Homemade Floor Cleaner Recipe

I have a confession to make… well actually two! I’m a perfectionist who hates to clean house. How can that be right? It doesn’t even make sense! After years of self analyzing the best I can come up with is that if it can’t be perfect then I don’t want to do it at all. That can become more than a little overwhelming, especially with a family our size! Recently, I’ve been doing a lot of research on Living Green. The only problem with that when it comes to cleaners is many I have tried did not work nearly as well as the commercial cleaners. Not one to give up I’m still on a quest to find natural replacements. So, why not start with floor cleaner since the bathroom needs mopped anyway! : )

One night while spending hours looking at “just one more pin” I happened across a pin with this description “ONLY use this and it leaves floor spotless. (Heavy duty floor cleaner recipe: ¼ cup white vinegar 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap ¼ cup baking soda 2 gallons tap water , very warm.)”

Heavy duty spoke to me right away! As I’ve mentioned previously we are a large family! There are currently nine of us sharing the house. So you can imagine how quickly the dirt piles up!

I have to say I was doubtful. As I said I’ve tried natural cleaners in the past and they just weren’t all they were cracked up to be! I assembled my ingredients – only three simple basic ingredients in this cleaner by the way (okay four if you count the water), mixed it all up and began mopping the bathroom floor.

Homemade Floor Cleaner Recipe Ingredients - Yours And Mine Are Ours

I’m happy to report that I finally have found a natural floor cleaner that is as good as if not better than the commercial floor cleaners I’ve used in the past. It took very little effort on my part to clean the floor which is a huge plus and you can tell the floor has been mopped which is another bonus! Did I mention that our floors are white? Who does that? It was like that when we moved into the house!

Here’s the before and after pictures of the floor. My pictures leave a lot to be desired but I think you’ll get the idea.

BEFORE (yeah I know pretty embarrassing huh?)

Homemade Floor Cleaner Recipe Before Picture
AFTER
Homemade Floor Cleaner Recipe After Picture

Here’s the recipe in case you missed it above.

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup baking soda
1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
2 gallons hot tap water
Mix & mop. No rinsing needed.

Here is a link to the original recipe which calls for Washing Soda by the way, however baking soda worked great for me!

*Please note* I received feedback from one reader who stated that using the baking soda had left her floor streaked. She was going to try the washing soda however I did not hear feedback after.

http://www.food.com/recipe/floor-grease-cutter-cleaner-393210

~ Tammy

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About Tammy Northrup

Mother of five sons and one daughter, grandmother to two spunky girls and five of the sweetest boys ever, wife to a mostly amazing man .. okay he's all amazing most of the time, blogger, food lover and onion hater.

