Skip to Content

Can You Use Windex on Hardwood Floors? (Quick Answers)

While looking for the most effective hardwood floor cleaner on the best-selling hardwood floor cleaner list for your home’s hardwood floor, you may notice the brand Windex which originally happens to be an undefeatable and fabulous glass cleaner for our households.

Thereby, you would surely wonder if you can use Windex on hardwood floors or not. So, keep reading ahead to know the facts regarding this question.

Using Windex On Hardwood Floors?

Only Windex Ammonia-free version can be used for cleaning and removing stains from hardwood floors. The ammonia-free Windex cleaner makes a safe option and is a universal cleaner, so using it on Hardwood floors will never damage the floors. For the best outcome, use it along with a Swiffer sweeper.

Being a hardwood floor owner, you would be exceptionally cautious regarding the factors that make Windex cleaner one of the most suitable hardwood floor cleaners of all time.

Thus, here the factors that make Windex suitable for use on hardwood flooring have been listed below for your understanding.

Windex Is Now Ammonia-Free: 

Windex cleaner has come up with two new versions of Windex cleaner along with the original one, and one of the new versions of Windex is completely ammonia-free which is the sole reason that makes Windex cleaner a very suitable hardwood floor cleaner. 

As the name implies, the Windex ammonia-free version is free from the high harshness of acidic pH that ammonia contains, and this factor makes it an exceptionally mild hardwood floor cleaner.

Thereby, you can use Windex ammonia-free cleaner to clean the hardwood floors well without damaging or making the sheen of hardwood floors dull. 

Removes Stubborn Stains: 

Even though the ammonia-free Windex cleaner is a mild hardwood floor cleaner, compared to other hardwood floor cleaners it works incredibly in removing the most stubborn wax buildup, stains, and other residues.

As it’s such an active yet mild cleaner, it gives you another reason why you can use Windex cleaner. 

Doesn’t Leave Any Footprints:

This ammonia-free version of Windex cleaner is a streak-free hardwood cleaner as well which means after cleaning/removing stains, it will not leave any footprint on the floors like the Bona hardwood cleaner leaves.

So, you can get this perk by using Windex ammonia-free cleaner on the hardwood floors. 

It’s A Safe Hardwood Cleaner: 

One of the best aspects of the Windex cleaner, particularly the ammonia-free version of it is that the cleaner makes a safe cleaning product for a home with hardwood flooring.

You can use it without worrying about your kid’s or pet’s safety because this Windex cleaner possesses no harm to kids and pets and has a lovely aroma.

Doesn’t Damage Or Discolor The Hardwood Floor:

Windex ammonia-free cleaner comes with a guaranteed no discoloration factor, thereby, no chance using it on hardwood floors would cause discoloration to the hardwood floor surface.

So to avoid potential discoloration of your hardwood floors, you can use Windex cleaner on hardwood floors. 

It’s A Universal Cleaner: 

The ammonia-free Windex has been the safest and most recommended universal cleaner, so you can use it on almost surfaces like glass, tile, marvel, etc. along with using it on hardwood surfaces.

It’s more like a multipurpose cleaner and it’s the best advantage you can get by using it on hardwood floors.

Do Windex Damage Hardwood Floors?

As long as you are not using the ammonia-based Windex cleaner on hardwood floors, Windex cleaner will never damage hardwood floors. Windex has both ammonia-based and ammonia-free versions of the cleaner.

The ammonia-free version of Windex is a very mild cleaner that can be sprayed directly on the floors without diluting and causes no harm at all unless you leave the cleaner on hardwood floors for a prolonged period. 

Even the ammonia-based Windex cleaner will not damage the hardwood floors only if you dilute it in enough water and use it as per the expert’s instructions.

What Does Windex Do To Hardwood? 

Windex ammonia-free version is a universal and effective cleaner that cleans the hardwood floors very effectively without leaving any residues and footprints. It also removes haziness from the hardwood floors and maintains the natural shine of the floors.

Only if you don’t leave the ammonia-free Windex on the hardwood floors while cleaning, it will never damage the floors. Besides, Windex ammonia-free cleaner helps to remove tough wax buildup too. 

