If you have hard surfaces in your home like tile, linoleum, laminate, or hardwood you know how much of a pain they are to keep clean. If you are busy like I am, you are looking for a quick way to get dust and other debris off of the floor. When it comes to a hard surface, there is only one comparison to really make and that is Bona vs Swiffer.
In This Guide
The Bona vs Swiffer Throw Down
Both Bona and Swiffer are known for making flat mops to clean your hard surface floors. They both come in two main flavors: dry and wet versions. The wet versions have a built in sprayer to spray cleaning solution on the floor. I have never had good luck with these.
Today we are going to be talking about the dry versions. When it comes to the wet versions, I really have not been impressed at all. If things are really dirty and grimy, I head right for my steam mop. I'll also tell you a couple of hacks at the end of the article to do more with your Bona or Swiffer mop.
Bona vs Swiffer


Let's take a quick look at these two mops side by side before we go into the features of each of them.
There are two major differences between these mops. First is the size of the cleaning pad. As you can see, the Bona has a bigger cleaning pad, which theoretically means less time spent cleaning!
The next is the way the pads connect. The Bona connects with velcro, and the Swiffer has indented tabs you can press the cleaning cloth into. We will talk more about these details soon.
Bona
This Bona mop comes with two cleaning pads, a microfiber pad and a dusting pad. Realistically speaking, you will need more cleaning pads than this, especially if you want to clean multiple rooms at once.
You can buy more pads directly from Bona, or a third party. The key here is the pads are attached by velcro, which means you can't just put any old thing on the end of your Bona mop.
Either of these pads will work great on a dusty or dirty floor. Bona also makes hardwood floor cleaner, which works really well and does not have a scent:
It is also certified asthma and allergy friendly, and really gets rid of the dust and leaves floors looking great.
I actually found this cleaner, and decided to give the Bona mop a go as well after purchasing it. The mop does work really well, and I don't have any other complaints other than I had to go out and buy additional pads.
How to Clean a Bona Mop Pad
Since Bona uses reusable mop pads, you will need to clean them. I always just throw them in the washing machine on the sanitary cycle, and add a little baking soda to in addition to laundry detergent.
I often wash them things like other cleaning cloths and dish towels.
Swiffer
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I think I actually have two Swiffers in my house, one I have made kid sized by removing the middle piece of the handle.
I just don't have enough good things to say about Swiffer in general. I have had one for ages and it has never failed me.
Of course you have the option of purchasing Swiffer pads for your Swiffer, which do come in wet and dry. Several of each type are included with this starter kit.
Can you use Swiffer on Hardwood Floors?
Absolutely! Swiffer pads pick up everything off of your hardwood floor with minimal effort, especially dust.
They are extremely soft, so they won't scratch or damage the coating on your hardwood floors.
Can You use Swiffer Wet on Hardwood Floors?
If you're looking at the Swiffer, you are probably attracted to the convince of being able to easily both use wet and dry pads.
Many people wonder if you can use Swiffer wet on hardwood floors, and the answer is yes!
Remember, the rule of cleaning a hardwood floor is you never want to soak or saturate it. Swiffer wet pads contain cleaning solution of course to make things easier, but they aren't wet enough to do any damage to your floor.
How to Attach Swiffer Pads (Dry or Wet)
Swiffer pads couldn't be easier to attach to the swiller mop. It doesn't matter if they are dry pads or wet pads, they attach the same exact way.
See the picture of the swifter here?

The mop itself has four tabs at the top. Simply press the Swiffer pad into each of the four tabs and you are ready to clean.
Because of the way the pads attach to the Swiffer (you gently press them into tabs on the cleaning pad) you can literally put ANYTHING on the end of the Swiffer.
I use these silver microfiber cleaning cloths for my kitchen counter, as well as on the end of my Swiffer and for just about everything.
If you do not want to use disposable Swiffer pads, you don't even need to go out and buy anything that says it is a reusable cleaning cloth for Swiffer. Anything will basically fit on it.
As another Swiffer hack, I also put cleaning wipes on the end of my Swiffer if something is dirty. You could also spray cleaner on the floor and just use a cleaning cloth on the Swiffer.
The downside of the Swiffer is it does have a smaller surface area than the Bona mop, which means more time is spent cleaning.
If you already have some Bona pads, and want to use them on Swiffer too, go right ahead. Remember, Bona pads are much longer than the Swiffer, so just fold the excess bona pads over the sides of the Swiffer and secure like you would anything else to the Swiffer.
Bona vs Swiffer: Which is Right For You?
You can't go wrong when it comes to Bona vs Swiffer, but here are the facts:
Besides the mop, you will also need to invest in some extra cleaning pads for the Bona. However, these cleaning pads are washable and re-usable, making the Bona a very eco friendly solution by default, right out of the gate.
If you want to cut down on consumables, Bona is the way to go.
When it comes to Swiffer, you can purchase and use disposable cleaning pads in wet or dry, which also come in scents like Lavender and Vanilla which some may like. You can also basically shove anything you already have on the end of a Swiffer because of the way the cloths attach to it.
If you want the convenience of disposable cleaning pads, or the ability to use what you already have, Swiffer is the way to go.
How I Use Bona and Swiffer
I have both mops, and use them both! Here is how I use each of them.
Using Bona
I use the Bona when I'm cleaning a large open area, like rooms and hallways. I also use the Bona hardwood floor cleaning solution when needed. I use it exclusively on my hardwood floors because of the larger cleaning area.
Your Bona Starter Kit
Here is everything you need to get started with Bona:
Using Swiffer
When it comes to cleaning a quick mess in the kitchen, or cleaning an area with lots of things to go around, I use the Swiffer because in this case, the smaller cleaning area is an asset. I typically use cleaning cloths and cleaning wipes on the end of my Swiffer.
Your Swiffer Starter Kit
Here is everything you need to get started with Swiffer:
Remember, pretty much anything you already have the house will also fit on your Swiffer!
There is no wrong choice when it comes to Bona vs Swiffer, they just have several different features, as detailed in this guide. Let us know which you prefer and why in the comments.
Last update on 2022-08-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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