Laminate flooring has fast become one of the most popular types of flooring for homes and businesses. Not only is this type of manufactured flooring affordable and easy to install, but it is also available in an unbelievably wide array of styles and colors. With the technological advancements in this industry, more homeowners and business owners opt for laminate flooring over real hardwood floors.
The best laminate floor cleaner is the Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner. This highly rated cleaner with multiple scent options is plant-based and non-toxic, making it safe for homes with young children and pets. The ergonomic squirt bottle makes it easy to apply to floors before mopping.
Your floor cleaning needs will vary based on the type of laminate flooring, foot traffic level, whether your home has pets, and your personal preferences. In this article, you’ll learn about the best tools for cleaning your laminate floors. These tools will include our top picks for cleaning products for your individual needs.
- Identify Your Floor Cleaning Needs
- Tools You Need to Clean Laminate Flooring
- Things to Avoid When Cleaning Laminate Floors
- Our Top Picks for Best Laminate Floor Cleaners
What is Laminate Flooring?
Laminate flooring is not real wood but does contain wood particleboard. A fusing process turns multiple layers of synthetic materials into flooring pieces to mimic the look of wood, tile, or stone floors. Lamination is the fusing process used to create this product, thus the name laminate flooring.
Learning about laminate flooring’s inner construction may help you understand the logic behind the recommended ways to clean your floor. For example, using abrasive methods or too much liquid can harm one or more of these layers. There are four layers laminated together. Each layer has a unique purpose, but they all work together to support each other.
The Back Layer
The back layer is the bottom-most layer. This first layer is the one that protects the laminate flooring from any moisture that might seep through. Laminate flooring can separate due to changing levels of humidity. This space between planks or between planks and the wall will allow liquid from accidental spills to get underneath the flooring.
The Core Layer
The core layer is the one that gives the laminate flooring its strength. This layer gets its durability from being made of high-density fiberboard and has two jobs. The first is to prevent dents from impacts on the top of the flooring, such as accidentally dropping a heavy object. Its second job is to add another layer of protection from moisture that has managed to get underneath the planks.
The Design Layer
The design layer is the one that likely influences your buying decision the most. It is a high-resolution image of what the flooring will look like when viewed from the top side. This layer will have the color and faux texture of either wood, tile, or stone. The design layer is one reason laminate flooring is so appealing because the design possibilities are endless. The only limitations are from the product designer’s mind.
The Wear Layer
The wear layer is a transparent top layer that manufacturers make out of aluminum oxide. This chemical compound is almost as hard as a diamond. It has been used to create body armor and is the natural choice to protect your laminate floors. In addition to protecting against surface wear, it also shields the design layer from permanent damage, such as accidental burns or stains and fading caused by UV rays.
Identify Your Floor Cleaning Needs
When shopping for a floor cleaner, be sure the product packaging or the product page explicitly states that it is safe for laminate flooring. Some brands go as far as including a warning not to use their product on laminate. Occasionally, floor cleaning products are not specific one way or the other. In this case, I usually read the customer product reviews to see if anyone has had a positive experience using the product on their laminate flooring.
Based on your style and decor preferences, you may or may not have floors with a high-gloss finish. Glossy floors show scratches more readily than satin or matte laminate. You will want to select a cleaner that helps to renew and maintain that shine. On the same note, if you prefer a low-shine look, avoid floor cleaners that promise a glossy finish.
If you have children of a young age or pets, you may want to look for a floor cleaner that specifically states that it is safe for both on the packaging. Do you have anyone in your home or business that spends a lot of time on the floor, such as crawling infants, napping dogs, or a yoga class? Then it is best to look for an effective but non-toxic option. If you have dogs or cats, you may also want to find a non-toxic cleaner that is good for removing urine.
How to Prep Your Laminate Floor for Cleaning
Before using any cleaner on your laminate flooring, you must remove any debris from the surface of your floor. I mean dust, dirt, dander, both human and pet hair, and food crumbs by debris. This step is essential because these particles will be more difficult to remove when wet. They can also be abrasive and cause scratches on your flooring as they are moved around by your mop or cleaning cloth.
Reducing the humidity in your home can also help your clean floors to dry as quickly as possible. You can accomplish this by placing a dehumidifier in the room temporarily. If the inside of your house is more humid than it is outdoors, then you can open the windows. Turning on your air conditioner is also an option. Another thing you can do is look for a quick-drying floor cleaner.