On the contrary, ammonia being hostile to hardwood floors, Windex ammonia-based cleaner will surely damage the hardwood floors if you by any chance use it on hardwood floors directly. So it’s never recommended to use either of them on hardwood floors. 

How To Clean Cloudy Hardwood Floors With Windex?

If you are not aware of this amazing benefit offered by the Windex ammonia-free cleaner, know that it actively works to remove haziness from hardwood floors. Here’re the steps described that would help you clean cloudy hardwood floors with Windex. 

Things you will be needing:

  • Ammonia-free Windex cleaner 
  • Microfiber mop/usual mop 
  • Dry Swiffer sweeper pads

Sweep Or Vacuum The Floors: 

The first step begins with sweeping or vacuuming your cloudy hardwood floors. It would be better if you use a dry microfiber mop to sweep but a regular one works too. Sweep or vacuum thoroughly and remove any remaining dust and dirt.

Spray Windex Cleaner: 

After sweeping or vacuuming, take dry Swiffer sweeper pads and attach them to your mop. Then take the ammonia-free Windex cleaner and directly start spraying it on the hardwood floors.

You can spray the Windex cleaner on the entire floor in a room at once or can spray it one spot by one spot. 

Remember that you shouldn’t dilute the Windex cleaner in water, it’s a mild cleaner so diluting it is not recommended. 

Clean The Floor: 

Now, swear gloves and slightly and gently start scrubbing the cloudy spots on the hardwood floors with Swiffer sweeper pads attached to your mop and clean the floors.

Scrub and clean in the direction of the hardwood floor’s wood grain. Also, keep in mind that you should never leave Windex cleaner on the floors for a long time while cleaning the whole house. 

Leave It To Dry: 

After cleaning and becoming sure there’s no haziness left on the hardwood floors, let the floors dry until they dry fully. And try to clean the floors once every month with Windex. 

What Is The Best Way To Clean Hardwood Floors?

The elegance and aesthetic of hardwood floors depend on the cleanliness of the floors, thus, a few effective ways to clean hardwood floors have been listed here to guide you while cleaning your hardwood floors. 

Commercial Hardwood Floor Cleaner: 

Commercial hardwood floor cleaners are always the best because they are made to clean hardwood floors nicely without leaving any residues and footprints, and without damaging the floor.

You can opt for some of the most popular hardwood cleaners such as Bona or Murphy Oil Soap, apart from Windex ammonia-free cleaner. 

Some hardwood cleaners require to be diluted in water and some don’t so strictly follow the instructions given by the manufacturer while cleaning hardwood floors with them. And use a microfiber mop always to clean floors with commercial cleaners.

Distilled White Vinegar And Warm Water Solution: 

Distilled white vinegar and warm water is considered a very effective homemade hardwood cleaner solution.

And to make it, take distilled white vinegar and warm water in a 1:10 ratio and mix them. After that saturate a microfiber string mop in the solution and wring it leaving no excess water.

Clean the floor with this mop first, then wash the mop with plain water, wring it, and wipe again. Finish cleaning by drying the floor with a dry mop. 

If you want you can mix a few drops of essential oil in the vinegar-water solution too for a pleasant fragrance. 

Mixture Of Boiling Water And Teabags:  

Some hardwood floor owners stated that using a solution of boiling water and 2 teabags helped them clean the floor effectively as tea has tannic acid that leaves a sheen after cleaning.

Just let 2 teabags boil in water, pour it into a bucket, then soak a microfiber string mop, and wring it out. Wipe the hardwood floors with the floor and you are done. 

Sweep, Vacuum, And Dust Mop:

The secret of keeping your Hardwood floor clean and shining lies in regular sweeping and vacuuming, and weekly dust mopping. 

Every day sweep or vacuum the hardwood floors to remove food crumbs, dust, and dirt that can leave scratches. Also, sweep under rugs daily too. Use a microfiber mop to do dry mopping. And do dust mopping once every week.  

Final Thoughts 

Windex cleaner can be used on hardwood floors but it has to be the ammonia-free version of the Windex cleaner because it doesn’t damage the hardwood floors and cleans floors actively. However, The original or ammonia-based Windex cleaner shouldn’t be used for cleaning hardwood floors.