Comments

  1. I have migraines and sensitivity to chemicals so I'll definitely be giving this a shot. Thanks. Maggie Amada recently posted...Worrying About WorryingMy Profile
    • I hope it works as well for you as it did for me Maggie. Stop back by and let me know what you think.
      • I tried this "recipe" and the baking soda made a mess of my floors. I am now on my hands and knees rinsing for the 3rd time and wiping up the water trying to get rid of the baking soda streaks. I will stick with my steam mop.
        • I'm sorry that you had this experience but also find it odd since I personally have never had this issue. Was the water hot enough to thoroughly mix the ingredients? Did you make sure not to odd more than called for and add it to enough water?
        • I had the same experience today....washed all my floors and am still rinsing them to remove the streaks! I will never use this solution again :(
  2. Thanks for sharing this! I have been wanting to find a recipe for this and now I have found one I know works. Now if only I could find a good glass cleaner recipe I would be set.
  3. Oh goodie, I love I have a new natural cleaning recipe! I much prefer to make my own and am always willing to try something different! Thank you so much for sharing this tip at Saturday Share With Us! Hope you come back to share more this weekend! tanya recently posted...Samoa PopcornMy Profile
    • I hope you love it as much as I do Tanya! I hate mopping and this made it easy.. holy crap did I just say that about mopping? Thanks for having me at the Saturday Share. I can't wait to come by again this weekend.
  4. Vicki Blomquist says
    Here is how to change baking soda into washing soda http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/05/08/ttt-turn-baking-soda-into-washing-soda/
  5. Sandy Edenfield says
    Will this formula work on laminate floors?
    • Hi Sandy! I would think it would be fine however I would test a small area to see what you think and then go from there. Also, if you find that you have any streaking or residue once you're finished cleaning you can rinse with a solution of 1 cup vinegar to 1 gallon hot water.
  6. Casey Cove says
    I have tried everything you can buy, we rent and they use industrial tile (which is fine if you can strip and wax it every month with a big machine) but not so great for a family of three little kids. A little research later, I gave this recipe a try. OMG! First I don't think this floor has ever looked so bright and clean! Second, my usual have to soak and scrub under the littles chairs, forgotten! Most wiped off on the first try! It even took out a rust stain that was here when we moved in 4 years ago. (After washing twice a week i had given up on scrubbing it, now gone!) Only thing I may change is use a little less dish soap, I liked the smell, but it seemed to suds up more than it needs to.
  7. Janice S says
    This looks great! 2 gallons of hot tap water is a lot. Will the solution keep for later use or should I cut the recipe down? I.E Will this still get my floors clean once the water cools down?
    • I would cut the recipe down Janice if you think you don't need that much however I know my water did not stay hot the entire time I mopped and it still worked great! :)
  8. Made with washing soda, then with baking soda. Did not clean any better than using just hot water, even with a scrub brush. We have a white-ish linoleum and I've yet to find a single thing other than comet and boiling water that works. :(
    • I'm sorry it didn't work that well for you Cheryl. Our linoleum is white as well and for me it did an awesome job. It also made the job easier in general as I didn't have to spend a ton of time scrubbing.
  9. Jennifer Turnbull says
    I have just used this recipe to do all my floors and that includes my laminate floors. It was brilliant on all of them. Also when I finished mopping the bathroom floor I poured the remaining water down the toilet and let it sit for an hpour and it had cleaned that as well! Thanks for great recipe, just wish I could buy larger containers of white vinegar as I use it for cleaning all the time. :-)
    • Don't Panic says
      You can buy gallons of white vinegar at Walmart or other grocery stores. They don't keep it with the rest of the vinegar though. Usually it's with the "bulk foods" like huge cans of tomato sauce, etc. They should just put those over in the cleaning aisle where they belong!
  10. This recipe cleaned well enough BUT, It is in no way a non rinse floor cleaner. I left my Kitchen and bathroom floors STICKY yuk....
  11. Thanks for the recipe. I first used soda crystals, which I think is washing soda (I'm in the UK) and it left my tiles very chalky and took me four attempts to clean it off with boiling water and a wipe over with straight white vinegar. I did change this to baking soda (bicarbonate of soda in the UK) and it worked a treat, first time! I'll think I will take a trip to Costco to buy in bulk and I can see myself using this everyday. thanks ;)
  12. I tried this and I loved it...not only did my floors look great but my hands were super soft also :)
  13. I love this, ran out of floor cleaner and this worked perfectly. Thought it smell like vinegar, it didnt, thought it was gonna leave a film it didn't, I don't think I'll be buying pine sol anymore
  14. WAITING FOR THE FLOOR TO DRY TO SEE HOW IT DID. WE HAVE OFF WHITE KIND OF CRAGGY LINOLEUM WHICH JUST HOLDS ONTO DIRT. HOPE THIS WORKS...
  15. Just had to say, I made this to mop my floor but decided to put it in a spray bottle as well and I have cleaned my entire house. INCLUDING the windows and NO STREAKS! Just sprayed it on the windows AND mirrors and wiped clean with a microfiber cloth that I also soaked in the solution and wrung it as dry as I could. When the glass dries, NO STREAKS! This will be my entire home cleaning solution. I put a cup of W.V and a cup of BS in the washer and washed all my towels and wash cloths along with regular detergent(I ran out of $ for the month and went to dollar tree and bought LA's totally awesome laundry detergent. I just put them in the dryer and they smelled so clean even wet..which all my towels/wash cloths had gotten an odor when wet...now it's gone! Will use this to freshen all my linens from now on! Thanks so much! And I don't even have to mask my house odor with febreeze...It smells clean! Will use this to wash the walls next week also! This is going to save me so much money. I also cleaned the bathroom toilet..I cleaned the tub last week, so I will clean that again next week...WITH a stronger solution of this for that ring...but yeah....I'm in LOVE!