Tools You Need to Cleaning Laminate Flooring
It may surprise some people, but like with vacuums, not all laminate floor mops are created equal. Here are some of the tools you will need before, during, and after cleaning your laminate flooring. One rule to remember is that softer is better.
Vacuum Cleaner
It is always better to vacuum your laminate floors than to sweep them with a broom. Vacuuming removes the debris, while a broom removes only some of it. The rest goes airborne and settles back down onto your floor. The result will not likely be what you are after.
When vacuuming, be sure to use an attachment with a soft brush or put your vacuum on the hard floor setting. Both these things help to prevent your laminate floor from being scratched by stiff bristles. If you do this weekly, then vacuuming before you use cleaner on your flooring won’t be such a daunting chore.
Want an Even Easier Solution?
Robotic vacuums can also help you maintain clean laminate floors with minimal effort. Check out our article on 17 Best Robot Vacuums for Laminate Floors with Buying Factors to find the perfect hands-free option for your home!
Microfiber Laminate Floor Mop
There are many brands of floor mops to choose from. It is essential to use a microfiber mop on your laminate flooring for the same reason you use a soft vacuum attachment instead of a stiff bristle broom. A floor mop made of microfiber is the least likely type to scratch your laminate.
Microfiber Cloths
As previously mentioned, it is ideal for your laminate flooring to dry as quickly as possible after cleaning it with cleaner. Although you have already tried to keep the amount of liquid used to a minimum, it is best to go over any wet spots with a soft microfiber cloth. Whether it’s a puddle or just beads of water, a brief visit with a mop cloth will remove the liquid quickly.
Things to Avoid
We’ve gone through the list of things you should do when cleaning your laminate flooring. Now let’s talk about a few things you should avoid. These things could create less than ideal results and could potentially harm your floors.
Floor Cleaning Machines
Electric floor cleaners and steamers are not the best tools for cleaning laminate floors. These tools use excessive water and heat, which can ruin your floor. Both these machines can also cause scratches on the surface of laminate flooring while in action.
Oil-Based Cleaners
Since laminate flooring isn’t real wood, you should not treat it with oil. Oil-based cleaners cause streaks on your floor after they dry. If you are after a beautiful, high-gloss finish when your flooring has been cleaned and rejuvenated, then you should avoid oil-based cleaners.
Pools of Standing Water
Just like it is crucial to pick up liquid from spills off your laminate flooring right away, it is just as important to do the same after cleaning your floor. This excessive water can make its way through the spaces between your planks. Water damage to your flooring could include warping and fading.
Our Top Picks for Best Laminate Floor Cleaners
After you’ve determined your floor cleaning needs, our top picks might help you narrow down which cleaners will be the best fit for you. It could be that more than one cleaner fits the bill. You will then need to decide which features are most vital for you and your home or business. Do not rule out testing more than one type of cleaner before making your decision. For example, the scent on the first cleaner you try may not be appealing to some of your household members.
Best Safe Laminate Floor Cleaner (and Best Overall): Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner
The Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 possible stars, based on 404 customer reviews. Being so highly-rated and being a non-toxic, plant-based, biodegradable product carries a lot of weight. This floor cleaner is also wax-free, paraben-free, phthalate-free, and cruelty-free with no animal testing.
In addition to the above accolades, Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner can be used on types of flooring other than laminate. It is also safe to use on linoleum, vinyl, and tile floors. This versatility adds to the product’s value because you can buy one cleaner for multiple floor types in your home.
The ‘squirt’ part of the product name refers to the unique ergonomic bottle. The bottle’s top has a nozzle that squirts the cleaner onto the floor rather than a spray pump like the average cleaning bottle has. This feature helps to prevent puddles of cleaner from forming. It also helps to spread the solution over your floor more quickly.
Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaners offers consumers two scents. They are Lemon Ginger and Ginger Yuzu. Both lemon and ginger are common ingredients to include in homemade cleaning solution recipes.
Bottom Line. Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner is one of the safest laminate flooring cleaners you can use without going through the work of making one yourself. It is safe to use on your laminate floors and safe to use around your family. 85% of customers who rated this product gave it five stars.
Pros
- Plant-based.
- Non-toxic.
- Wax-free.
- Paraben and Phthalate-free.
- Biodegradable.
- Unique squirt bottle prevents puddling.
Cons
There is no unscented option.
Best Laminate Floor Cleaner for Dog Urine: Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner
Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner is rated 4.6 out of 5 possible stars based on customers’ 3,148 feedback ratings. If you own a dog or other pets, then you likely have heard of this brand before. Nature’s Miracle specializes in cleaning products for pet-owners. Although the product packaging does not explicitly list laminate flooring as a safe surface to use Nature’s Miracle to clean, many customers have attested to its safety and effectiveness in their product reviews.
