We Mopped Our Spaces More Than a Few Times to Find the Best Tile Floor Cleaners

Wiping down cabinets and counters, dusting furniture, and scrubbing appliances are tiresome cleaning tasks, but they almost feel like amateur hours compared to mopping floors. For some reason, the process of maintaining streak-free, nongrimy tile always seems like a chore that is not only laborious and annoying but nearly impossible. 

We tested the latest and greatest concentrates and solutions to round up a list of the best tile floor cleaners on the market (all of which happen to be eco-friendly). These powerful liquids not only went above and beyond in cleaning and polishing floors, but they excelled in categories like price, aroma, and the use of all-natural, nontoxic ingredients. Now maybe mopping will feel less like a duty and more like an essential you won’t want to skip. 

Here are the products that ranked supreme for us—and the lowdown on how they work.

Our Favorites

• Best overall: The Laundress All-Purpose Cleaning Concentrate
• Best value: Method Squirt & Mop Hard Floor Cleaner
• Best collection: Kinfill Floor Cleaner Kit
• Best scent range: Mrs. Meyer’s Multi-Surface Concentrate 
• Best for a 360-degree environmental mindset: Grove Co. Floor Cleaner Concentrate
• Best long-term investment: Supernatural Wood & Floor Cleaner

Best Overall: The Laundress All-Purpose Cleaning Concentrate

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Size/volume: 16 ounces | Spray or concentrate: Concentrate | Scent: ​​Eucalyptus with notes of pine and hints of rose, lily of the valley, bergamot, ylang-ylang, and thyme

Why we chose it: This delicious-smelling, plant-based blend effectively cleans every surface in your home, including tile, stone, laminate, and even finished hardwood. 

The Laundress’s All-Purpose Cleaning Solution is not only the queen of this list but the queen of cleaning versatility. We can’t get over just how effectively the botanical brew can power through the toughest of floor stains (including hard water and mildew), while leaving behind a streak-free, herbal-smelling shine. If you’re on a cleaning kick, mix it with vinegar to tackle your bathroom—it’s only $13 for 32 uses, so it can take the place of all the bottles that are likely collecting dust. 

[Editor’s note: As of November 2022, The Laundress was alerted that there is potential presence of elevated levels of bacteria in some of their products. Until the investigation has resolved, we do not recommend buying or using Laundress products. Visit this website to check if your product is impacted and to request a reimbursement.]

Best Value: Method Squirt & Mop Hard Floor Cleaner

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Size/volume: 25 ounces | Spray or concentrate: Spray | Scent: Lemon ginger or spearmint sage

Why we chose it: At less than $5 per bottle, Method has hit a home run with this cleaner, which works particularly well on vinyl and with a steam mop. 

Aside from Mrs. Meyer’s, Method is perhaps the most recognized brand on this list. And rightfully so. Its affordable line of household products work above and beyond to clean and shine, and this floor cleaner is no exception. Simply spray and mop as you go without having to dilute the solution in water. We also recommend the use of a steam mop—this product really shined (yes, pun intended) with that cleaning gadget, leaving behind tile that practically sparkles underneath your toes. 

The only downside is that you’ll have to invest in another product (its Hardwood Floor Cleaner) if you want to clean beyond tile, laminate, or vinyl.  

Best Collection: Kinfill Floor Cleaner Kit

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Size/volume: 10 milliliters with 16.9-ounces spray bottle | Spray or concentrate: Concentrate with spray bottle | Scent: Orange

Why we chose it: New-to-the-cleaning-scene Kinfill impresses with its variety of refillable kits, making it not only environmentally friendly but easy to use and store. 

It was kind of fun to build our own floor-cleaning concoction with Kinfill’s luxurious and sturdy spray bottle. The mission of the company is to cut back on plastic waste and it has achieved this successfully with a spray bottle that you won’t mind looking at—and you’ll actually want to use. The orange scent and concentrate itself can be a bit harsh, however, and may require a bucket of water on standby to dilute it. That said, it cleans effectively and is quite versatile. Those with marble floors, take note: It works very well on that material.

Best Scent Range: Mrs. Meyer’s Multi-Surface Concentrate 

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Size/volume: 32 ounces | Spray or concentrate: Concentrate | Scent: Eight to choose from

Why we chose it: There is no other tile floor cleaner on the market that offers this many scents, one just as wonderfully smelling as the next. 

Mrs. Meyer’s essential oil–based blend of garden-inspired concentrates helps make cleaning exciting. Lavender, basil, rosemary, and honeysuckle are our personal favorites, but you can’t go wrong with its bluebell, geranium, lemon verbena, and peony varieties. Simply clean and mop your floors as you would with any other solution, but pay close attention to its exceptional ability to remove dirt and grime from the grout. (We also recommend using a scrubbing brush to really get in there). While too much of the product can leave behind a thin film that reveals footprints and smudge marks, it’s worth the buy for the aromas alone. 

