My grandmother would hum while she swept.
“You are my *swish*shine … my only *swish*shine …”
Her fragile alto voice would tremble a little at the high notes, but she always managed to cover it perfectly with a swish. She was fluid peacefulness with a broom was in her hand.
I love to sweep.
I love to sweep and hum and pretend that, somewhere, somehow, she smiles down and infuses her bouts of cleaning tranquility to me when I hit the high note on “*swish*shine.”
Much to her chagrin, I’m sure (looking down or around or however she looks at me now), instead of becoming a nurse or a teacher or some other respectable woman-laborer, I chose the jagged path full of odd jobs – sometimes fancy, sometimes not.
Like, for instance, I used to clean puke off of bathroom floors.
By that, I mean I was a bartender.
Briefly. 6 months.
I still bet I’ve cleaned more strangers’ puke than all of you put together.
After the last last call was called (yes, I mean that), I faced a huge bucket full of bleach, a hose, and a mop head the size of a poodle (not miniature). Also squeegees. And more bleach. And a face mask.
I hate to mop.
Even my laminate floors that need it so very often. Even in a zen-like state after sweeping. I hate to mop.
PTVLRSACD (Post-traumatic vodka-laced regurgitated spaghetti and cherries disorder).
But I do it anyway. Every so often. And when I do, I’m always amazed at how little I suffer from it and how beautifully shiny and clean laminate floors can be with just two ingredients.
DIY Laminate Floor Cleaner
For a super long time, I thought you couldn’t clean floors without buying something in a bottle that said “for laminate!” or “for wood!” or “for Grecian tiling in front of an infinity pool!”
OMG, can I tell you people just how incredibly fooled these cleaning companies have us? Like … completely, utterly hoodwinked.
I’ve tried everything on laminate. Everything. From decidedly dangerous chemical-laden discount store cleaners to Method to Bona to anything in between.
And nothing – NOTHING – gets my laminate floors cleaner, more streak-free, and shinier than water and vinegar!
To make my point today, I pulled out a bottle of Method that the previous tenant here had left behind (thinking I was too lazy to mix together water and vinegar). I mopped the floor with it and was left with residue. And then, in two hours, noticeable footprints.
Footprinty residue.
So I pulled out my spray bottle, filled it half-and-half with hot water and vinegar, rinsed my handy Bona mophead (I still like that part) and went to town on the floor again.
Result? Clean floor. Shiny. Glinty, even.
No residue.
No footprints thus far.
Happy Betty.
How to Clean Your Laminate Floors with Vinegar and Water
You have two options. My way or the highway involving a bottle and a couple of trips to the sink, or the old-fashioned way with a mop and a bucket.
Either way, all you do is:
- Mix together equal parts hot water and vinegar
- Mop your floors (make sure you’ve swept well first)
I’ve seen recipes in the past recommend putting a few drops of dish soap in there with the mix, but I’ve never felt the need for that (and think it may contribute to residue, honestly). When there’s a patch of gunky dirt, I just use more elbow grease – and it comes off easily. No problems.
Like I said, you can either use the bucket method (where you tote it around with you), or use a spray bottle to spray some vinegar/water solution ahead of your mop and then rinse the mop head a few times in the sink when it gets dirty.
If you hate the smell of vinegar (as a few of you have mentioned over the months), there’s not much I can offer to completely rid yourself of it at first, but the smell goes away within minutes and the shine lasts for weeks. However, you could try putting a few drops of peppermint, lemon, or eucalyptus essential oil in the mixture and see if that helps cut the early vinegar smell.
And that’s it. Really.
It doesn’t take your sunshine away (see above picture).
How Do You Clean Your Floors?
But wait!
I know what you’re thinking!
“How do I clean my hardwood floors?” To that, I say, “You must buff it to a blinding shine with the hair from a bunny’s tail on the day after a new moon when the wind is from the SSW and Dan Rather is asleep.”
Just kidding.
Honestly, I don’t have any first-hand experience cleaning hardwood floors the crunchy way. I can give you second-hand recommendations, but I’d rather leave the tip-giving to those of you who have experience with cleaning hardwood floors in a crunchy fashion.
So what DO you use?
On hardwood? On laminate? On carpet stains, even?
How do you clean your floors (especially the crunchy way)?
Crunchy Betty Honey Challenge – The Finale & Party!
My floor is a play ground for my kids and pets. Tired of being cleaning their mess. Your post may help me to reduce some of my hassle. Nice share ?