Nature’s Miracle cleans more than just dog urine. It also works on fecal matter and other bodily excretions from household pets. This bio-enzymatic cleaner is effective on all of the above without harming your floors. Nature’s Miracle formulates their products to remove pet odors, something other floor cleaners are unlikely to have done.
This hard floor cleaner is safe enough to not require rinsing after use. The instructions recommend testing the cleaner on a small spot to check for any adverse reactions to your floor. The instructions also say to use the product at full strength, but there is no harm in diluting the solution with water if you are not deep cleaning and wouldn’t mind a slightly less concentrated cleaning solution.
Bottom Line. Pet owners have trusted Nature’s Miracle for 35 years. There are numerous floor cleaners’ brands to choose from, but very few of them specialize in effectively cleaning up after pets. If you have a dog who is in the habit of having accidents inside the house,we recommend Nature’s Miracle Hard Floor Cleaner. The other laminate floor cleaners on our list are unlikely to remove pet odors even if they can remove the stains.
Pros
- Effective with removing most pet stains and odors.
- Customers have safely used this product to clean their laminate flooring.
- Safe for pets.
Cons
- Nature’s Miracle may cost more than some other brands of floor cleaners.
- No choice in the scent.
Best High-Gloss Laminate Floor Cleaner: Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish and Polish
The Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish and Polish product for high-gloss laminate floors is rated 4.7 out of 5 possible stars from 3,758 customer ratings. It works in conjunction with the Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner, which by itself cannot produce the high-gloss look you desire. In addition to laminate flooring, this product also safely works on hardwood, luxury vinyl, tile, and stone floors.
This product carries the seal of approval from the EPA (the United States Environmental Protection Agency). Quick Shine earned this approval because it does not contain aluminum, ammonia, or formaldehyde. It is also paraben-free and phthalate-free.
This product renews the shine in your laminate flooring because it adds a protective layer on top. In doing so, that layer fills in the tiny scratches in your floor’s wear layer before it solidifies. This protective layer solves the issue that plagues most high-gloss floors, which is how easily detected scratches are.
Bottom Line. If you have high-gloss floors and live on the beach or have pets with sharp nails, both these scenarios will leave many tiny scratches all over your glossy floors. For this particular need, you should turn to the Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish and Polish paired with the Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner. If you love your shiny floors, it may be necessary to clean and polish them regularly, especially in high traffic areas.
Pros
- No aluminum, no ammonia, no formaldehyde.
- Paraben and Phthalate-free.
- Fragrance-free.
- A safer choice product.
- Made in the USA.
Cons
- Needs to be used in conjunction with Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Cleaner.
- No fragrance choices.
Best Matte Laminate Floor Cleaner: Sheiner’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner
Sheiner’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner is one of the few low-gloss floor cleaners out there. It is rated 4.3 stars out of 5 possible stars based on 208 reviews. In addition to laminate flooring, safely use this cleaner on hardwood floors, marble, slate, vinyl, bamboo, and more. Also, use it safely on furniture, such as tabletops and countertops.
This organic cleaner is non-toxic and does not contain any bleach or chlorine. It effectively cleans floors and even removes scuff marks without leaving any sticky or oily residue, which attracts dirt. It is also non-abrasive so that it won’t scratch your floor. The natural ingredients used in this cleaner make it safe to use around children and pets. There is no rinsing required after cleaning is complete.
Bottom Line. Sheiner’s Hardwood Floor Cleaner is a safe option for anyone looking to maintain a low-gloss finish on their laminate flooring. It is ready-to-use straight from the bottle and requires no rinsing. This cleaner is effective yet gentle and can clean grout and furniture in addition to laminate and other types of flooring.
Pros
- Made with natural ingredients.
- No chlorine or bleach.
- Works on multiple floor types.
- No rinsing required.
- Made in the USA.
Cons
No unscented option
Best Protective Laminate Floor Cleaner: Rejuvenate Shine Refresher
The Rejuvenate Shine Refresher is rated 4.6 out of 5 possible stars by 276 customers. Rejuvenate made this product to work in conjunction with the Rejuvenate No Bucket Needed Floor Cleaner. Both products work safely on hardwood and other types of floors in addition to laminate.
The Shine Refresher not only removes scratches from the surface of your flooring by filling them in; it also adds a natural shiny protective layer. This coating protects the floor from harmful UV rays, which can cause fading to your floor’s design layer.
