Mopping is easy with one of these homemade cleaners
It can be difficult to get your dirty floors really clean without having to use chemicals. And you don’t want to use a mopping solution that’ll leave a residue behind.
But with our guide, you can clean your dirty floors using everyday household ingredients. They won’t cost you a fortune and the recipes are simple to follow.
We’ll detail 4 easy homemade mopping solutions. You’ll see exactly what they’re made of, what floor types they’re compatible with, and how to make them.
Warning!
We’ve listed below what types of flooring the different homemade mopping solutions are compatible with. This is based on recommendations from industry experts.
But, it’s always best to check with the manufacturer directly before using your homemade mopping solution. Otherwise, you might use an unsuitable cleaner and void your warranty!
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Read on to discover the homemade mopping solution that’s best for your household.
1.White Vinegar
Clear white vinegar contains acetic acid, which can act as a natural and all-purpose cleaning product. So when mixed with water, it’s a great homemade mopping solution.
We often use white vinegar for general household cleaning – it’s fine as long as your worktop or floor surface can tolerate strong, acidic solutions.
Despite its use as a natural disinfectant in cleaning around the house, the packaging of white vinegar can’t claim that it’s a disinfectant. This is because it’s not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
And, you’ll know that vinegar has a sharp odor. But, this usually disappears very quickly once you’ve applied it.
Plus, it doesn’t leave a sticky residue behind and it’ll leave your flooring clean and streak free. Therefore, it’s ideal to use in homemade mopping solutions.
Finally, lots of websites recommend using apple cider vinegar. But unlike white vinegar, apple cider vinegar has a dark color that can stain fabrics and surfaces (1). So we recommend you stick to the traditional white vinegar.
Floor Compatibility
Think about what floor type or surfaces you have to clean. Vinegar won’t be suitable as a floor cleaner for all surfaces.
You can use a vinegar solution to clean:
But don’t use vinegar as a mopping solution for:
- Vinyl Floors
- Tile floors
- Hardwood floors
- Concrete floors
- Linoleum
- Stone floors made of marble, limestone, travertine or onyx.
Recipe
- Mix 1 part white vinegar to 3 parts water in a spray bottle.
- Mix in 5 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oils or lemon juice if you want to mask the harsh vinegar odor.
- Add a few drops of dish soap if you have very dirty floors.
2. Dish Soap
Dish soap is a detergent – a chemical substance that’s designed to break down and remove grime and grease.
Detergents contain surfactants or “surface active agents”. These ingredients help a detergent to loosen the dirt found in stains by bonding the water to the dirt so it can break it up and then wash it away.
So dish soap is a great floor cleaner. And, it has a neutral pH so a lot of flooring manufacturers recommend that you use it as a mopping solution.
Make sure that you dilute it with water as directed, otherwise, you might be left with a sticky film afterward. Plus, rinse your entire floor well after you’ve used dish soap to clean.
Floor Compatibility
Dish soap is compatible with most floors. But, there are some types of flooring that you shouldn’t use this type of cleaner to mop.
You can use dish soap as a homemade mop solution to clean
But don’t use it to clean:
- Laminate flooring
- Wood floors
Recipe
- Mix ¼ of a teaspoon of dish soap with 1 cup of warm water.
- For better results, add a cup of white vinegar. This is especially effective for mopping vinyl and stone floors that are compatible with vinegar use.
3. Ammonia
Ammonia is a strong, colorless gas that can be dissolved in plain water. It’s then called liquid ammonia.
It’s added to many household and commercial cleaning products. This is because ammonia boosts the alkalinity and ability of these cleaners to cut through greasy stains.
An ammonia cleaning solution has a very strong and harsh odor, which can be overpowering. But it’ll dry clear and shouldn’t leave any streaks.
You’ll also find ammonia in a glass or window cleaner, and products used to clean shiny surfaces (like a wax cleaner).
But, be careful when using an ammonia solution. Too much of it might damage or ruin certain floor surfaces.
Floor Compatibility
Again, you need to make sure that ammonia is a suitable mopping solution recipe for your particular floor types.
It’s suitable for:
But you can’t use ammonia on:
- Tile floors
- Concrete floors
- Hardwood flooring
- Or linoleum
Recipe
- Mix 1 part ammonia to 3 parts clean water.
4. Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol contains a colorless liquid with a fruity smell called isopropyl alcohol.
In the cleaning industry, this alcohol is used as a “volatile” solvent. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that the solvent is explosive!
It actually means that the solvent is good at evaporating without leaving a residue behind. So rubbing alcohol is ideal to use in a homemade floor cleaner – you’ll be left with clear floors.
Solvents are also great at dissolving grease and oily dirt marks. So they’re ideal for mopping floors that have oil-based stains.
Plus, isopropyl alcohol acts as a disinfectant to sanitize your flooring. And you don’t need to rinse afterward – but if you like, you can use hot water to rinse and then leave to air dry.
Floor Compatibility
Check that rubbing alcohol is safe to use on your floor types.
It’s fine to use it as a DIY mopping solution on a
Caution
Recipe
- For a mopping solution for areas that aren’t too soiled, use a mixture of rubbing alcohol and distilled water. This should be 1 part alcohol to 2 parts water.
- For flooring that has more stubborn stains, use a mixture with a higher concentration of rubbing alcohol and distilled water.
Related Reading: How to Clean a Floor the Right Way With Mopping
