A quick Google search or scroll on TikTok can tell you all kinds of “alternative” ways to clean your hard floors. But just how many of these DIY cleaners are really good for your laminate?
Few of these solutions may be genuinely good at protecting your floors from permanent damage. Plus, the ones that actually work may be a little more complex than a video makes them look.
We all want an effortless shine for our laminate floors, but we also want our floors to last a long time (without hidden damage).
In this article, we’ll debunk common myths on how to clean laminate, and share our top picks of the best laminate floor cleaners in 2025, including the best laminate mops and our favorite laminate cleaning sprays.
Which is the Best Laminate Cleaner?
The best thing to clean laminate floors with is a cleaner designed for laminate (like Bona Pro or WOCA Home) and a damp cloth or microfiber mop. These tackle tough grime, capture dust, and make laminate sparkle.
Special laminate cleaners make floors look shiny, but not waxy or oily. They also remove dirt without dulling the finish. Using these cleaners is the easiest way to clean laminate, as they’re quick and require minimal effort.
You can use a soapy cloth or mop to clean laminate. However, you have to remove all the soap by wiping the floors with a damp cloth, rinsing the cloth, wringing it out, and wiping the floor repeatedly until all the soap is gone. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a sticky residue and scum formation.
Laminate shouldn’t be wet mopped, nor should it ever be cleaned with harsh chemicals or oily cleaners.
Top 3 Laminate Cleaning Products For Sparkling Floors
See our top picks of laminate floor cleaners.
1. Bona Pro: Stone, Tile & Laminate Cleaning Spray
Key features include:
- Safe for laminate floors
- Tackles the toughest dirt, dust, and residue
- No chemical smell – has a subtle, crisp, lemon-mint scent
- Eco-friendly, with low VOC and GREENGUARD certified
- Leaves behind no residue
- Suitable for residential and commercial use
- Multi-use – suitable for ceramic tile, vinyl, luxury vinyl, sealed marble, and sealed granite floors
Key features include:
- Natural cleaner, VOC-free with plant-based ingredients
- Low odor and no added fragrance
- Fast drying, ideal for quick cleans
- Easy to apply, simply spray and wipe with a cloth or mop
- Leaves laminate shiny and sparkling, with no film build or residue
Key features include:
- Strong and tough, removing the toughest of grime
- Easy application via a Bona Spray Floor Mop – simply refill the mop with the cleaner
- Cleans without dulling the finish
- Non-toxic and non-flammable
- Environmentally responsible and water-based
- Suitable for homes and workplaces, with GREENGUARD Children & Schools Certification
- Multi-use – suitable for laminate, ceramic tile, vinyl, sealed marble, and sealed granite floors
What is the Best Mop For Laminate Floors?
The best laminate floor mop has a microfiber head, a durable handle with adjustable height, an ergonomic design for easy maneuvering, rubber corners to protect baseboards, a machine-washable pad, and an electrostatic build to capture small dust particles.
Find your favorite laminate floor mop from our top products:
1. Bona Premium Microfiber Mop For Multi-Surface Floors
Key features include:
- Safe for all hard surfaces – from tile to laminate, and vinyl to hardwood
- Excellent value product, offering quality cleaning for a good price
- Extra-large mop (a rare find) for faster cleaning
- Telescoping handle with adjustable height for easy manoeuvring
- Rubber corners to protect baseboards and furniture from damage
- Collects dust, pet hair, micro-particles, and household allergens via a smart electrostatic mop design
- Reusable pads that can be washed up to 500 times
Key features include:
- Premium product offering professional-grade floor cleaning
- Universal – safe for all hard floors, including tile, stone, laminate, cork, and luxury vinyl flooring
- Innovative design sprays solution (4 refills included with first purchase) onto floors to capture dust and tackle tough grime
- Ergonomic design reaches corners and edges with precision
- Machine-washable pad (just be sure to avoid bleach and fabric softener to protect the microfibers and prolong its lifespan)
- Handle-hook for easy storage in cupboards and on walls
FAQs
Can You Clean Laminate With Soap and Water?
We don’t recommend cleaning laminate with soap and water. It can leave a sticky residue or a build-up of soap scum on your hard floors, which looks white and chalky.
If you have to use soap and water on laminate, it’s best to:
- Dip a cloth or microfiber mop in soapy water and ring it out so it’s damp (this is important as laminate cannot be wet mopped)
- Wipe the floors
- Rinse the cloth or mop in clean water (with no soap)
- Re-wipe the floors to remove the soap – you may need to do this several times until there’s no soapy residue left on the surface
Can I Use Diluted Vinegar to Clean Laminate Floors?
We don’t recommend cleaning laminate floors with vinegar. This is an excellent cleaner for tough grime, but it’s just a little too abrasive for laminate. Over time, the solution can wear away the protective finish and even weaken the structural integrity of your floors if it seeps into the joins.
If you want to use this type of cleaner on your laminate, read the manufacturing guidelines on your laminate to check its resilience, or test the cleaner in a hidden area and check for damage 24 hours later.
Remember, not all damage to laminate is visible. Using a vinegar cleaner on laminate may be fine as a one-off, but after prolonged use, it can cause irreversible, long-term damage beneath the surface.
Why are My Laminate Floors Still Dirty After Mopping?
Common reasons laminate still looks dirty after mopping include:
- The cleaner isn’t strong enough to tackle tough grime
- The cleaner is leaving a dull residue on the surface that makes the floors look dirty (usually happens if you use dish soap or wax)
- The microfibers in the mop have worn out (which happens if you use bleach or fabric softener)
- The mop head is dirty and needs washing (many microfiber mops are machine washable up to 500 times)
- You’re using too much cleaning solution and it’s making the floors too wet to buff away tough dirt
How to Make Laminate Flooring Shine
We recommend using a hard floor cleaner (like Bona Pro or WOCA Home) and buffing the floors with a microfiber cloth or mop if you want your laminate to look really shiny.
Never use oil or a waxy cleaner on laminate. These may make the floors look shiny for a while, but they will slowly damage the protective surface.
Waxy cleaners also make laminate less resistant to scratches and leave streaks, smudges, and a sticky feel when you walk on them.
Find Laminate Floor Cleaners Today
While there are many DIY solutions out there for cleaning laminate floors, it’s best to stick to the professional stuff that actually works.
While laminate floors are resilient, using the wrong cleaner can easily cause damage – from dulling the finish to making the floors more prone to scuffs and scratches.
A special cleaner and microfiber mop are happily affordable products that last, offering premium-quality, cost-effective cleaning for a good price.
Shop our collection of laminate floor cleaning sprays and laminate floor mops to find the best-priced product for you.
