Downsides Of Using Bona Floor Cleaner On Your Hardwood

Hardwood flooring can give a room character and endless decor options, since it matches with everything, but you have to keep it clean for it to maintain its allure. Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is a popular choice among homeowners, and its 4.5-star consumer rating on Google proves that it's an effective product. However, it comes with a couple downsides involving cost and floor appearance, according to Prudent Reviews.

The product label states that the ingredients are biodegradable and water-based. It also states that the plant-based formula dries quickly and gently removes dust, grime, and dirt without residue. Although you'll find mostly positive reviews online for this cleaner that mention some of these qualities, some of the negative ones are also worth considering, as some contradict these claims. 

The effectiveness of any hardwood floor cleaner is based on a variety of factors like the type of wood, the condition of the floor, and the person using it. Not everyone has the same experience, but you may still find the lowest reviews about cost and floor appearance helpful when deciding whether or not to use Bona floor cleaner for your hardwood floors.

Just like many other products, Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner comes in different sizes, which obviously affects the price, but some customers still frowned at the overall cost, compared to other cleaners. A 128-ounce refill bottle costs just shy of 15 cents an ounce on Amazon, for a total of $18.97 for the Unscented Hardwood option. 

In comparison, a gallon-size bottle Zep Commercial Hardwood and Laminate Cleaner costs a little more than 13 cents an ounce on Amazon, bringing the cost for the whole bottle to $17.19. Not only is the Zep product nearly than two dollars cheaper; it offers a fresh scent, which can leave some shoppers to think they're getting more of a "bang for their buck." By the way, it's important to note that Bona now offers scented hardwood floor cleaners.

While two dollars may not seem like a deal breaker based on a single purchase, it can add up over time and spark questions of value. Is Bona worth the extra cash, compared to Zep or other lower-priced cleaners like ECOLAB Hardwood and Laminate Floor Cleaner, which is approximately 9 cents an ounce ($10.98 per gallon)? Some customers apparently didn't think so, according to Prudent Reviews.

The product is advertised as a "residue-free" cleaner, and dozens of reviewers on Amazon confirmed this to be true. However, others stated that it did leave residue, specifically on Brazilian, red oak, and solid oak hardwood floors.

Brazilian flooring is known for its durability. Factory Flooring Liquidators claims that it's harder and more durable than the hardest North American wood species. Despite this desirable feature, Bona Wood Cleaner gave some customers' flooring a negative feature. A Viewpoints reviewer with Brazilian cherry hardwood floors mopped their floor with a Bona mop and the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner. They said that it "looks good wet and then dries to a film." Even after rinsing afterward, a gray film remained. Another shopper claimed the product ruined their 1,300 square feet of Brazilian bellwood flooring after it left a film that couldn't be removed.

On Houzz, a customer with red oak floors and a satin poly finish posted that the cleaner left a "cloudy gray cast on them." In response to the comment, another Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner user said they spent eight hours removing a "filmy buildup" that the product left behind, but the specific type of wood wasn't specified. On Amazon, a customer with solid oak floors claimed it left a "slightly sticky residue." Many of the negative reviews mention the new formula as the culprit.