Want to learn how to make a homemade floor cleaner? Here are a few recipes to try on all types of floors!
I love homemade cleaning products.
When you make homemade cleaning products, you get to control what ingredients go into it. They also happen to be inexpensive, better for the environment, and they’re healthier for your children, pets, and for you!
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Why I Started Making Homemade Floor Cleaner
The very first homemade cleaner I tried out was a homemade floor cleaner for mopping. It was a couple years ago when my daughter, Elle, had just learned to crawl. I was moping the kitchen, she wanted to see what I was up to, so she crawled onto the wet, newly mopped floor. I had been using a commercial floor cleaner, and her poor little legs broke out into a horrible rash.
In case you’re curious about the safety of the commercial floor cleaner you’ve been using, search it on EWG to get it’s rating (like grades, they score A through F) and learn about any safety issues.
The one I was using is rated D for concerns of asthma/respiratory issues, skin allergies & irritation, development & reproductive toxicity, cancer, and moderate environmental concerns.
How to Make Homemade Floor Cleaner
After the adverse skin reaction to chemical floor cleaners, I sought out to find an easy, affordable, and SAFE homemade floor cleaner recipe.
I was instantly surprised at how easy it was! Basically, a really great floor cleaner consists of two ingredients: Vinegar and Water.
What you need:
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 2 gallons hot water
- 10 drops essential oils (optional — I like orange, lemon, and tea tree)
- 1/4 cup borax (optional — for really dirty floors)
How to do it :
- Fill up your kitchen sink with hot water until about half way full (2 gallons). Add 1 cup vinegar, and any essential oils or borax.
- Mop as normal!
Why Vinegar and Water Works
- Vinegar has a high acidity level, which makes it an effective mold, bacteria, and germ killer. Vinegar and water alone are a great way to clean your floor.
- Borax is a natural mineral compound that serves as a fungicide and a disinfectant. Note: it can be toxic if swallowed or handled openly around food, so use with caution and keep out of the reach of children and pets. If your floor is extra dirty, you can add 1/4 cup borax to the vinegar/water mixture.
- Lemon essential oil is one of my go-to cleaning oils for its antibacterial properties and its uplifting scent. It masks the smell of vinegar well, so I usually add 5 drops to my vinegar/water solution.
- Tea tree essential oil is a great cleaning oil because it has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties. I usually add 5 drops of it, along with lemon to ensure a clean, disinfected floor.
What Types of Floors can this be used on?
This floor cleaner is great for tile and laminate flooring.
This is unfortunately not good for wood floors. In larger quantities, vinegar can damage a wood floor’s seal. Instead, this article recommends using a combination of water and castile soap.
Inspired to “green” your other cleaning products? Check out my Homemade Cleaning Products!
I don’t have any white vinegar at the moment, can I use store brand ACV? It is without the mother.
Hi Erin – yes, it’s fine to sub ACV for white vinegar. They both make good cleaning agents!
This sounds great! I’m definitely going to try it! I’ve seen a variation of this, but it did not include Borax, which it sounds like I definitely need!
One question, if I may, the other mixtures that I’ve read include Dawn dish soap? Do you recommend, or have you tried this?
Hi Christina,
I don’t use dawn soap – this recipe should work fine without it. If you do try it with dawn soap though, let me know how it turns out!
How much vinegar to water bottle ratio would you use if you wanted to make some floor cleaner in a spray bottle??
I meant how much vinegar to water ratio lol
Is it o.k. to use water white vinegar and a little lemon essential oil in water to clean my laminate floors. thanks
Hi Shirley –
I use both on my laminate floors and haven’t had any issues 🙂
I don’t use borax, because I have a little kid. But I often use the rest of the ingredients and baking soda as well! It is really great because they are suitable for many kinds of surfaces. Sometimes I use only lemon juice and it helps too. Greets!
Thanks for sharing! Lemons are great for natural cleaning 🙂
I tried this tonight on my hardwood floors. I had been soaking lemon peels in vinegar for several weeks so I used that. Seems that it did a really great job!
Thanks for this recipe! Can you leave it prepared in a bottle and add to the water to clean the floor every time or loses the effects once mixed?
Thank you!
Hi Angels,
Yes, I imagine that would work just fine! I am actually going to have to try that 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
Andrea
What type of floors can this be used on? I have wood floors and waxed ceramic tile? Is it possible for you to include info on essential oils effect on waxed area?
Great question, Claris! The recipe above is for linolium or vinyl-type floors. If you’re cleaning wood floors, I would half the vinegar in the recipe and wring your mop out really well, so you don’t get your floors overly wet. Essential oils should be fine to use on the wood floors.
I am sorry, but I don’t have any experience with waxed ceramic tile, so I would hate to tell you something and be wrong! Maybe some other readers may have some insight??