The Best Laminate Floor Cleaners for Dirt, Spills, and Stains, Tested

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Make laminate floors shine with a product specially formulated to keep them looking their best for years to come.

Laminate flooring, a type of synthetic flooring crafted to simulate the look of wood or tile, has improved considerably over the years, making it a popular choice for people looking to improve the appearance of their floors. High-quality laminate floors can accurately imitate the look of hardwood at a much lower price. However, if not properly maintained, the finish can dull over time. 

To keep laminate floors in tip-top shape, you must clean them with a gentle mopping solution. These floors also require damp mopping, as too much moisture can cause warping. We researched the highest-rated products to find the best laminate floor cleaner and then chose seven to test. After hours of hands-on testing, we assigned each a category, making it easy to find the best cleaner to fit a variety of needs.

1. BEST OVERALL: Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner
2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner
3. BEST NATURAL: Better Life Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner 
4. BEST FOR SHINE: Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish
5. BEST FOR SCRATCHES: Rejuvenate All Floors Restorer
6. BEST FOR STAINS: Black Diamond Stoneworks Wood & Laminate Cleaner
7. BEST FOR PETS: Aunt Fannie’s Vinegar Floor Cleaner 

How We Tested the Best Laminate Floor Cleaners

Before selecting laminate floor cleaners to test, we asked expert floor cleaners for their opinions. Charlie King, owner of Greenway Carpet Cleaning Las Vegas, says, “It is essential to use cleaners specifically designed for laminate floors to prevent damage to the protective layer. General-purpose cleaners may contain harsh chemicals that can compromise the integrity of the flooring.” With this in mind, we researched specialty cleaners and narrowed down twelve popular products. 

We chose seven products for testing based on customer ratings and user needs. We wanted a mix of natural and chemical cleaners, plus options for filling in scratches and restoring shine. Our final product picks included five laminate floor mopping solutions and two laminate floor restorers.

We allowed our floors to build up regular household dirt and then used each mopping solution on our 700 square feet of test laminate. To assess the cleaning power, we smeared pasta sauce and apple juice on the floors, let the substances dry, and then mopped with each cleaner. Of the five mopping solutions we chose, all passed our tests, wiping out dirt, pasta sauce, and apple juice, leaving our floors clean and streak-free.

We tested the two floor restorer products next to each other on a patch of dulling laminate. Both were easy to apply and worked as described.

Testing Stats

• Products tested: 7
• Hours spent testing: 3.5
• Tests performed: 5
• Average price: $15.49

Our Top Picks

Whether your primary concern is stains, scratches, or shine, consider these hand-tested laminate floor cleaners. When evaluating the following products, we took several important factors into consideration, including versatility, application style, and chemical versus natural ingredient content.

Best Overall

Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 5/5; Scent 5/5; Value 5/5

Product Specs 

• Ready to use: Yes
• Application type: Spray
• Scented: No

Pros

• Fine mist spray prevents product overuse, keeping the user from oversaturating the floor
• Gently removes dirt and grime; dries streak-free and doesn’t leave any residue behind
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Certified Choice product; contains plant-derived ingredients that are safe for people and pets 
• Unscented formula is ideal for those who are sensitive to fragrance

Cons

• Carrying around a full bottle of product while mopping can feel cumbersome

The Bona hard-surface floor cleaner features a water-based pH-neutral formula and a fine-mist spray, making it ideal for gently wiping away dirt and grime on laminate floors. It also has a plant-derived formula that’s safe for both people and pets and is certified EPA Safer Choice, which we appreciate.

We used this product to mop up household dirt repeatedly, and it never left behind any streaks or residue. The fine mist released the perfect amount of solution for damp mopping and prevented us from oversaturating our floors. To clean up tougher messes, like stuck-on food, we aimed the nozzle closer to the floor and sprayed until we had enough product to wipe away the grime. In conjunction with a microfiber mop, this cleaner was suitable for regular dirt buildup, sticky spots, and food messes.

We tested the unscented version of this Bona laminate cleaner, but it also comes in a lemon-mint scent for those who prefer fragrance. Refill bottles are available, making Bona an economical option. Aside from laminate, this hard-floor surface cleaner is also suitable for stone, sealed tile, and luxury vinyl floors.

