Vinegar and water is the traditional choice and the only general cleaner that won't dull laminate flooring. AP cleaners, soaps and the like could leave a film.

I learned that vinegar is one of the worst things you can use for hardwood (not sure about laminate). I purchased the Bona Hardwood Floor Mop and it comes with changeable cartridges. It has one for tile and lamintae - excellent results! Bona is most recommended by professionals to care for hard floors. It is non-toxic too - a bonus.

Here is link to the actual mop:

Here is a link that might be useful: Bona Floor Mop

Laminate is a manufactured product created with wood pieces and a plastic coating made to look like real wood, usually. The benefits are that it resists marks and stains better than natural flooring. It's a function/aesthetic trade off. Don't clean it the same way as hardwood. :) (Vinegar is actually fine for properly sealed hard wood using a damp not dripping wet mop.)

It's hard to tell spam from advice on a useful forum like this. So, deep apologies if I'm overreacting to the wood cleaner!!

Seriously? I thought we were supposed to be recommending products we use and like - I guess there is always a chance for spam - trust me, I have nothing to gain if Bona Kemi sells one more floor mop :)

I thought I did point out that laminate is not the same as hardwood but I was trying to explain how I ended up using a product originally intended for my hardwoods to clean my laminate (the mop itself not the cleaning solution).

That's the great thing about the Bona product ... with one solution I clean my hardwoods then I change the cartridge and I can do my tiles and my basement laminate. Works for me. The microfiber head also leaves a nice streak free finish.

HereÂs a little more info on why vinegar is not a good cleaner  it is a low PH product that does not lift grease and grime  you need a neutral PH to clean well.

Damp mopping wood floors with a surface finish
Consider water an enemy to a wood floor. If it soaks in, warping and damage will ensue. Damp mopping is a method whereby the mop is barely wet, you do not want puddles of water on your wood floor. Depending on how much traffic your floor sees or in specific rooms (the kitchen), you may have to mop it as often as once a weekÂother areas may need it much less. To damp mop, wet the mop and wring as much water out as possible. Go over the floor twice, first to dissolve the dirt and then again, after rinsing the mop and ringing it thoroughly, again to rinse. The floor can then be buffed dry with a towelÂthis is done easily by attaching a towel to a clamp mop handle.

DonÂt
 DonÂt use oil soaps, wax cleaners, or products that promise "shine." They leave build up and create problems when itÂs time to put a new surface coat on the floor.
 DonÂt use vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Acrylic waxes cause wood to become slippery and cloudyÂwhich can only be fixed by sanding and refinishing.
 DonÂt use ammonia cleaners they will dull the finish and performance of your floor.
 DonÂt use vinegar. Low pH cleaners (acidic, like vinegar) can dissolve hard water and mineral deposits, but canÂt tackle dirt and grime. Many people rely on vinegar, but since it is an acid it will eventually dull the finish.
 DonÂt use high pH cleaners (more alkaline, like harsher soaps) are good at dissolving dirt and grime. But will also eventually dull the finish.

The OP asked about laminate floor cleaners, differing opinions and potential homemade ideas. Vinegar fits the bill for that criteria.

I didn't use the word spam b/c of a brand mention but that the responses are about cleaning wood floors with a store-bought item and were unsure if vinegar was bad for laminate. I understand passion for a product can sound like a commercial but I was more interested in reiterating the difference between the materials, which might have led to differing opinions in the first place.

What is it that you people don't get? How old R U people? I grew up with hardwood floors in the day when you could not use water. U had to use this stinking cleaner with #0000, steel wool on you hands an knees with the windows all opened, U would then throw all of the rags in sealed coffee cans filled with water and put them outside as the may self combust. The next day, after you came down from your high, you would get on your hands and knees with paste wax. We used bowling alley wax in a foot of a nylon stocking. This was B 4 pantyhose! U heated it in your hand and apply it this way to keep the wax out of any cracks or beveled edges. Then if had to dry and had to B buffed, then no one was able to walk on it and you repeated it at least twice a year! Wall to Wall was the best thing to ever be in style! Shag is back so it won't be long until you drag out your Bell Bottoms and find you don't fit in them.

You R cleaning plastic! Do U flood your kitchen counters with water? Todays floors are not the floors I grew up with. Poly is plastic and just treat them like your counters in your kitchen. I own a cleaning service and clean for a living so I know what I am talking about. This wood floor/Holy Grail thing has to stop! By reading the questions on this forum, I have come to realize that no one knows how to maintain a home with the exception of a few. GW, where are U?! LOL Seeing as none of you really clean, I will let you in on a few tips. Carpet over the hard surface, buy a good vac, not from K Mart, and I am talking $900 or better! Forget the Berber and purchase something that shows vac marks. Dim all of the lights, use candles, polish the coffe table, and Windex the bathroom. They will think you are Martha Stewart. It is all smoke and miriors but who cares, as they will talk about how great your house looks at the last minute, when someone drops buy.

I'm so confused and partly to blame.

With all due respect that you neglect to provide, personal attacks are arguments of the lazy. I can tolerate anger and condescension if the content is reasonable. In this case age and experience doesn't deserve the esteem it should.

Livebetter, I have been intrigued by the Bona mop especially now that the cartridges are refillable. I would like a quick solution to footprints on my laminate floor. Currently, I use a solution from Abbey that works great with a terry mop. But I'd like to have a one piece solution that I can grab, clean up spots here and there and move on.

