For the people who say it's not Bona, it is. I've been using Bona for years and the haze appeared a few years ago but I just bought a new bottle and it fixed the problem. However, it just happened to me again and a new bottle has not helped. I will try to ammonia free windex which is basically vinegar and water. Hope this corrects it. I think sometimes you just get a bad batch.

I have been using Bona on my engineered hardwood floors for almost five years. I clean the floors with Bona about every six weeks. I have noticed a haze on the floor lately and removed most of it with the ammonia and water and elbow grease method. I will never use Bona on my wood floors - or any floors- again. The company that sold me my floor recommended Bona. I am going to call them and tell them that it damages the floor.

I have only used Bona on my floors for 6 years and they were always beautiful. Now all of a sudden they are cloudy about 2 days after being done. I don't understand what's going on.

You have excess product left on the floor. I would have a good look at the bottle you have purchased. If it says "polish" then it is a temporary polish. If it says cleaner, than it is the cleaner. Either way, both can cause a haze after a while. Please tell us which of the two products you have in your home.

I use Bona Cleaner. The floors do not look clean, are not clean and show every footmark. Please comment.

Please post photos. And more information like colour of the wood, gloss level of the finish, age of the floor, how often you clean, etc.

I have never understood the need for cleaning products on wood floors?

My floors are now over 7 (or 8) years old and I have never used anything except a dust mop or until recently ... my shark duo-clean vac.

Not a streak or pit anywhere.

Brazilian Cherry hardwoods by BR-111

It’s funny to read these upkeep issues and care for hardwood floors. I have heard so many times how disgusting someone thinks carpet is because you can’t keep it clean like hardwoods. But dusting is pretty much like vacuuming. I’m thinking about hardwoods for part of my home, so I’m now seeing all these cleaning concerns.

"It’s funny to read these upkeep issues and care for hardwood floors."

More often than not it is a product of the chosen finish and or people who don't understand what they attempt to put on their floors. There are millions of people with hardwood floors, my parents had site finished oak for 50 years, who never had an issue with basic cleaning and realistically no maintenance other the normal regular cleaning.

I’ve had hardwood floors myself, as well as other hard surface floors, and they were more work, not less, to keep looking clean. And hard on my feet. But they are beautiful. So I’m trying to decide if I want to live with it in some of my areas again.

What is so difficult about keeping wood floors looking clean?

I am in my late 70's, have solid wood floors throughout the first and second floors and have never put in half the effort that I did when I had carpeting!

I have never used a single 'cleaning product' on my floors other than a good dust mop or lately my shark vac!

If you don’t understand the need for cleaning products on floors you’ve probably never had a toddler or animals...

Hardwood floors with 4 kids under 8 are hard to maintain. dirty Feet. Spills. And just plain life means daily sweeping and spray mopping and now I’m worried about how to get the floors looking clean again :/

I used Bona cleaner ONCE years ago on my hardwoods....never again. It left a terrible dull film all over the floor that was not easy to get off. That cured me of floor cleaning products for good. I now just use a damp mop if they ever seem dirty. Works perfectly and leaves no residue.

Same issue with Bona. Refinisher warned me never to use Bona polish. I have used cleaner twice a month and floors are cloudy. I'll try to ammonia in water and see if it helps.

Those who say you don't have to "wash" hardwood obviously don't have hardwood in the kitchen like I do. I have dark, shiny Brazilian cherry that shows not only dust but every drop of water you drip on it. I cook and bake a lot and there is no way a dust mop is going to clean up after me. That said, I use HDX Wood Floor Cleaner from Home Depot and a damp mop - there is never a haze left on the floor. Don't use Bona it is over-hyped.

Bona 100% of the time has left a film.

Bona leaves a film after a while. Just mop with a damp mop and soon the haze disappears. I am afraid to use the ammonia mix.

Just wanted to let everyone know that there is a product that will make the removal of Bona Hardwood Floor Polish on wooden or engineered wood floors actually work. Like so many others I have engineered wood throughout the entire house which is eight years old.

From the onset I used Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner and Bona Hardwood Floor Polish. Biggest mistake I've ever made. At the beginning the floors looked radiant and mirror like.

