

The ingredients list does include alcohol, so it’s not the gentlest formula on our list. It has a pleasant scent, but it’s not too overpowering. Still, keep that in mind if you’re allergic to fragrance or sensitive to smells.

Best budget: Fabuloso Professional Multi-Use Liquid Cleaner

Fabuloso

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Specs

  • Floor type: All floor types
  • Spray mop compatibility: Yes
  • Formula: 50% more cleaning agents compared to regular Fabuloso, neutral pH formula
  • Size options: One gallon

Pros

  • Professional grade for cheap
  • Multi-purpose cleaner
  • No rinsing needed

Cons

  • Fragranced

Shiny clean floors are just $12 away with the Fabuloso Professional Multi-Use Liquid Cleaner. As the name suggests, you don’t have to use it solely on your floors—it also makes for a great bathroom, kitchen, and counter cleaner. It has 50% more cleaning agents than Fabuloso Regular, making it even more capable of tackling grime and tough grease. Its neutral pH means you can use it for different flooring, and it can be used with a mop or sponge—meaning it’s great when you have to clean up a small spill and don’t want to pull out the mop and bucket. You don’t need to rinse it after cleaning your floors, and it leaves a deodorizing, pleasant, light lavender fragrance—a plus for those who love scented products but a con to scent-sensitive people.

What to look for when buying the best floor cleaners

Before you buy a new floor cleaner, know what to look for. Between ingredients, floor cleaner type, ease of use, and price, here’s what you should know when comes to choosing the best floor cleaners:

Type(s) of floors

The most important (and, perhaps, obvious) thing to consider is what kind of floor or floors you’ll be cleaning. If your home is full of hardwood flooring, a stone and tile cleaner isn’t going to do the trick. 

Most homes have a combination of different types of flooring, so it’s also worth considering if you’d rather go for one cleaner that can tackle all types of flooring, or if you’d prefer to splurge for floor-specific cleaners that will better protect your unique floors. If you live in a rented apartment, you likely don’t care too much about the longevity of your floors (we won’t tell your landlord), so an affordable all-in-one will get the job done. Homeowners will want the gold standard to preserve their floors for years.

Regardless of floor type, you’ll want to vacuum before mopping to get any debris out of the way.

Application process

While some floor cleaners are super easy-to-use in convenient spray bottles that work with a spray mop system, others require more elbow grease. Consider ease of use and how much effort each floor cleaner will require. 

An all-in-one system will cost more, but for an on-the-go parent or busy professional, it may be worth it to splurge. If your budget is your top concern, grab a long-lasting concentrate and dilute it yourself. Sometimes, the extra time is worth a dollar saved.

Ingredients

Some cleaners use toxic ingredients that, over time, are harmful and dangerous to humans and pets. Ammonia, chlorine, and alcohol used to be commonplace ingredients in professional-grade cleaning products. However, if you have asthma, severe allergies, or other respiratory issues, these ingredients can act as serious irritants. Over time, they can even lead to health problems.

Make sure you check out the ingredients list before you buy, and avoid purchasing anything with chemicals that will make you sneeze all over your newly cleaned house … or worse. Many products include natural, plant-based ingredients. You may choose to avoid potentially harmful components such as parabens, phosphates, chlorine bleach, ammonia, formaldehyde, and phthalates.

Sustainability

In addition to the health and safety of members of the household, shoppers might consider the health of the planet when selecting a hardwood floor cleaner. Several manufacturers state their commitments to promoting sustainability, reducing their carbon footprint, and preserving the environment.

FAQs

Q: How much do floor cleaners cost?

It depends on ingredients, floor cleaner type, and size. Professional grade doesn’t have to mean more expensive—take our best budget pick, which gives you a gallon of cleaner for $10. Specialized cleaners can get pricey—the best tile cleaner is a little over $30 for a gallon. On average, floor cleaners will run you $10-$30.

Q: How often should I clean my floors?

Cleaning them once every few weeks should do the trick, but for heavily trafficked areas like the kitchen where food germs can linger, you may want to up the frequency. It really depends on how often you use the floor and where the floor is located in your house. If you have kids or pets, spills and messes probably happen more often. Even if you can’t see dirt and grime, it’s safe to say it’s there. Err on the side of caution and try to clean your floors once every two weeks or more.

Q: Why are my floors still dirty after mopping?

This all comes down to technique. Remember that wet does not equal clean. Mopping requires more legwork than simply running the mop over the floor, effectively moving dirt around. The key here is to rinse your mop pads or mop more often while cleaning. Otherwise, the water will become saturated with dirt, making all your work for naught. 

Q: Is Swiffer as good as mopping?

Both the Swiffer and a mop have a place in your home, and they carry unique pros and cons. The Swiffer is easier to use than a traditional mop, but it’s more expensive and wasteful. A regular mop is cheap and better for larger messes, but it’s more of a pain to use – we’ve all blown out our back toting around a bucket full of dirty water. Neither is distinctly better than the other, and there is no scientific basis for one delivering a better clean than the other, either.

Q: How do you remove polish buildup from hardwood floors?

The best way to remove built-up wax from hardwood floors is to rub with a soft cloth soaked in mineral spirits. Follow up by rubbing with mineral spirits on a fine steel-wool pad. Finally, rinse with hot water on a soft mop and dry with a clean, dry cloth.

Q: Can you use vinegar to clean hardwood floors?

Vinegar diluted in warm water is sometimes recommended as a cleaner for hardwood floors, but the acid in vinegar can damage the surface of the wood. So we recommend against using it to clean hardwood floors.

Final thoughts on the best floor cleaners

The best floor cleaner makes mopping your floors less of a chore. And choosing the correct one for your type of flooring is an important step in floor maintenance. The wrong one can leave your floor dull and not as clean as you’d like—making mopping feel Sisyphean, with grey water still begetting grey on the bottom of your white socks. Everyone benefits from the best floor cleaners, including renters mopping before moving in and children who don’t always adhere to the five-second rule. Grab that bucket-and-mop, some elbow grease, and get mopping!

Why trust us

Popular Science started writing about technology more than 150 years ago. There was no such thing as “gadget writing” when we published our first issue in 1872, but if there was, our mission to demystify the world of innovation for everyday readers means we would have been all over it. Here in the present, PopSci is fully committed to helping readers navigate the increasingly intimidating array of devices on the market right now.

Our writers and editors have combined decades of experience covering and reviewing consumer electronics. We each have our own obsessive specialties—from high-end audio to video games to cameras and beyond—but when we’re reviewing devices outside of our immediate wheelhouses, we do our best to seek out trustworthy voices and opinions to help guide people to the very best recommendations. We know we don’t know everything, but we’re excited to live through the analysis paralysis that internet shopping can spur so readers don’t have to.