Vinegar and water won’t keep my floors clean! I have two big Golden’s who are always water bound and mud driven. Every day I spend sweeping up the dirt and mud, then try to vacuum to get what the broom didn’t and trying to mop it clean. Seems I’m only pushing the mud further into my vinyl and laminate floors. My dogs don’t just come in with dirty feet, they roll into everything! I should send you pics of what I deal with. I have tried every type of mop, floor scrubber, micro pad,every type of cleaner, you name it I’ve tried it. Short of keeping my fur babies outside for the rest of their lives (just so you know that will never happen for they are like my children!) I don’t know what to do for these very very heavy traffic floors!! Help!!
Normally i used only water with some cleaning agent like washing power etc but now the formula shared by you is pretty helpful to me. Now i can have my shinny floor back just like a new one. nice blog of cleaning!!!
Why put vinegar on your floor, it is an acid!
Try this!
About 2 gallons of warm water
1 teaspoon of dish soap
2 tablespoons of “Armoral” original
Follow the directions! to much armoral will make the floor slippery
The floor will shine like new and lasts months!
I have had zero luck with Windex removing the residue that shows foot prints. We used a laminate floor cleaner when I gave up on expecting my floors to STAY clean with 3 cats, 2 birds, a 2 year old [and her dad] keeping me on my feet. I was originally able to buff out smudges with a Swiffer duster, but I had to do it every day to keep the floor clean enough for the duster to work. For spot cleaning (or square yard cleaning under the toddler’s chair after dinner) I use Lysol wet cloths and it does wonders. Not sure yet if it’s safe to use them though. We have super dark wood laminate, which is gorgeous when clean, but truly clean is a rare thing. I bought something from the store that said it was great for wood laminate, but it caused the massive amount of smudge marks from the oil or wax it. I tried it again hoping it was me, that I wasn’t doing it right or something. Then I read online that that film it leaves can be impossible to remove after several applications. I panicked and tried lightly dampened paper towels attached to my dust mop (instead of the Swiffer wet version with wet cloths that seemed ok but just smeared the smudges). I found out online that people use Windex with lots of success, but it still isn’t able to remove the waxy film. I then read about using vinegar, so I bought a big jug and am anxious to try it. I keep reading that you can’t use anything that is water based so I’ve only tried a slightly damp mop and never had luck with it actually cleaning. I haven’t read about rubbing alcohol for laminate floors, but I love the idea. I’ll have to try that next if the vinegar doesn’t work. Will definitely do some research first though to make sure it’s okay for laminate. I use a Bona microfiber mop and it’s great but I can’t find replacement mops (without the handles) at my local super market. I’d rather just switch to a new mop cloth when the first one gets dirty rather than just rinsing it. It’s just a small family room and dining area that has the smudges, the rest of the house has luckily not been moped with the awful stuff I bought at the store, only the main area that guests see. Ugh.
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I have used vinegar and water with success, but I am currently using rubbing alcohol and water with a Libman version of wetjet that has washable heads. Dries more quickly.
windex windex windex (the stuff you use to clean glass and mirrors, called different things in different countries I believe!) the absolute bomb in leaving not only your laminate floor streak free, but also your tiles as well.
I use Murphy’s Oil Soap mixed with warm water. Using a swiffer mop w/ micro Soft head. Misty spray in front of the mop. Keeping the floor as dry as possible. You can’t let water stand.if water gets into the seams. Over time it will swell and damage the floor. Murphy’s leaves a good clean smell. No residue. And Shine’s.
Dear Crunchy Betty, your wood cover cleaner formula has conveyed the sparkle back to my floors. You are Crunch-alicious! I will be really beginning to tackle your web journals starting now and into the foreseeable future, pardon the play on words the sparkle from my floors has gone straight to my head.
Much appreciation,
Brilliant! So natural! I was imbecilic not to attempt this before!!!! My floors have a delightful sparkle and no film or foot shaped impressions!!!
Dear Crunchy Betty, your wood laminate cleaner recipe has delivered the shine back to my floors. You are Crunch-alicious! I will be taking a big bite out of your blogs from now on, excuse the pun the shine from my floors has gone straight to my head.
