The Best Hardwood Floor Cleaners, According to Cleaning Experts

In the Good Housekeeping Institute Home Care & Cleaning Lab, we’re continuously testing floor cleaning essentials like vacuum cleaners, carpet cleaners, and vacuum mops.

To evaluate hardwood floor cleaners, we tested 24 products on real wood planks, measuring how well they removed 216 total sticky, dried-on stains and scuff marks. For our cleaning tests, we apply a precise amount of a sticky gelatin mixture to hardwood planks and create scuff marks with a rubber shoe heel. We then evaluate how much soil each product removes after an equal number of passes, as well as how many passes are needed to completely erase scuffs and stains.

We also assess ease of application, drying time, and any residue left behind. All product labels are reviewed for proper safety instructions and precautionary notices.

✔️ Type: Hardwood floor cleaners come as sprays, concentrated liquids, and spray mops. In our tests, all the products we evaluated removed at least some stains and scuffs, regardless of format. That said, sprays and spray mops performed best in our ease-of-use tests, since they require no dilution and can be applied directly to floors.

✔️ Versatility: Some wood cleaners can be used beyond floors, including on furniture and woodwork. A versatile option like our best-value pick, Murphy Oil Soap, is especially useful in homes with many wood surfaces to clean.

✔️ Scent: Since you’ll likely use these cleaners throughout your home, choose a fragrance you enjoy. Some formulas have strong signature scents, while others offer lighter or unscented options.

Keep hardwood floors clean and shiny by vacuuming regularly, cleaning spills right away, and using a hardwood floor cleaner only when needed. Leave shoes at the door, trim pets’ nails, and use a straight-suction vacuum or turn off the rotating brush to avoid scratching the finish.

When wet-cleaning, apply a light amount of cleaner in small 3-foot sections and let each area dry before moving on. Too much moisture can damage wood floors over time. For routine touch-ups, clean in the direction of the planks; for deeper cleaning, go both with and across the grain to remove dirt trapped in the seams. Avoid overwashing, as frequent wet cleaning can do more harm than good.

Avoid vinegar, steam mops, abrasive cleaners, waxes, oils, furniture sprays, and ammonia-based products when cleaning wood floors. Although vinegar is often recommended as a DIY cleaner, its acidity can dull the finish over time. Steam mops can also damage hardwood by forcing excess moisture into the floor, which may cause warping.

Because wood is sensitive to water, humidity, and temperature changes, use a cleaner specifically formulated for hardwood floors and avoid anything that can strip or scratch the finish.

Carolyn Forté is the former executive director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Home Care & Cleaning Lab. She has a B.A. in Family & Consumer Sciences from Queens College, City University of New York, and is a consumer products expert. During her tenure at GH, she led testing across appliances, textiles, and cleaning products for more than 40 years.

Brigitt Earley is a contributing writer with more than 15 years of experience researching and testing household essentials, including vacuum cleaners and cleaning sprays. She most recently updated this guide under the direction of Noah Pinsonnault, a reviews analyst for Good Housekeeping's Home Care & Cleaning Lab.