*Disclaimer: Bona sent me a pack of Bona PowerPlus products free of charge for me to review. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Before our baby girl was born I used to follow a well-established “cleaning schedule:” Once a week, preferably on Fridays, I would get all my tools out and perform a thorough cleaning of the house, from top to bottom. Yes, it was time-consuming, but it also felt very rewarding. I’ll admit to being a bit of a “cleaning freak:” I just hate to see dust around me, and this is why I like to keep things clean and tidy as much as I can. Dirt and clutter? These are big no-nos to me! 🙂
My cleaning schedule has simply gone out of the window since the arrival of our daughter. Now, I clean the house whenever I can, and sadly this does not happen very often. Thankfully, my husband has come to the rescue, and lately he has been in charge of most of the cleaning. I still like to vacuum, however I no longer have the time and/or the dedication to follow up with the thorough cleaning I used to do back in the day. I am so thankful to hubby for taking over the cleaning responsibilities, and I like to keep the tools well-stocked and to invest in time-saving cleaning solutions to make his mission easier. For all of these reasons I was very excited when Bona contacted me and asked me to review their latest range of cleaning products. Bona PowerPlus is a “deep clean” range of products which aims to tackle dirt and grime on hardwood floors. The range contains a microfiber deep clean pad and a hardwood floor deep cleaner solution, which are designed to work with Bona’s well-known microfiber floor mop. The deep clean pad with patented PowerLoop technology gently breaks apart and loosens heavy dirt build-up via its twisted nylon scrubbers. Meanwhile, the PowerPlus deep cleaner solution has been specifically formulated for hardwood floors, it is safe to use on such floors, and provides deep cleaning results.
My husband tested the Bona products with me by his side taking pictures and writing down our thoughts and comments. We were impressed with the performance of the mop, which was easy to maneuver and tackled dust in hard-to-reach areas very efficiently. The ergonomic design really made cleaning easier and less time-consuming than usual. Our “old” cleaning tools were more rigid and did not have the ability to clean the floor trim and the adjacent hardwood area at the same time – which meant that we had to go over the same area twice, first with the cleaning tool (for the floor itself) and then with wet wipes (for the floor trim). Solving two problems at once? What a great improvement!
The mop coupled with the microfiber deep clean pad provided an excellent combination to achieve thorough cleaning. The deep clean pad has more than two times the absorbency of other microfiber pads, and this definitely showed during our testing. Once the dirt was broken apart, the breathtaking beauty of the hardwood floors was able to shine through. Also, the deep clean pad is machine washable, which is a big bonus.
The tough dirt build-ups were removed very fast thanks to the hardwood floor deep cleaner solution, which was ready-to-use and easy to dispense. This cleaner has a special, GREENGUARD certified formulation which works as a 3-step process. First, a surfactant loosens the heavy dirt build-up. Next, peroxide penetrates the wood for a deep clean, and finally, the oxygenated bubbling action lifts away surface debris.
We were surprised to notice that the cleaner left our floors dull – it looked as if a film had been applied when using it. Usually our floors are shiny, yet when the cleaning session was over they did not look shiny at all. You can see the difference (shiny vs. dull) in picture 1 below:
Overall, we were pleased with the performance of the Bona PowerPlus range of products, especially the performance of the microfiber deep clean pad. Will we continue to use them in the future? The pad for sure, the cleaning solution – I don’t know. We will use it again over the next few weeks to see whether or not we get the same “dull floors” result. I will keep you posted 🙂
Bona is offering Chicago Loves Panini readers the chance to win a pack of Bona PowerPlus products.
To enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post and answer the following question: What are your favorite cleaning tips/tricks?
Giveaway open to US residents only. One entry per person. Deadline for entries is 6PM central time on April 15th, 2016. One winner will be chosen on or around April 16th, 2016 by using a random number generator and will have 72 hours to respond to the winner notification email. I reserve the right to pick an alternative winner if the original winner does not contact me 72 hours after receipt of winner notification email.
Good luck!
Peggy Rydzewski
March 26, 2016I like to use a fabric softener sheets to remove cat hair.
Diane baum
March 26, 2016I use white vineger to clean everything
Margot C
March 27, 2016I use vinegar followed by a paper towel with a dab of coconut oil on it to clean and shine my stainless steel sink.
elizabeth p
March 27, 2016i use natural products whenever possible.
Cynthia C
March 27, 2016I have discovered that Biz removes rust stains on my fiberglass shower better than anything else.
Lisa
March 27, 2016I use essential oils in my steam cleaner.
Erin Ellis
March 27, 2016My best cleaning tip is to teach your kids that cleaning is fun at a young age! Thank you for the wonderful giveaway.
Erin
JIll Hanson
March 27, 2016I use baking soda for cleaning tub & sinks
chris z
March 27, 2016i try to use natural products
Heather
March 27, 2016Lots of vinegar! I’ve found that vinegar can clean a lot and go a long way.
Tiffany S
March 27, 2016I use magic erasers to clean a lot of stuff, its very good at cleaning a lot of surfaces.
latanya
March 27, 2016I use a water and vinegar solution to clean
Cindy Peterosn
March 27, 2016I have a cleaning “apron”. It is an old kitchen apron that I stash clothes, sprayer, gloves, sponge, and other cleaning supplies, so it is easy to carry items around and makes it just easier to clean.
tiffany dayton
March 27, 2016I prefer natural products also. I am allergic to a lot of things.
leisl gering
March 27, 2016I use vinegar to clean a lot too, and use wet wipes pretty liberally for spot cleanups.
Sara A.
March 27, 2016I like to make my own carpet freshener.