Much appreciation,
Kate
I have darker laminate floors and have tried everything to avoid streaks, even vinegar and water and the only think I found worked every single time is this Bellawood hardwood floor cleaner. It is a Lumber Liquidators product I believe. I’m so not happy that I have to pay for this product although it’s not too pricey and I don’t need a lot of it, but honestly it cleans my dark floor very well and has NEVER streaked! Sometimes water and vinegar worked but sometimes not and I don’t like the smell. So, to save my sanity I pay for the Bellawood. Have been using for over a year and never an issue..so I guess worth it!
left my floors in worse shape. I am a cleaning nut having 4 dogs
swept and used vinegar and hot water. Streaks every where.
Add rubbing alcohol to the mix. Equal parts vinegar and alcohol. Some people add water, vinegar and alcohol with a few drops of dawn and essential oils to cover the vinegar smell. The alcohol dries the floor quickly and keeps them from streaking along with the microfiber cloth. Works like a charm for streak free floors.
Vinegar and water sucks
Didn’t clean the floor
And did not leave any shine
Crunchy Betty is way off on this advice
excuse me ladies but why isn’t anyone concerned about cleaning the floor. It’s much easier to shine a clean floor then it is when your pushing dirt around. Water and vinegar were what my mom had me use. Watch out for steam machines too, all they do is bring the dirt to the surface. That disgusting dirty microfibre you used should tell you how dirty they obvious are. Oh yes, I pass bounce onto my clean dry floor but the secret here is how shiny they begin to look the day afterwards.
Oh, that’s quite a good idea! I like cleaning my home with natural cleaning solutions, that I’ve mixed. I feel better when I know what’s inside the spray bottle and of course it’s better for my children when I use natural products for cleaning.I’ve cleaned our laminate with water and few drops of lemon juice only, but your idea about vinegar sounds better. I’m cleaning the floor at home your way right tomorrow, but I’m going to use my lavender infused vinegar instead of an ordinary vinegar. I think the scent is better this way. Thank you for sharing your idea!
Wonderful! So easy! I was stupid not to try this before!!!! My floors have a beautiful shine and no film or foot prints!!!
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I just took all of your advice and cleaned my horrible looking wood laminate floors with the 50/50 water/vinegar mixture – then wiped down with a microfiber dust mop – finishing with an application of just white vinegar applied with a microfiber cloth. I sure hope this works because I am totally and completely fed up with spending an afternoon of cleaning/polishing my floors only to see footprints, streaks, etc. not even an hour later. I am a HUGE fan of white vinegar and use it for many other things so I really hope this works. FYI – I use white vinegar instead of fabric softner and it works great.
Thanks for your submission. I also feel that laptop computers have gotten more and more popular today, and now tend to be the only sort of computer employed in a household. Simply because at the same time potentially they are becoming more and more reasonably priced, their processing power keeps growing to the point where there’re as effective as pc’s from just a few years ago.
Hi Betty, It’s a nice article, but I have to disagree with you on some things. First of all, just because an installer or builder told you to use a steam mop does not mean they are correct. I had a guy at Lowe’s tell me the same thing today. These people just don’t read manufacturers instructions. Laminate is not wood, it’s a composite of non-wood materials with MDF directly under it (easy to get to). Any manufacturer of laminate that I have ever seen strictly advises to not use vinegar, acidic cleansers, nor steam mops.
I was hoping to find an article that tells me how to use a safe cleaner…but the article was fun anyways!
Actually it can be really simple without buying any microfiber cloths or bothering with hot water. I had a regular (dusting?) microfiber floor mop which I used to first remove any dust or debris from the floor. I got it for around $10 at Ross stores.
Then into a spray bottle I mixed 1 c. purified water with 1/4 c. white vinegar and 1/4 c. vodka (less toxic than rubbing alcohol for my little kitten who would be walking on the floors later)
I removed the microfiber from the mop, got an old hand towel, wrapped it around the mop and safety pinned it to fasten it on the top. Shook the mixture and sprayed the towel about 4 times and began to wipe the floors in 5 foot increments and resprayed the towel to do a new section.
It was very easy, and it removed grime and marks and left the floor shiny and clean. If the towel is getting too dirty just turn it over and use the other side.
There is no worry about using too much liquid mix and damaging the floor.
BTW I lived in Hawaii for most of my life. For sanitary reasons Hawaiians and Asian cultures ask guests to please remove their shoes before coming into their home. This prevents nasty things, disease, germs and so forth, they and you step into on the street from coming into your home as well as not damaging the floor from shoes or tiny bits of grit you may have walked in.
