Timber floor cleaners, compared
There is a wall of floor cleaners out there and most of them will not tell you which floor they suit. Here is a plain comparison of the timber-floor cleaners we stock, so you can match one to your finish and see where the real value is.
For everyday cleaning on oiled or lacquered timber, use a pH-neutral wood-floor cleaner. A concentrate is far better value than a ready-to-use spray: our own is $49 and makes up to 40 litres, about $1.23 a made-up litre, versus around $27 to $28 a litre for a ready-to-use spray.
Best value per made-up litre: FirstFloor Wood Floor Cleaner Concentrate →
Start with your finish
The first question is not the brand, it is your floor. Oiled and lacquered floors clean the same way, with a pH-neutral wood-floor cleaner and a well-wrung mop, but the maintenance step differs. So any of the cleaners below will clean either finish, and the finish only decides your top-up product, oil for oiled floors, a refresher for lacquered ones.
Concentrate or ready-to-use
This is where the money is. A ready-to-use spray is already mixed, grab-and-go, and handy with a spray mop, but you pay for the water: around $27 to $28 a litre. A concentrate you dilute at home costs a fraction of that per made-up litre. Our own FirstFloor Wood Floor Cleaner Concentrate is $49 and makes up to 40 litres of solution, which works out to about $1.23 a made-up litre. It is not the cheapest concentrate on the shelf, Admonter’s cleaner is $69 and makes up to 100 litres, about $0.69 a litre, so it goes further per litre, but ours costs a fraction of a ready-to-use spray and it is our own brand.
FirstFloor // Wood Floor Cleaner
Our own concentrate, $49 and makes up to 40 litres, about $1.23 a made-up litre. Suits both finishes.
The cleaners we stock
Our own FirstFloor Wood Floor Cleaner Concentrate is a pH-neutral concentrate that suits both oiled and lacquered floors, and it is the best value per made-up litre in the range. Bona is a long-established maker with ready-to-use sprays and concentrates, a common pick for lacquered and sealed floors, plus a hard-surface version for laminate and tile. Ciranova, a Belgian maker, offers a concentrated Floor Soap made for oiled and waxed timber. Admonter’s concentrate goes the furthest per litre if outright cost per litre is your only measure.
Our pick
If you want one cleaner for the whole house at the best value per made-up litre, our own concentrate is the simple answer, it suits both finishes and goes a long way. If you prefer a ready-to-use spray for convenience, or a soap made specifically for an oiled floor, match the cleaner to that preference. Either way, keep it pH-neutral and made for wood.
Common questions
What is the best cleaner for timber floors in NZ?
For everyday cleaning on oiled or lacquered timber, a pH-neutral wood-floor cleaner is the right class. Our own FirstFloor concentrate suits both finishes and is the best value per made-up litre; Bona and Ciranova offer finish-specific options too.
Is a concentrate really cheaper?
Per made-up litre, yes, by a wide margin. A concentrate like ours works out to about $1.23 a made-up litre, against roughly $27 to $28 a litre for a ready-to-use spray.
Which cleaner goes the furthest?
On cost per litre alone, Admonter's concentrate goes furthest at about $0.69 a litre. Ours is about $1.23 a made-up litre and suits both finishes as an own-brand option, and both beat a ready-to-use spray comfortably.
Can I use the same cleaner on oiled and lacquered floors?
Yes. A pH-neutral wood-floor cleaner suits both. The difference is the extra step: oiled floors get an oil top-up, lacquered floors get a refresher between recoats.
Pick the right cleaner for your floor
Shop our own concentrate, or ask us which cleaner suits your finish.