Has anyone tried a steam mop and, if so, what brand? Were you happy with the results?

Laminate floors should never be cleaned with a steam mop. It may cause it to swell and warp. All the experts warn you away from steam on laminate.

Like susanlewis said, too much moisture (combined with the heat) could damage laminate flooring. It's easier to clean in general than hardwood but they share similar problems when exposed to too much water. Mopping with a just damp mophead/cloth/etc is the best.

Susanelewis, IMO, the Bona Mop is great for that purpose.

I still do an occasional "deeper" clean with a mop and bucket. When I do that clean, I use Shaklee Basic H2 and water. I get a beautiful clean with no streaks on tiles, hardwood and laminate. I have the Casabella Magnet Mop (which has a microfiber covered sponge head) Â I wring the sponge out well and clean the floors. I sometimes add tee tree oil to this for disinfecting and clean smell.

For more frequent "quick" cleans, the Bona is great. I wet the microfiber and wring it out well. Just spray and wipe and everything looks and feels clean. At least, at my house :)

The Bona cartridges are also refillable now. So you can buy a larger bottle and fill them up instead of buying new ones everytime - nice feature.

Thanks, livebetter....I actually went out and bought the Bona mop yesterday. So far so good and I will love the refillable cartridge as I have a huge stock of Abbey floor cleaner that I need to use first (after the solution that came with the mop is done first).

However, on my search for the dusting pad, I ran across the Rubbermaid Reveal in Home Depot. It certainly looks like they copied the Bona design except for the container that holds the solution looks like a sports bottle and they include no solution. The marketing focuses on you using whatever you want, including homemade mixtures. I picked up one of their dusting pads as HD did not carry anything but Bona cleaning solution. I am hoping it fits on my Bona mop.

Has anyone used the Reveal? I have googled to see if there are any comparisons out there between the Bona and the Reveal but they only compare each of these to the pitiful Swiffer WetJet and NOT to each other.

UPDATE: I talked to Bona today and found out that the Reveal does not include the atomizer spray that Bona has. She said that is a pricey part to the mop and no other mop includes that feature. She said that it is important not to flood the floor with liquid.

Also, there was another post about the Bona mop being redesigned in March and you should look for the 3/10 date on the bottom of the box. The only thing that was redesigned recently was the refillable cartridge. My mop has 12/08 on the bottom of the box but it contains the refillable cartridge so she said my mop was built after March of this year. So that information on this site was erroneous.

That's what is great about the Bona - the atomizer spray. It sprays a fine mist of cleaner on the floor. It's also convenient not to have to walk around with the spray bottle spraying and then wiping. Let's be real ... this item is to make life easier :)

Wow! This is my first time here. Never thought floor cleaning could be such a controversial subject. I have tried vinegar and water AND Bona. Neither works on my laminate floor. It has been a streaked-up mess from the first time I mopped it. I've tried microfiber, cotton and sponge mops. Absolutely nothing gets rid of the streaks. Everywhere the mop goes, the streaks go with it. I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!! ;-)

Solved my problem. I tried vinegar and water and still had streaking. My problem was that we live in the country and have our own well. Our water has a lot of lime in it. You can't see it but it does leave streaks. I wipe down my faucets with vinegar to make them shine. I went and bought a gallon of water from the grocery store, mixed with vinegar and now have nice clean floors. Also I found that Windex works good too. I think a lot depends on how pure your water is that you are mixing or even using just plain water. If it has some lime or rust in it, it will leave streaks.

I too am frustrated with trying to get clean, streak-free laminate floors. We decided to purchase the cheapest by the square foot laminate that has quite the shine to it. I tried microfiber mops, water, vinegar. I made the mistake of initially trying to clean them with Mop 'N Glo. I recently purchased a Shark steam mop at the recommendation of a coworker and while the pad shows dirt is being picked up, my floors are left streaky, even only using the recommended distilled water. I'm at my wits end here trying to get the streaks off these floors. I guess Bona is next on my list to try. I'm getting quite a collection of different mops and cleaners but I'd like to find just one that actually works!

Just came across this site while looking for a way to resolve buildup of Bona on my laminate floors. I tried the vinegar, did not work. Then I tried Windex, this works great. Spray windex on small areas at a time, let sit for 2 minutes then use a plastic paint scraper to get up the gunk, wipe with a damp sponge then use a micro fiber towel to bring back the shine, This worked like a charm. Bona has polymers which are plastics and over time creates a buildup. In the future I will only use a very damp towel to clean and then the microfiber to bring up the shine,

I’ve been regularly using a home-made cleaning solution in this ratio for the laminate flooring at home and have been getting great results. I mix 1 part vinegar and 3 parts water along with a squirt of liquid dish detergent. I fill this in a spray bottle and do the cleaning for absolutely streak free floors.

I have seen so many things about Bona it does not work it looks dull and leaves streaks as soon as it is dry and picks up every paw print of my dog

I have Bruce Armstrong laminate and I HATE it...there is a film on it no matter what I use, since the first day it was installed. I've tried EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING. The film sits on top of the boards and then when you walk across it, you can see footprints and scuffs. I've even tried scrubbing it clean on my hands and knees. I'm ready to tear it out and go back to carpet and tile. Read the back of almost any cleaner- it has oils of some sort or lately... "proprietary film developer." Good grief...they're making cleaners with 'film developers!!" I guess that is designed to make you use MORE of their product. Seriously though, Any other ideas???

I would call Armstrong and let them know your problem, what do you have to lose. Good luck.