You don’t always have to buy floor cleaner. In fact, there are some really safe and effective floor cleaners that you can make in the comfort of your house. Using a handful of common items that you find in your kitchen, you can make floor cleaning solutions that will leave your floors sparkling.
Floors often get dirty. Whether it is the spill or stain, you need the right stuff to counter the mess and take care of it quickly. We have for you a DIY guide on floor cleaners that will help you concoct the best homemade solutions to clean your floors.
The stuff that you can buy in supermarkets is usually tested on animals, which is why so many people opt to simply resort to homemade solutions. Many vegans opt for homemade solutions to floor cleaners. Plus, if you have a newborn baby in the house and would like the safety of knowing that you aren’t using any harmful chemicals, homemade floor cleaning solutions are definitely the way to go.
Hence without further adieu, let’s dive into the various recipes that you can formulate at home to help you clean the floors.
The Various Components of Homemade Floor Cleaner
When you are making a homemade floor cleaning solution, you have to mix the various components together and concoct something that will wipe away stains and leave behind a clean floor. It is important that you understand the various components of the floor cleaning solution, so you have a better idea of what to include in your floor cleaning mix.
The first thing that is the obvious is water. Water is an essential part of any floor cleaning solution and works to dilute the harsher cleaning agents that you use. It is the base of any solution that you prepare and some recipes even require you to use distilled water for increased longevity of the cleaner.
Once you have the base in place, you need to add the cleaning agent. One of the most common cleaning agents that you find at home is vinegar. Vinegar is acidic which means it works to dissolve dirt and grime that is built up on your floors. Though vinegar works well to clean floors, it isn’t suitable for all types of floors. The acidity of vinegar works to erode natural stone flooring and can cause discolouration. We will discuss what you can use for stone floors further down this article.
Another common ingredient that is used to make floor cleaning solutions is baking soda. Baking soda is mildly alkaline which also works well to remove grease and dirt from the floor. It is combined with water to make a solution. If you are working with stubborn dirt that is harder to clean, you would want to use partially dissolved baking soda which works to remove harder dirt spots with ease. As an added bonus, baking soda is an effective natural deodoriser.
Borax is another alkali that works to cut grease and oil. It is perfect for oil spills in the garage and is considered a common cleaning supply. Though Borax was famously used in the past to clean floors, it has recently lost traction due to more popular brands of floor cleaners. That being the case, it is most certainly an effective means to attain clean floors and has been seen to make a come back in recent years. The powdered form of Borax is very versatile. You can make sprays, pastes or even scrubs using it.
Ammonia is another component that you can use in your homemade floor cleaner and is one of the toughest ingredients available. It works to shine your floors and clean all grease and grime. In fact, ammonia is so potent that you have to be careful when you are using it. You should wear gloves to protect your hands. As a word of warning, never mix ammonia with chlorine bleach, for it works to produce chlorine gas, which is dangerous.
Alcohol is the next on the list and works really well as a disinfectant. Rubbing alcohol in particular, also known as isopropyl alcohol works to increase the evaporation rate of the solution after mopping, thereby preventing any water damage caused by standing liquid on the floors.
Dish soap also works as a mild cleaner which has a neutral pH. You can mix it with water to clean rubber, tile and more surfaces. However, when you are cleaning your floors with dish soap, you want to ensure that you are using something that doesn’t contain bleach, oils or moisturisers. These agents could work to cause unintended effects on the floors.
Olive oil works really well as a wood polish. It works to naturally hydrate the wood without leaving behind any unpleasant film. Hence if you are working on wooden floors, olive oil can be a great addition to your floor cleaning solutions.
The slightly acidic lemon juice also works to clean away grease and hard water stains. The fresh smell of lemon juice is an added bonus. Lemon juice works really well on porcelain and ceramic tile floors, however should not be used in floors that can be damaged by acidity, such as stone floors.
Cleaning solutions tend you have unpleasant smells. So what is the point of clean floors if you can’t stand the smell afterwards? Enter, essential oils. Adding essential oils to your floor cleaning solutions makes the cleaning solutions fragrant, which works to cover up any harsh smells on the floor or around the house. With essential oils, you can ensure that your floor smells as good as they look.
These are the basic components of homemade floor cleaning solutions. You can mix and include these ingredients based on the type of floor that you are working with.
Before we go further in-depth into what solution works best for what type of floor, let’s get a better idea of homemade floor cleaner recipes.
Homemade Floor Cleaner Recipes
To understand better what type of concoctions work best together, here is a list of homemade floor cleaner recipes based on various requirements.