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If I were your grandmother, I would be proud as well. Look at that floor; it looks so clean and new. You could probably even see your reflection on it. Those components are really easy to find and use. I will definitely try this one.
I just tried using the vinegar & water & on my wood laminated floors some of the finish came off. Not too happy about that I’m still waiting for the kitchen floor to dry to see if the sticky residue(I think my granddaughter was walking around with chips & ice cream dip*** yea i know weird she wanted to dip her chip in ice cream)came off yet. I walked out there with it partially dry & it didn’t seem tacky.. Time will tell
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I think I’ll try this later this week. I’m so grossed out by the cleaners my husband brings home. He did used to be a professional floor cleaner, so I trust him to know what’s good, I just don’t like it.
Speaking of my husband, you’re right about the dish soap. He says sometimes people get the bright idea to use it on their floors (thanks Pinterest) and don’t realize that it attracts and traps dirt. Not to mention, it’s nearly impossible to get out of carpets and upholstery..
Vinegar is a big no no for your laminate, especially when mixed with hot water. It eats away at the finish and voids your warranty. You should be using what the manufacturer suggests
OMG ALL I CAN SAY IS THIS IS THE BEST WEBSITE I’VE COME ACROSS IN A LONG LONG TIME. THANKS FOR REFRESHING ME ON THE SIMPLE THINGS TO USE TO CLEAN. VINEGAR!!!! We were poor gowing up used vinegar and baking soda to clean EVERYTHING. As I got older and more successful, I could afford pricey smell good cleaning products and nothing was cleaning the laminate floor, every product I bought was either a lot of work or left residue. So tonight I Googled what to use and came across your site and all I can say is thank you for CRACKING ME UP WITH SOME GREAT ADVICE! I will continue to be a fan
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Lol. Why does Dan Rather have to be asleep.
I agree that using Vinegar and Water leaves a fantastic sheen to the floors, but I’ve read a few places that if you are using it on actually hardwood, it dries the wood out, leaving it prone to splitting, warping etc. Is this true? Has anyone had this issue?
The floor guy we use suggested that we add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the gallon mixture. He said to only use it once or twice a month at the most as too much can make your floors slippery.
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I had tried everything and got tired of seeing residue, footprints and streaks! I hate the smell of vinegar but using any oils in it can leave residue also. So strictly vinegar and water do the trick! I was shocked!!! It actually WORKS!!! PS: for those using steam mops on laminate flooring, dont! When the steam is pushed out of the bottom onto the floors in gets into those little tiny seams and will eventually buckle your floor.That was the first thing I was told about when I got laminate. A friend of mine wouldn’t listen and insisted on using her steam mop and has already had her floors begin to buckle in several places.
In my experience, this isn’t true.
I had laminate installed in my last home and for 3 years I steam-mopped it exclusively. I was instructed by the installer that that was the best way to clean them. I just moved into my new home and the builder gave me the same instruction.
Laminate is still wood. And wood actually LIKES small amounts of water as long as it’s only periodic (ie: the wood can dry for long spells to prevent mold taking hold) and not too much water at a given time (ie: not so much the wood will swell when it sucks it up). For a non-solid wood like laminate, steam mopping fits the bill perfectly — provided you don’t put it on the wettest-setting or mop too frequently.
My guess is that your friend used too high a setting far too frequently. In my home we vacuumed 2-3 times/week but only actually steam-mopped every few months. It held up beautifully.
Whoaaaaa! Laminate is most certainly NOT wood! It is MDF (paper product) laminated with a very thin layer of vinyl. Getting water between the seams will most certainly start curling up. Hot steam may dry quickly enough that there is no damage. The idea is not to let anything puddle for too long because it will cause permanent damage and void the warranty. Mopping is fine as long as the mop is only damp, ie not enough to puddle. The flooring you may be referring to is called “engineered hardwood”, which is real hardwood on the top layer and then usually pine or poplar for the supporting layers in a plywood method. The only complaint with this style of floor is that it dents much easier than laminate or genuine solid hardwood because of the softer wood beneath the top layer.
J.Zaring is absolutely correct. My husband graduated UMASS Amherst w a building materials and wood technology degree. Works for Boise Cascade. They are one of the biggest lumber and paper supply companies next to Georgia Pacific. A laminate not wood, and will buckle w water. That’s why they call it a laminate, just like laminate tile is not reak tile. Consider both a glued down fake wood or tile imposter.
I’ve used peroxide and water on my laminate floors. It works great!