    • I'm so happy to hear that it worked so well for you. I have never tried it on anything beyond the floor but will definitely be testing it now. Thanks for the feedback! : ) Also, I have a great recipe for homemade laundry soap that works great and is super cheap! You should give it a try - https://yoursandmineareours.com/homemade-laundry-soap-recipe/
  16. I used this recipe for the first time today and I loved it. I also put some in a spray bottle and did my appliances with it. I was really happy with the results. I will be using this as my all purpose cleaner from now on. Thanks for posting. Claire
  17. Great recipe! I added a few drops of grapefruit essential oil - and now my my house smells wonderful and is sparkling clean!
  18. I just tried this on my ceramic tile floors and bamboo floors. It worked perfectly! Thank you for sharing.
  19. http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/05/08/ttt-turn-baking-soda-into-washing-soda/
  20. I just used this today for the first time on my hardwood floors, and loved it! I used plain baking soda in mine instead of washing soda like I have seen in a similar recipe. So far no conplaints.
    • You used this on your hardwood floors and it did not effect the finish? I was told to only use water or vinegar and water but it has been over 10 years now and I think it needs more. We have a Swedish finish on our floors. Just curious how it works.
  21. I used this recipe for the first time and loved it! But baking soda left a film for me, not sure if its the crappy floors in this place we are renting or what, but with washing soda it works awesome on my floors! Thank you so much for this! :)
  22. Love it! Just tried it and sad to say it scrubbed my floors so well the water was filthy. Looked like i havent washed my floors in a month! I did add essential oils for scent My floors look clean and hour smells eucalyptus minty! Awesome! Natural and cheap!
  23. Thank you for this easy and quick cleaning solution. It worked beautifully on the bathroom ceramic tiles!!! I found that my laminate floors dried "dull." However, after a good "buffing" with a soft cloth perked them back up. Per your update, I've ordered some "washing soda" to see if that will do the trick. I will certainly be cleaning my floors more often, thanks to your budget friendly "recipe." Jax recently posted...Easy Way to Make Room for the New - Clean Out Your Address BookMy Profile
    • I'm so glad that it worked well for you Jax. Another reader shared a link to a way to make your own Washing Soda. I haven't tried it but here is the link in case you want to try it out: http://naturesnurtureblog.com/2012/05/08/ttt-turn-baking-soda-into-washing-soda/.
  24. I actually did this last night and it did clean very well, BUT one thing I have noticed is if water is dripped on the floor and you accidentally step it and walk around it's EXTREMELY sticky, I did just like the directions said but I'm thinking I'm going to have to rinse it completely and do something else. Last night I was cleaning out my dishwasher and some water got on the floor and i stepped in not realizing and I had to completely dry my foot or I was going to be permanently stuck to the kitchen floor lol.
  25. Can this be mixed up well in advance or will it not be as potent?
  26. I tried it...my only issue was too many suds. I added another gallon of water, and that helped. I'm just wondering if there's a slight soap residue that is going to attract dirt...but for right now, my floors look great! Thanks:] I think I'll try less liquid soap next time...
    • I think with so many different types of flooring it's necessary sometimes to tweak to what works best for yours. I personally didn't have any issues with too much sudsing or a soap residue.
  27. Thank you for posting this! I am a pet owner and I'm always concerned that using chemical cleaners on my floors can be dangerous to my cats (getting it all over their feet and then licking it off) and I have heard that some cleaners can cause liver failure and other ailments to animals. This is a great solution that is safe for my furry friends AND leaves my floors sparkling! Thank you!
  28. Christine says
    Used this just now (with washing soda) and it was awesome! Thank you very much :)
  29. Becca jones says
    I love this! Have to try it soon! I use dish soap and vinegar to clean my bathroom & it works wonders!
  30. Stephanie says
    Does anyone have any experience on whether this recipe affects hardwood when used over a long period of time (ie: months to years)?
  31. Adam Hoover says
    Hey just used this because I ran out of cleaner and it worked great. I added some lavender essential oil and my house smells wonderful as well no vinegar smell. Thanks
  32. Oops! put in too much soap. i doubled the recipe in my head on the way upstairs from the computer and thought the original amount of soap was 2 T instead of 1. I ended up using 4T and it is really soappy. I will have to go over with regular hot water!
  33. Dorri Siler says
    Thank you so much for this floor cleaner recipe. I got a free day and decided to do the big cleaning, then realized I was out of floor cleaner. I didn't want to leave to the store so I hit Ask.com which led me to your site and this floor cleaner.....OMG !! It was easy and worked better than the expensive stuff I've been using for years. I have white linoleum and white tile and this cleaned it very well, left no residue or streaks and no odor whatsoever. I'm so glad I found your site and will be sharing this with everybody I know !! Thanks Again.
  34. This recipe is awesome! Next time I'll cut it in half. With 4 dogs, I needed something that was not going to have any chemicals that could hurt them as well as no fumes for my bird. OMG. Let me say that again....O.M.G. Let's add an awesome in there too! The floors are amazing! I just tried it in the dining room, kitchen and dog eating area and there are no streaks, looks shiny and no fumes! Now, to do the rest of the house since it's all tiled! Can you see me with my happy face?? Woohoo! Thank you so much!!!!!!