The product instructions recommend that you use the pour and mop method, using a microfiber mop. Pouring the cleaner directly on the floor can cause pools of standing liquid, which is something you want to avoid when possible. Even though the Rejuvenate Shine Refresher has a dry time between 10 minutes to an hour, you should pick up any puddles right away to prevent damage to your laminate flooring.
Bottom Line. The Shine Refresher is an effective product that is quick-drying. You should consider transferring the cleaner into a spray bottle as a solution to possible pools of liquid from the pour and mop method. It’s better to be cautious than not.
Pros
- Odor-free.
- Quick-drying.
- Earth-friendly ingredients.
- Made in the USA.
Cons
- Must be used with the Rejuvenate No Bucket Needed Floor Cleaner.
- The recommended pour and mop method could cause puddles.
- No fragrance choices.
Best Scented Laminate Floor Cleaner: Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner Vinegar Wash
Aunt Fannie’s Floor Cleaner Vinegar Wash is rated 4.7 out of 5 possible stars based on 176 customers’ feedback. In addition to laminate flooring, this cleaner safely works on hardwood floors, ceramic tile, and bamboo floors. The ability to be used on multiple services in more than one area of your home or business adds to this product’s value.
The product description states that the EWG (Environmental Working Group) has given this product an A-rating. Still, the product does not bear the EWG Verified mark of approval, nor is the product on the list of approved hard floor cleaners on the EWG website. Despite that, this floor-cleaner is non-toxic and a vinegar and plant-based cleaner. It is also cruelty-free. In other words, it does not use animal testing. Lavender essential oils even naturally scent it.
Unlike many other laminate floor cleaners, this product is concentrated and is not ready-to-use from the bottle. Instead, you must dilute it with water before using it to clean your floors. Once you’ve cleaned the flooring, there is no rinsing required because there is no residue.
Bottom Line. 82% of the customers who reviewed this product gave it five stars, so it is an effective cleaner. Although it is not convenient to have the extra step of diluting the floor cleaner before using it, it is better for the environment overall to fit more cleaning power in a single bottle. This cleaner is safe to use in a home with children and pets, plus lavender essential oils naturally scent it.
Pros
- Non-toxic.
- Vinegar and plant-based.
- Cruelty-free.
- Scented by essential oils.
- No rinsing required.
Cons
- Must be diluted before use.
- No unscented option.
Best Wet Cleaning Pad Laminate Floor Cleaner: BONA KEMI Stone, Tile and Laminate Floors Disposable Wet Cleaning Pads
The BONA KEMI Disposable Wet Cleaning Pads are rated 4.6 out of 5 possible stars based on 3,059 customer reviews. BONA designed these cleaning pads to work with their stick mop, but they are also compatible with stick mops made by other brands. The beautiful thing about these wet cleaning pads is minimal moisture and no risk of puddles that can harm your laminate flooring.
This BONA product bears the GREENGUARD Gold Certification symbol in recognition of low chemical emissions. The water-based formula, infused in the cleaning pads, is rinse-free and streak-free. It is safe to use at home with your family and pets.
The 17 in x 5 in (43.2 cm x 12.7 cm) sheet works on linoleum, stone, vinyl, luxury vinyl, and more, in addition to laminate flooring. The extra-large sized pads enable you to clean faster. You can remove the dirt and grime from your laminate floors up to 40% more quickly than with standard-sized pads. The disposable pads also make cleanup extra easy.
Bottom Line. BONA KEMI Disposable Wet Cleaning Pads are incredibly user-friendly. There is no risk of using excessive water, and the solution is quick-drying. The extra-large pads mean extra-fast cleaning. 79% of the customers who left a review gave this product five stars. Also, when dealing with floor cleaner in a bucket or a bottle is just not practical because you have a young child, it may be best to use BONA KEMI Disposable Wet Cleaning Pads and a stick mop.
Pros
- Minimal moisture.
- Compatible with most brands of stick mops.
- Extra-large size pads.
- No rinsing required.
- Quick-drying.
- UL GREENGUARD Gold Certified.
Cons
None
Final Thoughts
The best overall laminate floor cleaner is the Method Squirt + Mop Hard Floor Cleaner. In addition to the innovative design of the bottle, the cleaning formula itself is very forward-thinking. It is our top pick for a home or business without special needs. Whatever your unique circumstance, there is a laminate floor cleaner for you. The important thing is that you opt for the safest one for your household members and fits your flooring type.