Then suddenly after following exact instructions and applying the polish, my heart sank when I noticed the floor's appearance after drying. Like so many of you I noticed the gray/white haze that completely ruined the flooring. After hours of combing the internet for removal solutions and viewing You Tube for answers I noticed a user had mentioned a product called "TREWAX" that worked for him. After tying Windex, Ammonia and a host of other products that failed, I tried Trewax. It can be purchased at Home Depot where apparently it can only be purchased on line. It's sent to the store for your pickup freight free. It cost me six dollars and eighty-eight cents for a two-pack. It's a floor stripper and oddly enough in doesn't mention wood floors, only asphalt,tile etc. I figured I had nothing to loose and it was cheap enough. I used a one-to-one mixture (1 part trewax to one part water) apply it to a small area, wait five (timed) minutes, wipe with a dry towel,then use a damp rag to get rid of the disintegrated mess and finish with a dry towel. IT WORKS and my polyurethane factory finished wood flooring looks good as new. Yes, it's a hands and knees deal but compared to the other methods, the time spent is, and was, worth the incredible efforts and literally weeks of work.

I bought Bona Rejuvenate and with one use my floors were filmy looking and showed every footprint. Only used it once and never again. I have used just water to damp mop and that seems to work but my floor is not as shiny as I’d like it to be.

I was wondering if this gray haze is a new thing or something. I have used bona cleaner in the past on my site finished satin poly red oak floors, and didn’t notice a haze. I haven’t cleaned them recently, other than vacuuming as no kids or pets. I was planning to do them this week and don’t want to get the haze, so I thank everyone for the heads up and hope you can get your floors back looking good.

" but my floor is not as shiny as I’d like it to be."

Windex and clean clothes. Clean small area at at a time with fresh clothes each time until the crap is no longer evident on the cloth.

Bona has TWO products. The 'right' one is the cleaner. The WRONG one is the POLISH.

@ jaltman11 go ahead and use Windex in small 2ft x 2ft patches until your entire floor has been cleaned. It will look 10x better than it does now.

We had beautiful hardwood floors. This week, we bought the Bona hardwood floor CLEANER (not polish) and mop with 16" floor pad, and did the entire house (wood floor) with it, going exactly by instructions. It left a gray, hazy film on the floors and I'm just sick, absolutely sick. Bona also makes a tile floor cleaner and I used it as directed on one of our bathroom tiled floors, and it also left a really dull film on our beautiful tile. No Bona products for us anymore... Absolutely none! They should not be allowed to put out products like this.

Call Bona. They have stuff for that.

@SJ McCarthy. My floor was looking dull so I messed up and polished my 5 year old hardwood floor with Bona polish. Most of the flooring turned out good but I messed up one area. I then used Bona polish remover to remove it and then when I found this discussion I used Windex to remove what was left. Now all the sheen that was there is gone. I have only used Bona cleaner on them before. You seem to have all the answers so I’m asking how do I get my floors to shine now without polish.

@ Debra....the ONLY way to get shine on a wood floor is to do a full sand/refinish with a HIGHER GLOSS finish (than what is on there right now) or do a 'Buff and Coat' where they come in a add a coat of finish (higher gloss then what you have).

The EASIEST way to get a shiny floor: purchase a floor with enough gloss on it to begin with.

What is the gloss level of your floor (at time of purchase)?

Low gloss

SJ MCarthy and Debra Serrano Actually I have a High gloss dark solid wood floor and my floors are dull! Every foot print shows !!! All we have used on this floor is Bona floor cleaner!!! We are now ready to get on our hands and knees and use the warm water and vinegar mix. It is not the finish it is the Bona..I will confirm this in a few weeks.

Check to see if the bottle says "Cleaner" or "Polish". Either way, try the Windex first. If you use soap, you run the risk of adding MORE residue not less. You can contact Bona or purchase their floor stripper on line. It *should do the same thing as Windex Original Formula (you WANT the 5% ammonia in the original formula).

Remember: soap leaves behind a film (unless you polish it off when you hand-dry the floor with towels...even then you have to do this 10 times before the soap breaks through the muck).

Here's what you do (after testing the product in an out-of-the-way spot...like behind a door that is always open):

1. Windex Original formula: spray a section of floor 2ft x 2ft

2. Leave the Windex sit on the floor for 30 - 60 seconds (no less and CERTAINLY not more)

3. With a CLEAN WHITE CLOTH (old cotton sheets are wonderful especially if they are flannel)

wipe up the Windex - the cloth should come away looking yellowy/brown

4. Mist the same area AGAIN and then wipe up with NEW CLEAN CLOTH

5. Continue on the same spot until the CLEAN cotton cloth comes back 'damp' but not yellow (clean)

6. Move to the next 2ft x 2ft spot

7. Repeat steps 1-7 until the entire floor is finished

And yes, Bona cleaner can do this if it is over used. Wood floor CLEANERS are only used 1-2 per month. That means 12x - 15 times per YEAR is all that is needed. Your sweeping and water-damp mopping is all that is needed. Never ever use anything that says 'restores shine' or 'Rejuvenates' (ahem...it's in the name!) your floors. Or 'Orange Glo'...or anything that SUGGESTS pepping up the floors. These are ALL polishes and should be avoided like the plague.

