Ever since my son started crawling, I have been a crazy, floor-cleaning lady. I seriously sweep and mop our kitchen and living room multiple times a day (especially now that my son is in a food throwing phase). Some people can’t stand chips in their nail polish--I can’t stand crumbs on my feet!
Because I’m cleaning my floors so often, and because my toddler frequently eats off of said floors, it is important to me that I use a safe and all-natural floor cleaning solution.
This 5-ingredient recipe is great for a once weekly disinfecting of your floors.
All Natural Floor Cleaner Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 c rubbing alcohol
- 1 c distilled white vinegar
- 10 drops orange essential oil
- 10 drops tea tree oil
- 1 teaspoon dish soap (optional)
- 1-2 gallons hot water
How to Use:
First, combine all of the ingredients in a large cleaning bucket.
Then dip your mop or cleaning cloth in the solution and use it to wash your hard floors.
Why This Recipe Works
The rubbing alcohol in this recipe makes this solution dry very quickly. A faster dry means a lower likelihood of streaks on surfaces like laminate or tile flooring.
Distilled white vinegar is an incredible cleaner and an effective disinfectant. Tea tree oil has antibacterial properties as well, so the combination makes for a powerful cleaning solution.
Orange essential oil adds a nice citrus scent. Lastly, dish soap is helpful when cutting through grease stains on kitchen floors.
Mop Options
Swiffer
If you are used to mopping your floors with a Swiffer, I recommend switching to reusable Swiffer mop pads. You can soak your mop pad in this cleaning solution then wring it out before attaching it to your swiffer and mopping your floors. Rinse it under clean water then repeat before moving to the next room.
Cuban Mop
I use a Cuban mop to clean the floors in my home. It’s like a sustainable alternative to a Swiffer! A Cuban mop is constructed from two wooden dowels fused together in a t-shape. Simply wrap a damp cleaning towel around the base and clean away.
Conventional Mop
You can absolutely use this cleaning solution with a traditional mop/bucket combination. Simply fill your cleaning bucket with the cleaning solution and mop your floors as you normally would.
Hands and Knees
If you are tackling a smaller space like a bathroom, I actually recommend mopping on hands and knees. Grab a cleaning towel and wipe those floors with your hands. This method ensures a more thorough cleaning in hard-to-mop places like corners and underneath cabinets.
Surfaces to Avoid
A quick word of caution before using this floor cleaning recipe. If you have natural stone floors (think materials like marble or travertine) you will want to avoid acidic cleaning ingredients. Vinegar falls into the acidic cleaning ingredient category!
If this is the case in your home, I recommend a simpler cleaning solution of ½ tablespoon of Sal Suds for every 3 gallons of hot water.
DIY Citrus All-Natural Floor Cleaner FAQ
Can I use this cleaner on any type of floors?
This DIY floor cleaner recipe is ideal for vinyl and faux wood floors. However, you may want to stick with an oil-based cleaner for real wood floors.
If you have natural stone floors (like marble or travertine) you will want to avoid acidic cleaning ingredients--and vinegar falls into the acidic cleaning ingredient category! Instead, I recommend a simpler cleaning solution of ½ tablespoon of Sal Suds for every 3 gallons of hot water.
Can you recommend a DIY floor cleaner with essential oils that can be used on all types of floors?
Yes, if you're hoping to use the same cleaner on multiple kinds of floors throughout the house, this pine-scented floor cleaner recipe may help you streamline your cleaning routine!
Can I omit the essential oils from this recipe?
Yes! While the tea tree oil has antibacterial properties--and the orange essential oil adds a nice citrus scent--the recipe will still work without the essential oils if you're concerned about pets coming into contact with the freshly cleaned floors.
What if I need something stronger to clean grimy or greasy floors?
You can still use this recipe for tough jobs--even on grease-stained floors. Just use less water and be sure to add in the optional dish soap, which will help cut tough grease.
All-Natural Floor Cleaner
Equipment
- Large bucket
Materials
- 1 cup rubbing alcohol
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 10 drops orange essential oil
- 10 drops tea tree essential oil
- 1 teaspoon dish soap optional
- 1-2 gallons very hot tap water
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a large bucket and use as needed.
- For tough jobs, use less water and add the dish soap, which will help cut tough grease.
Notes
Photos by Ana-Maria Stanciu
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