Anyone looking for a Bona floor cleaner, Bona Floor Cleaner, or suitable Bona wood care product will encounter items designed for very different tasks. Some remove everyday dirt, while others are used for more intensive cleaning. Polish and Refresher, on the other hand, are maintenance products that can freshen up an existing surface treatment.

The most important rule is therefore: Choose the product not just based on the term "parquet care," but according to the existing surface and the desired step. A cleaner does not replace a polish – and a polish is not a product for normal routine cleaning.

Before choosing a product: What kind of surface does your parquet have?

Before you use a Bona Floor Cleaner or a maintenance product, you should determine whether your floor is lacquered (sealed), oiled, or waxed. This determines which cleaners and maintenance products are suitable.

• Lacquered or sealed parquet: The wood has a sealed coating. Suitable floor cleaners as well as certain polish and refresher products are appropriate for this.
• Oiled parquet: The oil penetrates the wood pores. Oiled surfaces require specially designed cleaners and, if necessary, a care oil or oil refresher.
• Waxed surfaces: These must be considered separately. Not every product for lacquered parquet may be used on waxed floors.

If the existing treatment is unknown, you should check documentation for the floor or seek professional advice. Incorrect classification can lead to streaks, adhesion problems, or an uneven gloss level.

Bona floor cleaner for regular routine cleaning

For the normal cleaning of a suitable lacquered or sealed wood floor, a ready-to-use Bona floor cleaner in a spray bottle can be used. The product is sprayed directly onto a limited area and then distributed with a suitable mop cover.

Such a floor cleaner is intended primarily for dust, footprints, and typical dirt in living areas. Since it is already ready to use, it does not need to be mixed with water. Nonetheless, specific instructions for application and suitable floor surfaces should always be found in the product description and user manual.

Tip: Do not spray the cleaner over a large area all at once. Work in sections and do not let puddles stand on the parquet.

Bona Cleaner as a concentrated detergent

The Bona Professional Cleaner is a concentrate for cleaning approved sealed floor surfaces. Unlike a ready-to-use Bona floor cleaner, the concentrate must be diluted with water according to the respective product information.

The cleaner is therefore suitable, for example, for users who regularly clean larger areas or who wish to set the concentration according to the intended use. Dosage should not be guessed. A cleaner that is too concentrated does not automatically improve the result and can leave unnecessary residue behind.

Bona floor cleaner or Bona Cleaner?

• Ready-to-use floor cleaner: practical for the regular cleaning of smaller and medium-sized areas
• Cleaner as concentrate: diluted according to product information before use
• Both product types: primarily serve for cleaning and do not replace a separate maintenance treatment

What is Bona Polish?

A polish is not a classic floor cleaner. It is applied to a suitable sealed or lacquered surface after thorough cleaning, where it forms an additional, renewable care layer.

This care layer can make the appearance of a dull surface look more uniform and visually soften fine signs of wear. However, it cannot repair deep scratches, damaged lacquer layers, or areas worn down to the bare wood.

For a matte surface, for example, Bona Parquet Polish matte is available. For a noticeably shinier protective film, there is Bona Parquet Polish glossy.

The polish must match the existing floor and the desired level of gloss. Especially matte products should not be used on glossy surfaces without testing – and vice versa. A test area in an inconspicuous spot helps to evaluate gloss level, adhesion, and appearance.

What distinguishes a Refresher from Polish?

A Bona Parquet Refresher is also a maintenance product for designated lacquered or sealed wood floors. It is used to visually freshen up dull surfaces and apply an additional protective layer.

The transitions between polish and refresher product groups are not identical for every system. Therefore, it is not just the product names that are decisive, but the specific approval for the existing floor, the achieved gloss level, and the information regarding surface preparation.

Cleaner, Polish, or Refresher: an overview of choices

For dust and everyday footprints

Use a Bona floor cleaner suitable for your surface. For quick application, a ready-to-use product is a good choice.

For larger areas or cleaning with a concentrate

A Bona Cleaner may be appropriate here. The prescribed mixing ratio and instructions regarding the floor type must be followed.

For a dull, but still intact lacquer surface

A suitable polish or refresher can visually refresh the existing surface. Beforehand, the floor must be cleaned thoroughly and be completely free of loose residue.

For oiled parquet

Do not use care products intended exclusively for lacquered or sealed floors. Oiled floors require specifically coordinated cleaning and, if necessary, suitable oil care.

For deep scratches and worn-down lacquer layers

A polish is usually not sufficient here. Visible raw wood, extensive wear, or peeling coatings should be assessed by a professional.

Cleaning parquet and applying polish: the correct sequence

1. Determine floor type: Check if the surface is lacquered, oiled, or waxed.
2. Remove loose dirt: Carefully vacuum or sweep up dust, sand, and small stones.
3. Clean the surface: Use a suitable cleaner according to the user manual.
4. Allow to dry completely: Polish must not be applied to a damp surface.
5. Treat a test area: Check adhesion, gloss level, and color effect in an inconspicuous spot.
6. Distribute maintenance product evenly: Use an application pad designed for this purpose and avoid puddles, streaks, and repeatedly touching up areas that are already drying.
7. Observe drying and usage instructions: Specific times are found in the user manual for the product used.

Common mistakes when using Bona wood care products

• Polish is used like a regular cleaner with every mopping.
• A product for lacquered floors is used on oiled parquet.
• The gloss level of the polish does not match the existing surface.
• The floor is not thoroughly cleaned before maintenance.
• Old care films are continuously layered without testing.
• Cleaner concentrates are dosed too highly.
• Too much water is left standing on joints and the wood surface.
• The prescribed drying time is not waited out.

Conclusion: Do not confuse cleaning and maintenance

Bona floor cleaner and Bona Cleaner are used for dirt removal. Polish and Refresher, by contrast, are used only occasionally to maintain and visually refresh suitable, still-intact lacquer surfaces.

Which product is suitable depends on the surface treatment, the condition of the floor, and the desired gloss level. Therefore, check the approval for your floor before every application and follow the user manual for the respective product.

You can find more products in our overview of Bona parquet care, cleaners, oils, and lacquers.