Oil based cleaners (such as Murphy's Oil Soap) should be left on the shelf unless you want to sue someone because you are SOOOO mad their product ruined your hardwoods! I kid you not. I'm waiting for a group of people to get together and create a Class Action lawsuit against Murphy's Oil Soap. I'm sure it has single handedly ruined several millions (possibly billions) of square feet of flooring! Sigh.

I have a dark Brazilian wood floor and I had problems from day 1 with using Bona. It left a film on my hardwoods. I think everyone commenting needs to keep in mind that the darker floors are going to show more. I also don't know how these people say they don't clean their floors and that they only use a Swiffer? How do you not clean your floor? My floor is dark and shows marks/dirt after 1 day. I have found that original Windex actually took the film off. Now I usually just use water and vinegar and dry it after I do a small section.

SJ McCarthy, I used ONLY the Bona CLEANER on my hardwood floors and it left a haze. Please stop responding to people by telling them they "must have" put the Bona polish on instead of the cleaner. You are just plain wrong.

I never said anyone MUST have done anything. I'm saying "check" to see what you used....just in case.

Here's my own quote: 'Check to see if the bottle says "Cleaner" or "Polish"'.

Now...the question becomes why is Bona Cleaner doing this? Bona Cleaner is a chemical with precise properties. If it is over used it can have deleterious effects. Hazing is the most common presentation.

Over use is not the ONLY way to get the haze but it is the MOST COMMON. I've seen people have great experience when they used the cleaner sparingly (1-4 times per year). I've seen people have decent results with the proscribed use (1 per month). But even then, it can have hazing results.

Over use would be considered:

1. Too much cleaner used at the time of the application (too much chemical)....the application being 1 per month (which is the proscribed rate).

2. Too much cleaner can mean too many days of application per month. Anything over 2 days per month (24 applications a year) is considered 'over use'.

3. Too much cleaner can mean (and often does) a mixture of both #1 and #2. A little bit too much cleaner used too often.

That 'snick' of over use can be part and parcel of ANY wood cleaner that produces a haze. Armstrong and Bruce cleaner also have this issue. So it isn't just Bona....it's just the one with the BIG name that people choose to complain about. What is interesting is, the haze does not develop if the floors are toweled dry....which is to say...the CHEMICAL is wiped off BEFORE it can dry onto the floor and create product build up.

Can Bona Cleaner produce a haze on the first application with the right amount of chemical? Hell to the yah! For this to happen, there are many things that have to go very wrong...it it can happen. The most common reason it causes haze on the fist application: it was applied to the wrong TYPE of finish.

You can clean it with a vinegar mix quarterly to keep the haze down. Avoid using the vinegar mix regularly, since it has a high PH level. Do not use on a oil finished floor.

Hello, l have a beautiful refinished Brazilian cherry hardwood floor, that was professionally sanded, re-stained to oak colour, and sealed with a matte finish. Company told me to only use Bona cleaner. Floors were great for about a year, and then noticed footprints daily, cleaned with Bona, corrected problem until someone walked on them. I researched how to correct and tried white vinegar 16 parts water to 1 part vinegar (l actually did 1/2 vinegar, as l was afraid of outcome). I did a small area, let dry, and had to do again. My cleaning cloth had removed Bona buildup, and l changed cloths and water/vinegar solution often. I ended up cleaning our entire hardwood floors and they look just as beautiful when first done. I threw Bona product in garbage. I will only use damp cloth from now on, and re-coat matte finish in a few years.

My floors were just recently done and I haven’t used anything on them yet due to remodeling, but they have a haze. Will a steam mop work?

I was told not to use steam cleaners on wood floors. We use it on tile. Try water and a little vinegar. Vinegar will pick up dirt and germs.

The place I got my hardwood flooring from recommended using Windex NO Ammonia when needed.