Jenny S
March 27, 2016Lemon juice is a great degreaser on my kitchen appliances.
Maryann Royster
March 27, 2016My favorite cleaning tip is:
Wash most of your laundry in cold water- I use coldwater tide
You will save money and it is more gentle on your cloths
Mary McCarthy
March 28, 2016vinegar and microfiber clothes are my secret to a clean house
jeremy mclaughlin
March 28, 2016Use my steam cleaner on all most everything.
nickie
March 28, 2016Natural ingrediants are great, like vinegar or Lemon juice
Brittney House
March 28, 2016My favorite tip is to get the family involved, it goes much quicker.
raychg
March 28, 2016Alcohol in a spray bottle & a dry paper towel does wonders on micro fiber furniture
Ruth McIver
March 28, 2016Play some smooth jazz before you start
Char
March 28, 2016I love using essential oils, thank you!
meghan b
March 28, 2016I love using a steam cleaner
Tina G.
March 28, 2016I like to use natural products like vinegar and baking soda and I love to open up the windows and let some fresh air in!! I also love to get rugs washed up and hang out on the clothes line!!
Jessica Padilla
March 28, 2016My favorite cleaning tip to use apple cider vinegar to clean my floors with warm water.
Denise S
March 29, 2016I use baking soda for many cleaning tasks.
brittany doerfler
March 29, 2016I love using hot water and vinegar to clean my hardwood floors!
c.m
March 29, 2016i use vinegar a lot. i pour some in the dishwasher. i use it to clean my coffeemaker too.
Ashley C
March 30, 2016We make our own cleaning products frequently using house hold ingredients like vinegar!
Liberty J
March 31, 2016My tips are to not procrastinate like me, and to try lots of different products till you find ones that work best for you.
Kelly M.
March 31, 2016I soak citrus peels in vinegar for about 1 week, strain, then dilute the vinegar (1 part vinegar to 1 part water). I use it to clean EVERYTHING, for a fraction of the cost
Lori Abrams
March 31, 2016I use vinegar for everything. Even disrupting ant scent trails.
Dawn Schultz
April 1, 2016I love freshening up my mattress with baking soda and a few drops of essential oils! Let it sit for a few minutes and vacuum it right up!
Rajee Pandi
April 1, 2016I use vinegar, water and lemon
KJ Skib
April 1, 2016CAn I say get a cleaning lady? Haha! I know that the best way to attack stains in the carpet is by using a mixture of white vinegar and warm water.
Melissa Miller
April 1, 2016I use dry sheets to repel dust
Keaton
April 1, 2016My tip is to not rely on me for cleaning, I forget most of the time to even grab something for cleaning from the store if needed.
Rosanne
April 6, 2016I keep clutter to a minimum so things appear cleaner. I also swear by Bar Keeper Friends for sinks and pots and pans. I keep a bucket of cleaning supplies in each bathroom
clynsg
April 7, 2016I hate to clean–I also hate living in a dirty house–you can see my problem. I manage it by doing daily pick-up, and then rotating rooms to clean them in sequence during the week. And yes, vinegar is great for MANY things!
ken ohl
April 7, 2016I love fabuloso cleaner it is terrific
Jennifer Reed
April 10, 2016I love using Magic Eraser products on alot of things and I also believe that putting moth balls in each area that has a chance to smell bad is good.
Lesley F
April 10, 2016My best tip is to be organized and stay on top of things
Lisa V.
April 10, 2016I really don’t have any tips. I just like to stay a head of the game and do a little at a time so it’s not hard work to clean.
Stephanie Liske
April 11, 2016My best tip is to convince someone else to do it for you. 🙂
Erica B.
April 11, 2016My only tip is to do a little bit of cleaning everyday so it doesn’t pile up.
susan smoaks
April 13, 2016my best tip is to clean a room at the time, don’t try to overdo it. take it easy on yourself.
Dana Matthews
April 13, 2016Vinegar! I use it everywhere…bathroom, kitchen, laundry, windows…it cleans everything!
Andrea Flynn
April 14, 2016I use magic erasers in the tub, works great.
Carolyn Daley
April 14, 2016Clean frequently so that it becomes less stressful. When you only have to tidy a few things up rather than do a deep clean it makes it easier to manage.
Sarah Bartley
April 14, 2016This sounds like a silly cleaning tip, but I use my vacuum cleaner to suck up the crumbs/flour/dried mess from cooking and baking! It makes it a lot easier to go back and wipe off the counters.
Also, I like the 1 part blue Dawn, 1 part warm vinegar cleaner for scrub-free shower maintenance! My husband literally works in dirt all day, so we have actual dirt grime stuck to our shower floor. The mixture works really well, but does make it a little slippery after you wash it off the first time.
allison
April 14, 2016I like to use all natural products for cleaning most things. Thanks so much for the chances to win.
Laurie Emerson
April 15, 2016My favorite cleaning trick is shine my water spigots with a little bit of vinegar and lemon juice on a cotton ball.
Breanne
April 15, 2016I like to use newspaper to clean glass.
Jaime Cummings
April 15, 2016I get very distracted while I’m cleaning, so I set a timer for 30 minutes. It helps me to stay focused, and I get more done in a short amount of time. Also, a dab of foaming shaving cream can help remove many red-wine spills from carpets.
Kristen Patton
April 15, 2016My favorite cleaning tip is to use Scrubbing Bubbles on tough bathroom stains and soap scum! That stuff works like a charm!! I also really love using Simple Green for other areas in the house that are tough to clean. That breaks up greasy messes really well!
Annette
April 15, 2016To clean shower curtains/liners, place in washing machine with bleach. No scrubbing and comes out clean. Best to use gentle cycle.