Best for a 360-Degree Environmental Mindset: Grove Co. Floor Cleaner Concentrate

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Size/volume: Two 1-ounce bottles | Spray or Concentrate: Concentrate | Scent: Four to choose from

Why we chose it: When it comes to sustainability, this concentrate is unrivaled, with packaging derived from completely recycled products. 

We really appreciate Grove Co’s commitment to the environment, offering a formula that is made with 96 percent plant-based ingredients—no parabens, phthalates, phosphates, formaldehyde, synthetic dyes, ammonia, chlorine bleach, or other harsh chemicals. The tiny but mighty bottles are packaged in infinitely recyclable glass and FSC®-certified 100 percent recycled paper to “take a stand against plastic pollution.” Be careful when the solution dries, though, as floors can be quite slippery. 

Best Long-Term Investment: Supernatural Wood & Floor Cleaner

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Size/volume: 8 ounces | Spray or concentrate: Concentrate | Scent: Palmarosa, lavender, peppermint, basil, and fir

Why we chose it: Yes, this floor cleaner carries a higher price tag, but a little goes a long way.

Like Grove and Co., Supernatural has made a commitment to lower its carbon footprint by offering a plant-derived product in recyclable packaging. The company also boasts a subscription service so that you never run out of the concentrate, which smells like you’ve stepped into a high-end spa. At $60 a bottle, the investment is significant, but this is a wise purchase for someone who cleans their home quite regularly. A little goes a long way—in fact the bottle can yield more than 104 ounces of the solution when mixed with water—so you’re helping the environment by buying in bulk and not disposing of plastic bottle after plastic bottle. And it’s a two-for-one kind of thing: The concentrate is also wonderful on hardwood floors. 

How We Chose These Products

We tested more than a dozen tile floor cleaners on a variety of surfaces, keeping characteristics like price, formula, scent, sustainability, and ease of use in mind when selecting initial products. And, well, we also chose packaging that was aesthetically pleasing—just because it’s a cleaning product doesn’t mean it has to be an eyesore.

Our Shopping Checklist

Cleaner Type

When purchasing a tile floor cleaner, it’s likely that you’ll have to choose between a solution that you can spray from a bottle and use immediately or a concentrate that you’ll have to pour out and dilute with water in a bucket (or even another spray bottle). The latter is another step in the cleaning process, but it’s typically the most eco-friendly since you’ll reuse the same bottle or bucket each time. You’ll also have more control over how strong you’d like the formula to be. 

Scent 

Scent is obviously a personal preference, but look for formulas made with essential oils for a more natural and likely herbaceous aroma. A lot of artificial scents can be quite headache inducing once they cover a larger surface area like an entire floor. 

Volume and Size 

Again, this will be dictated by whether your tile floor cleaner will arrive ready to spray and mop (generally 16 ounces or more) or in the form of a concentrate that you’ll have to dilute in water (typically only a few ounces or less). 

Child and Pet Safety

To double confirm, you’ll want to absolutely read the labels of any product you purchase. Most plant-based cleaning formulas (like those on our list) are safe to use around children and pets, though, so you shouldn’t have to worry about toxicity. 

Ask Domino

Q: No idea what kind of tiles I have. Can I use a tile floor cleaner for all types?  

Always be sure to thoroughly read the labels of any tile floor cleaner. Some concentrates and solutions are formulated to work on every type of floor, but others are more specific and can permanently damage sensitive surfaces like unfinished stone. 

Q: If I forget about it in the back of my closet, how long will a tile floor cleaner last? 

As with all cleaning products, ingredients can break down and lose their efficacy over time. This process is sped up in formulas that are mostly or completely natural, as they don’t rely on preservatives to maintain their “fresh” state. The general shelf life of a floor cleaner is two years, but do not hesitate to email the support teams of your favorite brands for more accurate timelines. 

Q: Should I clean tile floors every week? 

While this is certainly not necessary, you are welcome to do so. Most kitchen and high-traffic tiles can remain clean for up to two weeks, depending upon the area’s activity and how many people reside in the home. Just be sure to use your vacuum every few days to pick up dirt, dust, and food debris. This will prolong the amount of time you can go between mopping sessions. 

The Last Word

You may not have put much thought into tile floor cleaners before, but today there are plenty of affordable, plant-based, and effective options beyond what you’d typically find in any major big-box store. And since your floor is likely the one thing in your home that experiences the most wear and tear, why not make an upgrade? It’s time to invest in your tile and give it the TLC it deserves.