Get the Bona laminate floor cleaner at Amazon, The Home Depot, or Target.

Best Bang for the Buck

Weiman Hardwood Floor Cleaner

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 5/5; Scent 5/5; Value 5/5; 

Product Specs 

• Ready to use: Yes
• Application type: Refill bottle
• Scented: Yes

Pros

• Refill size is ideal for adding to a spray mop or refilling spray bottles
• Performed well in tests, cleaning up regular dirt and tough messes
• Laminate floors dry completely clean, streak-free with no residue

Cons

• Easy to oversaturate floors if you use it directly from the refill bottle

Weiman makes some of the best floor cleaners on the market, and with this 1-gallon refill container, the bulk pricing makes this quality product among the most affordable (cost per ounce). Though it’s primarily touted as a hardwood cleaner, it works just as well on vinyl and laminate floors. 

We loved the fresh citrus scent of this mopping solution. It also delivered excellent cleaning power, removing dirt and messes from our laminate floors. The directions indicated that we could use this cleaner straight out of the bottle or to refill spray mops and spray bottles. We first tried dumping the solution on the floor and then spreading it with a mop. Using it this way made it easy to oversaturate our floors, so we switched to using it out of a refillable spray bottle. The spray bottle provided better control, allowing us to spray just enough to damp clean with our microfiber mop.

This complete formula delivers a streak-free glow without the use of harsh chemicals, meeting EPA Safer Choice standards. Its plant-derived ingredients are also safe for kids and pets to walk on once the product has dried. Since it has a multiuse formula, we also used it on our hardwoods and were equally impressed with its effectiveness.

Get the Weiman laminate floor cleaner at Amazon or Walmart.

Best Natural

Better Life Dirt-Destroying Floor Cleaner

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 4.8/5; Scent 5/5; Value 5/5

Product Specs 

• Ready to use: Yes
• Application type: Squirt bottle
• Scented: Yes

Pros

• Suitable for use with microfiber mops, string mops, and steam mops
• Squirt bottle makes for easy application and allows control over the amount of mopping solution
• Works on all sealed floors, including laminate, hardwoods, tile, bamboo, and more

Cons

• Produces suds on laminate floors when excess cleaner is used

Better Life is one of our favorite natural cleaning brands, and its Dirt Destroying floor cleaner doesn’t disappoint. When looking for a natural product for multiple flooring surfaces in your home, this mopping solution is a versatile pick. It can be used on laminate flooring as well as hardwood, tile, marble, bamboo, and vinyl. It’s a ready-to-use formula you can dispense directly onto the floor from its squirt-bottle container. 

We used this cleaner with a damp microfiber spin mop, although it’s compatible with all types of mops, including steam mops. We squirted it on our floor in small sections and then mopped in back-and-forth motions. It cleared dirt without issue. We also used it to clean stuck-on pasta sauce and sticky apple juice, squirting a liberal amount on the messes and then wicking them away with our mop. While this cleaner was effective, our biggest complaint was that it got sudsy when we used too much. To prevent our floors from streaking, we had to re-dampen our mop head and wipe the suds away.

This cleaner uses coconut- and corn-based surfactants, and while it includes pure essential oils for a citrus-mint scent, it’s free of synthetic fragrances as well as dyes, sulfates, parabens, and petroleum solvents. We thought the citrus-mint scent was the best smelling of all the laminate floor cleaners we tested. 

Get the Better Life laminate floor cleaner at Amazon or Better Life.

Best for Shine

Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 4/5; Effectiveness 5/5; Scent 3/5; Value 4/5

Product Specs 

• Ready to use: Yes
• Application type: Pour
• Scented: No

Pros

• Easy application; pour on the floor and spread with a damp mop
• Restores shine to dulling floors and adds a protective layer
• Suitable for multiple flooring types including laminate, hardwood, luxury vinyl tile, tile, and stone

Cons

• Pouring straight from the bottle makes for a sloppy application

Quick Shine is a leading maker of floor polishes, and this product is formulated to work well on multiple surfaces, including hardwood, laminate, luxury vinyl, tile, and stone. The formula adds a protective layer that adds shine and fills in scratches, evening out the floor’s appearance. Certified by the EPA as a Safer Choice Product, the Quick Shine floor finish doesn’t contain aluminum, ammonia, formaldehyde, fragrances, parabens, or phthalates. 