6 months ago I had my hardwood floors refinished and added new. All were finished bona products to a white oak extra matte. They were/are beautiful. I was told to clean with Bona Cleaner, bought the products and gave to my cleaning woman. Recently, I noticed the Floors were shiny in spots, from alot of overspray, as well as shiny in sections. I tried to remove the shine with warm water. It wouldn't budge. I absolutely freaked. I questioned my cleaning woman if in fact she might have used a different product by mistake, She said absolutely not. So, I tested Bona, by spraying where my queen sized bed sat.. I got the same result, lots of shiny spray spots where the overspray had been allowed to dry. After a long deep search, I found info via web ( but not on a Bona Site ), to remove cleaner with non ammonia glass cleaner,,, which I have. It is a tedious project, as it can only be done in 2 feet squares. The glass cleaner must be sprayed on, then left on for 2 minutes, very mildly scrubbed for a minute or so, and then the glass cleaner must be mopped up with microfiber cloths. leaving the floor dry. But it does work... I see Janet above also has used a window cleaner without ammonia. BTW, the Bona cleaner instructions does not warn of this type of problem. Before using the glass spray, It should be noted, I called Bona's help line, with my problem, assuming I had done something wrong, Nice lady read a card to me saying to clean with Bona Cleaner... obviously not helpful. Will Ditch the Bona cleaner for damp pad with warm water from now on.

We are having the same problem in our home after using Bona on hardwood floors. We are using diluted Simple Green to remove the build up. Still a “hands & knees” project but you can apply the Simple Green via spray bottle to large area of floor and then rinse and dry. Bona will be thrown in the trash, what a joke. I’m so glad I found people talking about this!

You need a wood floor cleaner with better degreasers in it. Use Ciranova Fresh and Cleaner, these are a much better wood floor cleaner compared to Bona's. One bottle will last a long time. You mix 1 or 2 cap full to a liter of water. Fresh is for light cleaning and Cleaner is for heavy deep cleaning. If, you have light colored floors. These are the ideal wood floor cleaners.

https://ciranovastore.com/products/hard-floor-fresh

https://ciranovastore.com/products/hard-floor-cleaner

I found Krud-Kutter will remove Bona polish. Did this by hand using paper towels and swapping them out often. Small area at a time. Sometimes doing it twice. Then finishing/buffing each section with a clean bath towel to remove any final residue. Very satisfied how this worked. I tried other products that did not work well. I would stay away from ammonia.

SJ McCarthy

"Oil based cleaners (such as Murphy's Oil Soap) should be left on the shelf unless you want to sue someone because you are SOOOO mad their product ruined your hardwoods! I kid you not. I'm waiting for a group of people to get together and create a Class Action lawsuit against Murphy's Oil Soap. I'm sure it has single handedly ruined several millions (possibly billions) of square feet of flooring! Sigh."

You said that this would ruin your floors. Can you tell me what it does?

I tried cleaning the "haze" caused by Bona using Murphy's and it left it much shinier again.

If I just use it once, I don't think it will do anything? Please let me know.

I'm testing all kinds of areas with Windex and with the Murphy's.

Thank you,

SRobson

Murphy's Oil Soap leaves the soap/oil residue that never washes off. It will seep into the wood and sometimes if used enough sanding the floor will not remove it enough to refinish the floor. Once is too many times quite honestly. Windex is fine.

Ok, that convinced me not to use it even once! Thank you, Susan Robson

I too just had the “Bona Effect”. 3000ft of brand new, gorgeous hardwood floor installed. Wanted to ensure that I was using the correct cleaning method and did the research and asked around. I read and was told Bona was the best. Washed it once and thought I just didn’t get all the dust from construction so washed again - then 2 more times because I’m no quitter!

The next day I walked in and freaked out! I thought our finishers had had their work boots on all day! My husband said nope, we were in our socks all day. I was so confused.

Today I called the dealer and the first thing he said was, “ you’re using Bona, aren’t you”. So, now I get to spend the next few days on my hands and knees using the winded without ammonia method. Grrr. Stupid Bona.

After 15 years of using Bona cleaner we have no complaints. It has served us well and our floors are as shiny as day one. We use it once a month while we use our Swiffer duster more often to pick up any grit. Mind you I have to clean by hand any spills ahead of cleaning the floor.

One recommendation is to let it dry for at least 15 mins before walking on it, this way we don't leave any footprints.

So glad I found this thread.

We fired our house cleaning crew recently after discovering that they were using Bona cleaner on our dark engineered hardwood floors. We repeatedly asked them not to use it after seeing the Bona cloudy effect firsthand. Their choice cost them their jobs.

Now we are left with two floors covered with cloudy, sticky residue that is built up from years of Bona use. Every footprint, every streak shows just hours after washing with hot water and vinegar and hands and knees towel drying.

We are trying the ammonia-free Windex approach and are hoping it works. Otherwise we have to call in the professionals - at a cost of thousands - to try and save these floors.

If I had the Bona receipts from our former cleaners I would seriously consider forming a class action lawsuit. This product should be taken off the market.

We have the same problem with Bona kept thinking we were using too much etc . what oroduct have people found to replace bona to clean floor after getting hazy film off with the methods described above