  35. Unless you make your own dish soap, this recipe may contain chemicals too, just more benign ones...
  36. I saw this pin on Pinterest too and used it religiously. We have older pets so there are plenty of accidents to clean up. I have never had a problem with streaking like one of your readers said. It's a cheaper and safer alternative to store-bought cleaners. My guy won't let me use it when he's home though because the vinegar smell drives him crazy. I suppose you could add essential oils if the smell bothers you. I recommend this recipe to everyone I know. It's awesome!
  37. For me the reason for switching to more natural cleaners has been dual. Have developed a chemical sensitivity with eczema developing on my hands. And also feel the need to simplify and become more frugal due to inflation and the economy. Let me just say that I never knew that simple ingredients like vinegar and baking soda had so many wonderful uses. I used this cleaner today on my white ceramic tile floors and love it! That's one less product for me to buy at the grocery store. Thanks!
  38. Thanks so much for sharing this post, Tammy. I just tried this "product" and, as with so many others, it worked great! I was a bit skeptical, particularly part way through when the bucket water was getting so dirty that I thought there NO WAY it was going to be able to clean the rest of the area AND the bathroom as well... I am SO HAPPY to be wrong!!! That being said, I think I'm going to put this mopping as part of a semi-weekly cleaning regime because my little guy (4 yo) and big guy (hubby) seem to track in a lot of grime. Yuck. However, this cleaning recipe (I did a half size due to the size of my bucket, which worked perfectly fine) is so simple I could use it every day, if I had the time (which I don't). Thanks again!
  39. I just tried this cleaner and it works great! I will use a little less dish soap next time - but I love not having chemical smells and a really clean floor!
  40. This cleaner does work, but why add washing or baking soda and then neutralise it with the vinegar?? The reason it works is the water (sometimes called the universal solvent by chemistry types) and the detergent. Have a look at this for more info: http://www.crunchybetty.com/diy-101-baking-soda-vinegar-not-so-much
    • I read the information that you linked Andrew. The best that I can come up with is because you use this immediately upon preparing it therefore it doesn't sit and neutralize.
  41. OMG!! You are ME! I hate cleaning but I hate my house messy/unclean and I hate using chemicals. So if I don't have time to do it right I don't do it - and then I HATE my house and myself for not cleaning! Thank you for this recipe - I am about to do my floors ..... PERFECTLY!! ;)
  42. This stuff really worked great! I have 10 year old floors that are yellowed and dingy and I never thought they could shine, but after this, they are shining! I was so pleased! I can't afford to replace the linoleum, so I'm really happy I found this. At least it can look clean!
  43. Just tried this-- worked wonderfully. I usually use Murphy's Oil Soap since we have mostly hardwood, but the kitchen's tile and the oil soap makes it tacky-- this recipe did great.
  44. Just used this....worked really well!
  45. Thank you so much for this floor cleaner. I live in a housing complex where the tile floors are filthy. Many of the tenants refuse to keep the floors clean and when they move out, the floors don't get a thorough cleaning. So you can imagine how dirty and grimy the floors are. The only floor cleaners that clean and brighten my tile flooring are the homemade cleaners. I remember writing this one in my "cleaning notebook" months ago. Well, last week I noticed I had spilled some grease on my kitchen floor. I have no idea how it got there, I swear. I search through my notebook I saw your homemade cleaner and decided to give it a try. WOWSA!!! My kitchen floor was clean, bright, and did I mention clean and bright! I really couldn't believe that these simple ingredients together equaled a dirt buster of a cleaner. I will ALWAYS AND FOREVER use this to mop all of my tile floors.
  46. hi i have a quick question, what happens if you dont have baking soda or washing soda?? what can i use then??
  47. Hi there. I just used this in my laminate floored bedroom. I have a senior diabetic shepherd that has bladder problems, but we love her unconditionally and suffer through it with her no matter the frustration. Because of the combination of the laminate and the sugar in her accidents, it's been a tough battle to keep the floor clean. Anyways, I've been searching for cleaners that won't leave my floor so darn sticky after, yet actually clean without a gallon of perfume! I made a half batch of this and added orange oil, and it felt really great when I was using it!! I did use less dish soap and don't have a good rinsing mop, so it is a *little* bit dull after, but it is NOT sticky OR perfume-overload! I wonder if they are using too strong of a dish soap or not rinsing properly, but I think putting a tiny bit of vinegar in the rinse and going over with a steam mop after is the best idea.
  48. I have been wanting to try a natural floor cleaner for a long time, but have had a hard time finding one that works for me and my floors. I gave this recipe a try and am amazed at how well it actually cleaned my floors, I will never use anything else on my floors again. When it comes to the floor around the appliances, my couch and my door frames I've always had to scrub those areas with a toothbrush and still couldn't get it all. Well today I just ran my mop over and around those areas and had to scrub just a bit and all the dirtiness and gunk is gone. I cant say thank you enough for this fantastic recipe.
  49. Hey.. been doing this since i was a young girl (instructions from my gramma).. however she always had us rince/wipe down after with a clean mop in a solution of water and vinegar..she said it made the floor feel silky.. so i do that to this day.
  50. Hi Tammy. I use a very similar recipe to clean my wood floors too! I also use vinegar and baking soda to clean my tile flooring. I love having an all natural solution.
  51. My favorite floor cleaner. Thanx so much for sharing.

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