Homemade All-Purpose Floor Cleaner
This floor cleaner will work on almost all types of floors whether it is hardwood, laminate, vinyl, linoleum or tile. Since the all-purpose floor cleaner is acidic, it doesn’t work well on stone, marble or granite floors.
The solution is a powerful combination of ingredients that works to cut through grime and leaves behind a beautiful shine to the floor.
To make the all-purpose floor cleaner, you will need to mix
- 2 cups of warm water
- 1/2 cup of white vinegar
- 1/4 cup of rubbing alcohol
- 3 drops of liquid dish soap (without any contain antibacterial ingredients, moisturisers, oils or bleach)
- 5-10 drops of essential oil for fragrance
Combine the ingredients in a large bowl or bucket and use the solution to mop the floors. On vinyl floors, you can use a spray bottle to spray the floors before wiping it down with a mop.
This combination works really well to remove various stains and will leave your floors smelling amazing.
Remember, do not use any dish soap that contains oils as it will end up leaving smears and streaks on your floor, which you will have to clean again.
Homemade Disinfectant Floor Cleaner
If you need deep cleaning and proper disinfecting for your floors, you can use this combination for the best results. It works really well for bathroom floors which often require disinfecting.
The recipe relies on Borax which you should be able to purchase at the local grocery store. To make the concoction, simply mix
- 1 gallon of hot water
- 1/4 cup Borax
Make sure to stir thoroughly. Once the solution is ready, simply use a mop to wipe the floors using the solution.
Borax works really well to clean gross messes on various surfaces. You can use it on your granite and marble tile floors. It will also work to give your tiles a good shine once cleaned.
Homemade Floor Vinegar Floor Cleaner
Vinegar is a very versatile ingredient that works as well in cleaning as it does in cooking. It works really well to clean a variety of floors. Since it is acidic, it should not be used on stone floors since it could cause the stone tile to erode.
Vinegar is strong enough to remove dirt and grime and works to not damage the finish of floors (expect stone floors.) It works well on tile and porcelain. You can make the vinegar more effective by simply adding a bit of baking soda and dish soap. That way, it will have an added boost of cleaning agents, which will work to beautifully clean your floors.
To make the homemade vinegar floor cleaner, mix
- 1/2 cup of warm water
- 1/2 cup of liquid dish soap with no additives
- 1 and 2/3 cups of baking soda
- 2 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar
This is the best combination to use to clean tile floors with. You should add the ingredients together and stir them well until all the clumps are properly dissolved. You can then pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the floors before wiping it down with a mop. You should rinse the floor with clean water to prevent any streaks which may be left behind.
The combination of ingredients in this floor cleaner not only works to clean your floors but also gives them a beautiful shine. You can use the mixture for various other cleaning purposes, not just your floors. You can clean the toilet with it, the shower or even painted walls. It even works to remove stains from carpets or mattresses.
Homemade Floor Cleaning Spray
Floor cleaning sprays can be a great way to clean vinyl and laminate surfaces. You can make the spray and use it when necessary to clean the floors.
In order to make the homemade floor cleaning spray, mix,
- 16 drops of orange essential oil
- 4 ounces isopropyl alcohol
- 8 ounces vinegar
- 6 drops of plain liquid dish soap with no additives
- 32 ounces of water
Mix the ingredients thoroughly and use a spray bottle to spray the surface of the floors before wiping it down with a mop. You can allow the surface to air dry after or even use a dry mop to dry it faster.
Homemade Floor Cleaners For Different Types of Floors
Different floors require different floor cleaning solutions. What works for ceramic doesn’t work for stone and you need something specific to remove the stains from the carpet.
Here is a breakdown of what the best homemade floor cleaners are for the various types of floors.
Homemade Floor Cleaner For Laminate Floors
Laminate floors are probably the easiest to take care of. Occasionally, you may find a mess on the floor that needs to be cleaned up using a more powerful cleaning agent.
If you use the wrong combination of floor cleaning solutions, you could end up damaging the finish of the floors. Hence when dealing with laminate floors, you should be careful to use the right combination of ingredients.
This homemade laminate floor cleaner works to clean the floors really well without damaging them.
To make the solution, mix,
- 2 cups of hot water
- 2 cups of vinegar
- 5-10 drops of essential oil
You can use a bucket or a spray bottle, just make sure to mix the ingredients well. Simply soak the mop in the solution and mop the laminate floors with the solution. There is no need to rinse the floors afterwards.
Otherwise, you can use the spray bottle to spray the floors with the solution which can then be wiped down with a mop. Make sure to rinse the mop often since it can get dirty based on your floors.
With this solution, you can easily store any unused solution. The solution also works well on walls. Simply clean any dirty walls using the solution and a sponge.