This complete product comes in both squirt bottles and refill containers. We tested the larger 64-fluid-ounce bottle, which covers approximately 2,400 square feet. Before using it, we thoroughly swept and mopped our laminate and allowed our floors to dry. 

We applied Quick Shine to a small test patch by pouring it straight from the bottle onto the floor. We attempted to pour it in an “S” pattern as the bottle suggested but found it difficult to do. The product had a milky consistency and a slight smell, similar to latex paint. After pouring, we spread the solution with a damp microfiber mop and let it dry. The floor looked slightly shinier the next day, but there wasn’t a dramatic change. We think Quick Shine is a good fit for those who want to add a bit of shine to their dull floors or protect them from wear and tear.

Get the Quick Shine laminate floor finish at Amazon or The Home Depot.

Best for Scratches

Rejuvenate All Floors Restorer

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 5/5; Scent 3/5; Value 4.5/5

Product Specs 

• Ready to use: Yes
• Application type: Squirt bottle
• Scented: No

Pros

• Squirt bottle makes for easy application; just squirt and then spread with a mop
• Works on multiple surfaces, including hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile
• Fills in scratches and adds shine, improving the look of laminate floors

Cons

• Costs more per ounce than many products with a similar formula

While laminate floors are designed for durability, they can still be susceptible to scratching. For a high-traffic home that sees its fair share of wear and tear, the Rejuvenate All Floors Restorer might be a good choice. This complete polymer-based product functions by resealing flooring and filling in scratches. Formulated to work on laminate as well as hardwood, vinyl, and tile, this is a versatile product that you squeeze directly onto the floor.

Applying Rejuvenate to our laminate was a breeze, thanks to the squirt-top bottle. After sweeping and mopping, we squirted some of this product onto a small section of the floor using an “S” pattern. Then, we took a dry microfiber cloth and gently spread it in the direction of the grain. We checked in on our floors after about an hour, and it was easy to see the difference between the treated section and the untreated area of the floor. 

The Rejuvenate formula had a milky consistency and a low paintlike odor. It gave our floors a nice sheen and a refreshed look. Using this product is an easy and inexpensive way to make dulling floors appear more even and shiny.

Get the Rejuvenate laminate floor cleaner at Amazon, Lowe’s, or The Home Depot .

Best for Stains

Black Diamond Stoneworks Wood & Laminate Cleaner

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Our Ratings: Ease of Use 5/5; Effectiveness 5/5; Scent 4/5; Value 4.5/5

Product Specs 

• Ready to use: Yes
• Application type: Spray
• Scented: Yes

Pros

• Cleans up regular dirt, oil, food messes, drink spills, and footprints
• Leaves behind an invisible shield, protecting laminate floors from grease, soil, and water buildup
• Fine mist spray bottle prevents overuse of product, protecting floors from oversaturation

Cons

• Expensive compared to laminate floor cleaners with similar-size bottles

Accidents happen, and if your family members are prone to spills—and not wiping up immediately—the Black Diamond cleaner might belong in your home. This water-based cleaner banishes tough stains (including oil) without leaving streaks. It provides a high shine and is suitable for many types of flooring, including both hardwood and laminate. It’s made with gentler ingredients than some stronger floor cleaners and is advertised as being safe for use around children and pets. 

During hands-on testing, this Black Diamond cleaner tackled the toughest of dried-on food messes, thanks to its powerful formula and a handy spray bottle that allowed us to control the amount of mopping solution. It also did great on everyday dirt, releasing enough cleaner from the fine mist spray bottle for us to mop. We followed the directions, working in 6-foot-long by 4-foot-wide areas of floor, spraying and then mopping until dry. The result was a clean and streak-free laminate floor.

We also appreciated the special PS3 shield, which leaves behind an invisible layer, protecting the floor from future grease, soil, and water buildup