What Is the Most Effective Homemade Floor Cleaning Solution?

Mopping your floors helps keep them sanitary and shiny.

Making your own homemade floor cleaners will help you save money on your household budget. These cleaners are just as effective as commercial products in shining, sanitizing and cleaning your floor surface. They result in less waste going to our landfills because you do not have to discard the containers every time you buy a new cleaner. Determining which homemade cleaner is the most effective for your home depends on the type of floors you have. Many homes have a combination of wood, tile, and no-wax or linoleum floors.

Things You'll Need

• Broom and dustpan
• White distilled vinegar
• Measuring cup
• Bucket
• Mop
• Chlorine bleach

Instructions

Wood Floors

1. Sweep or vacuum your wood floors to remove any dust or other debris.

2. Pour 1 tbsp. of white distilled vinegar into a mop bucket.

3. Add 1 qt. of warm water to the bucket and swish it around with your hand.

4. Wet the mop in the bucket and wring it out well.

5. Wash your wood floors with the vinegar-and-water solution. Allow the floors to dry naturally. There is no need to rinse.

Tile or Concrete Floors

1. Sweep your tile or concrete floors with a broom and dustpan.

2. Pour 1 cup of chlorine bleach into a mop bucket. Bleach is effective in cleaning many items in your home. It sanitizes the items to keep your family healthy.

3. Add 1 gallon of water to the mop bucket. Swish the liquid around with your hand. The bleach not only cleans your tile or cement floors. It also helps prevent mildew growth.

4. Place your mop head into the bucket to saturate the fibers. Wring it out so that the mop is not dripping.

5. Mop your floors in your usual fashion.

6. Dump out the bleach solution once you have mopped your entire floor. Rinse the bucket with clean water, and then fill it with plain water.

7. Mop your floors again with the plain water to rinse the floor. You can use a nylon scrub brush in any areas that have stubborn stains, just be sure to rinse well with clear water.

No- wax or Linoleum Floors

1. Sweep the no-wax or linoleum floor with a broom and dust pan. This will remove any dust or debris on the floor.

2. Pour 1/2 cup of white distilled vinegar into a mop bucket. Vinegar is a mild acid, therefore useful in cleaning dirty floor.

3. Add 2 qt. of warm water to the mop bucket.

4. Mix the solution well with your hand.

5. Mop the no-wax floor in your normal fashion. There is no need to rinse the solution. It will dry to a sparkling shine.

Tips & Warnings

• Never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia when you are making homemade cleaners. The combination can produce toxic fumes.

References

• Utah State University Cooperative Extension: Making a House a Home
• University of Wisconsin-Madison: Cleaning Your Kitchen on a Budget

Resources

• Purdue University Extension: Household Cleaning Products