Homemade Floor Cleaner For Wooden Floors
If your wooden floors look like they need a proper cleaning, you can use this homemade floor cleaner to give it a good cleaning, leaving behind nicely polished wood. It works really well to polish wooden floors and gives it a beautiful natural sheen.
To make the homemade wooden floor cleaner, simply mix,
- 1 gallon of hot water
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup lemon juice
Mix the ingredients well and use a mop to simply apply the solutions to the floors and allow the solution to dry.
The lemon juice works to clean the floors while the olive oil provides a good polish. You won’t have to rinse the floors once finished. The naturally air-dried floor will look amazing and not to mention will be nice and clean.
Homemade Floor Cleaner For Tile Floors
Porcelain and ceramic tiles are easy to clean since they are waterproof. Hence, they are not prone to absorbing stains. You should use an all-purpose cleaner to clean tiles with.
To make a homemade tile floor cleaner, simply mix,
- 2 gallons of warm water
- 1/4 cup of white vinegar
- 1/4 cup of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of dish soap (without bleach, oils or moisturiser)
This combination works well on tile with a moderate mess. However, if you are trying to remove stubborn stains on your tiles and would like a deeper clean, use this combination instead.
- 1 gallon of water water
- 3/4 cup of white vinegar
- 1 cup of baking soda
- 1 cup of ammonia
This combination will work on the toughest of stains and will leave your tiles looking shiny and clean.
However do note, these solutions are only to be used on porcelain and ceramic tile and should not be used on natural stone tile. For stone, please refer further below where we discuss what homemade solution works best on stone floors.
Homemade Floor Cleaner For Vinyl Floors
Harsh chemicals do not work well on vinyl floors. You require something that is non-abrasive and gently cleans the floor without damaging it.
You can use this homemade recipe for cleaning vinyl floors. Simply mix,
- 2 gallons of warm water
- 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol
- 1/2 of white vinegar
- 1/8 tablespoons of dish soap (without bleach, oils or moisturiser)
You can use this mixture to thoroughly mop the floors. Though some vinyl floors are waterproof, it is a good idea to simply dry the floors afterwards and not allow the water to sit on the floor for too long.
Homemade Floor Cleaner For Stone Floors
You have to be careful when dealing with natural stone floors. The porous nature of natural stone tile can lead to the cleaner being soaked up, resulting in discolouration. Hence, you have to ensure that you are using a pH neutral cleaning solution with no acid and no bleach.
You can try using this homemade stone floor cleaner. Simply mix,
- 1 and 1/2 cups of warm water
- 1/2 cup of rubbing alcohol
- 1/2 tablespoons of dish soap (without bleach, oils and moisturisers)
- 5-10 drops of essential oil
First, you should ensure to check the solution on a small area of the floor. A low-visibility area of the floor would be best. This will enable you to ensure that the solution that you are using doesn’t cause any discolouration. You want to ensure that the tile or the grout sealant isn’t damaged in any way.
Homemade Floor Cleaner for Rubber Floors
Rubber floors such as in a home gym will need to be cleaned periodically for hygiene reasons. It will also work to remove any smells that may be originating from the floors.
You can use this solution to clean your rubber floors. Simply mix,
- 1 gallon of warm water
- 1 cup of dish soap (without bleach, oils or moisturisers)
- 5 to 10 drops of essential oil
To properly clean the rubber flooring, you may have to clean the floors a few times using the solution. Simply mop the floors with the solutions and allow the room to air out. It will work to remove any smells that may be originating from the floors.
Homemade Floor Cleaner for Carpet Floors
Vacuuming is the best way to clean carpet and keep it clean. However, if you have any spills or stains on your carpet, you would require some extra help to clean it properly. You don’t want to have to rent out a carpet cleaner to remove those stains. You can first try this homemade solution, which could work wonders for you.
Simply mix,
- 1 cup of water water
- 1/8 tablespoons of dish soap (without bleach, oils or moisturisers)
- 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of baking soda
You should use a spray bottle to spray the solution on the small area where you want to clean and give it a good scrub. You can scrub with a clean towel and simply dab the remaining moisture with a second clean towel.
Homemade Floor Cleaner Solutions
As you may have noticed, almost all the solutions that we mentioned within this guide use similar and overlapping ingredients. Some ingredients work better on some floors, while some floors are best cleaned without certain ingredients.
Regardless of what type of floor that you are dealing with, you should be able to make homemade floor cleaning solutions to clean the floors and give them a nice finish.
We aimed to provide you with an insightful guide that covers all the basics and provides you with the information that you require to make these homemade cleaning solutions with ease.
We hope you found this guide useful and that reading it word to word has helped you with your cleaning pursuits.
Happy Cleaning!
