Cleaning floors can be a chore. Keep your hard surfaces in tip, top shape with this guide to natural floor cleaning and homemade floor cleaner recipe.
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I was barefoot in the kitchen chopping vegetables when I stepped in on a sticky spot on the floor. Where do these mystery spots come from?
Was it a bit of watermelon eaten as my kids gallop across the kitchen, a splatter from the stove, or something the dog tracked in from outside?
The source of the spot may be a mystery, but the way to clean it is not -> grab a microfiber mop, spray on some homemade floor cleaner, and wipe it away.
Learning to Clean Floors Naturally
We’ve lived in 8 different homes so I’ve dealt with a lot of different hard floor coverings – linoleum, laminate, hardwood, engineered wood, ceramic tile, natural stone, and even sealed cement – I’ve cleaned them all!
This guide will help you keep hard surface floors in tip, top shape…. naturally!
Homemade Floor Cleaner Ingredients
Look online and you will find a million different recipes for homemade floor cleaners. How can you choose?
I want floor cleaner to:
- Do great job cleaning
- Leave no streaks or residue.
- Work on many different flooring types.
- Be safe to use around kids and pets.
What Not To Use
There are several common floor cleaning ingredients I do not use:
- Borax – Borax is a naturally occurring mineral, but it is toxic to the respiratory system and should not be ingested. In addition, Borax scores an F on the EWG scale for respiratory effects and developmental toxicity.
- Baking Soda – Baking soda can leave grit or a film on hard floors. Combing baking soda with vinegar in a cleaner neutralizes both, leaving water and salt. (Learn more in Green Cleaning Ingredients You Should Never Mix.)
- Castile Soap – Castile soap is one of my favorite all-natural cleaners, just not for floors. It needs a rinse and/or thorough drying to prevent residue and maximize shininess…. and drying floors does not sound fun!
- Rubbing Alcohol – Rubbing alcohol contains isopropyl alcohol plus water, denaturants, and artificial fragrance. The denaturants and artificial fragrance are poisonous and should only be used in well-ventilated areas.
What Could Be Used
- Vinegar – Vinegar falls into the MAYBE category. It is cheap, environmentally safe, and effective on dirt but it should not be used on all floor types. The acetic acid can etch natural stone and will damage waxed floors. Some engineered floor and hardwood floors manufacturers also caution that frequent vinegar use can soften or cloud the finish. I use it occasionally when naturally restoring hardwood floors, but I like using a multi-purpose cleaner for general floor cleaning.
What to Use
- Water –Water is nature’s best floor cleaning product. Many times water is all you need to remove dust and everyday build up from floors. Remember, too much water can cause damage to any floor and water should never be used on unfinished hardwood or waxed wood. Use distilled water to prevent mineral buildup from hard water.
- Detergent – Some grime (like oil and grease) resists water and needs an additional cleanser. In no-rinse situations like floor cleaning a mild natural detergent is a dirt fighting must. It leaves less streaks than Castile soap and does not need a rinse to shine. Look for a natural, non-toxic detergent like Sal’s Suds.
- Vodka – Vodka is high purity ethanol mixed with water, it’s ph is nearly neutral when mixed with water. Vodka is a good solvent that helps dissolve oil and grime. Vodka also dries odorless and streak free. (Make sure you buy cheap vodka for cleaning!)
All Natural Homemade Floor Cleaner
My favorite homemade floor cleaner uses water, vodka and Sal’s Suds. It is an effective cleaning solution that meets my non-toxic cleaning standards and can be used on almost any floor. The water loosens and wipes away dirt, Sal’s Suds boosts the grime-fighting power, and vodka leaves an odorless streak-free shine. I love being able to clean hardwood then laminate then tile without ever having to switch solutions.
Ingredients
1 cup distilled water
1 cup vodka
3-4 drops Sal’s Suds
Directions
Pour all ingredients into a spray bottle and swirl lightly to combine.
How to Clean Hard Surface Floors
- Sweep or vacuum to remove dirt and debris.
- Use a reusable dust attracting cloth to wipe floors of dust and hair (especially if you have pets or live in a dusty area).
- Spray a small area lightly with homemade floor cleaner and wipe clean with a microfiber mop. Continue in small sections until the floor is clean.
Floor Cleaning Tips
- Use a microfiber mop to clean hard floors. Traditional mops leave extra water on floors leading to streaks. Look for one with an attachable spray bottle and washable pads for easy cleaning.
- Mist floors with a spray bottle instead of using a bucket of solution. The extra liquid takes more time to mop up and can cause water damage.
- Enhance hardwood shine and color by making a spray of with 1 Tbsp olive oil, 1 cup vodka, and 10 drops of essential oil (I use lemongrass and lemon for scent). Shake frequently and spray lightly. Buff with a dry microfiber mop. Work in small sections.
- Keep floor in top shape with regular maintenance. A daily sweep and prompt wipe up of spills will keep floors looking great without much mopping.
I hope this homemade floor cleaner helps you keep your home spic and span naturally!
Kimberly Coughlin
Your floor cleaner is the best, no kidding. My kitchen and bathroom floors are linoleum and laminate everywhere else and were dull. Commercial products did nothing. They look new, shiny and are not slippery. Best tip ever. Thank you.
Francesca
This floor cleaner is fantastic! It’s also works great to clean stainless steel appliances.
Bette
This cleaner does a fantastic job cleaning floors, but more than that, since the day after I started using it, the little black beetle-type bugs that I used so see are gone! Or if I find one, it’s dead. If I go out of town or don’t get around to cleaning for a couple weeks, they begin to return. Is it the vodka or the Sal Suds that acts as a repellant???
Gerrie Boyle
Instead of Sals suds, could you use Blue Dawn?
Bren
Yes, however, I prefer Sal’s Suds or a more natural detergent.
Robin
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’ve tried several green cleaners for my new laminate flooring. This one hit it outta-the-park!
Bren
Thanks, Robin!
Tammy Kuppinger
Borate/borax is one of the only ingredients that kills mold and dust mites. Diluted down, don’t you think it would be good to add this to a floor cleaner?
Bren
I would not add Borax as it will leave a residue unless rinsed.
nicole
Hi Brenda, Thank you for the recipe. I’ve been using this for my floors, and I have a question…can this be stored under a cabinet for more than one use? Or will the ingredients not do well when kept? Also, I sort of combined your recipe with your floor shining recipe just added 1 tbl of olive oil to this cleaner recipe to do both a clean and a shine at the same time, and it seems to do well for my wood floors! They look shiny and get clean at the same time…it probably isn’t as effective of a shine but I wanted to take out the extra step of going back and having to shine the floors after I’ve cleaned them. 🙂
Bren
You can store for more than one use as written. I am not sure how combining the oils and storing long term would work. I’ve never tried using it the way you mention. Hope it works well for you! -Bren
Shelley
This floor cleaner changed my life. It’s amazing! Thanks for sharing.
Bren
Thanks, Shelley! I’m glad it’s working well for you!
Monique
You mention you had concrete floors in the past. I was wondering if this solution would work on my basement floors? I’m a little worried to use cleaners on it because we live in wet lands and the last thing I would want is to start flooding my basement. Thank you
Bren
For concrete floors I like to use my All-Purpose cleaner and a microfiber or cloth mop. Easy peasy!