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Did half water half vinegar with 10 drops of lavendar in my steam mop. Streaks everywhere! My mom has a microfiber pad. What am I doing wrong?
It could be the floors were pretty dirty to begin with and may need another round but I flip flop between steam mop and regular sponge mop (just depends on my mood and how clean I need the floors) but for 1, usually adding oil and vinegar to your steam mop container could eventually erode the inside of the steam mop (vinegar and some metals may not mix well, especially if you have hard water) as it’s just meant for water and 2: the cloth pads on your steam mop may not absorb so well or the floors are just to dirty for one pad alone. I usually have to change out my pads halfway through the house. AS for the vinegar and oil, maybe try adding a few drops of the oil to your pads before putting them on and spritzing the floor with vinegar where you are about to go over with the steam mop.
My mop calls for ONLY distilled water, so I’m thinking adding vinegar would ruin it over time.
Wonder if it wouldn’t be just as effective to use only water in the steam mop and spray the floor with vinegar prior to mopping?
Just an added thought… stream mops should not be used on laminate. Over time you will loose shine and the boards can warp.
I had the same problem with streaks! What worked for me was mopping in straight continuous lines. Overlap the lines just slightly and go in the same direction of the planks, without lifting up on the mop (so as I go over a room, my mop never to rarely leaves the floor). No more streaks! I use a microfiber mop but maybe this would work on a steam mop as well. Good luck!
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I’ve had my laminate in 1 room for 6 yrs & in another for 4 yrs and started out with using the expensive cleaners on the first & continued to get the streaks, so when we put the 2ND room in 4 yrs , we went to the vinegar/water method & I’ve not used anything since. I absolutely love it! I worked @ Lowes with installed sales & even a sales rep.told me that he uses it. What the company doesn’t know, doesn’t hurt them…I’d rather my floor look good & most of the time a warranty isn’t good for much anyway.
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You likely did use too much vinegar because a strong vinegar based solution will make the floors dull and ugly. Don’t feel bad because I have the t-shirt from that trip. I would guess a 10 to 1 ration of water to vinegar, maybe a touch more but not much! I also add orange or lemon essential oil to give it a lovely scent. A very easy way to handle the mopping is to use a discarded wet mop that has the refillable bottle on it. Refill it with the vinegar/water mixture and you don’t need to have a spray bottle or run to the sink! Also use micro fiber towels, found cheapest in the auto section and use those instead of the replaceable mop clothes they sell. So many people have these discarded wet Swiffer type mops that you’d probably find one just by asking around! Most people don’t like them enough to keep using them but since they’re costly they don’t throw them out either!! Good luck on you floors!
I own a cleaning company and there is no better cleaner for the floors than hot water, vinegar, and a few drops of lemon or orange essential oil. It is Eco-friendly and an excellent germ buster because vinegar inhibits the growth of bacteria, as does lemon/orange essential oils. Thanks for the great post!
So… I did the half and half in my spray mop with a micro-fiber pad and I have water spots and streaking and dullness. I wonder if I used too much of the solution? I have a large floor space so I can’t hand dry the floors. Any suggestions on what to do now? Should I just go over the floors with hot water??? HELP! 🙂
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The best cleaner for laminate floors is bucket of hot water and shaving cream. …. Works wonders streak free and smells fresh!! works on windows also keeps them from fogging up 🙂
We were told not to use vinegar on the laminate, :(, as it would ruin the floor and void the warranty. I’ve struggled so much with this floor, I’m rather traumatized. Truth be told, I’m so fed up with it never looking clean and streaking that I avoid cleaning it until there’s absolutely no choice. One comment did say they had issues with the method, but it sounds like most of you haven’t looked back. So I’m putting this out there….have many of you had success without ruining your laminate flooring after using this vinegar/water trick for some time? If so, I think I need to go for it because I was truly inspired by most of what I read here! Needing help in IL, ;)! Thanks.
Dont do it! It will with out question ruin some floors. It did to mine and Im renting so I cant replace is and I’m positive this has cost me my deposit.
There are a lot of brands and qualities of laminate flooring. Some of these guys might have nicer flooring that can withstand more. I clearly don’t have that – I wouldn’t take that chance.
a nice natural approved cleaner used sparingly is a lot cheeper and greener than losing a deposit on an apartment or having to replace flooring.
Also, everything I read about cleaning laminate floors says to use a “damp cloth or damp mop” because excessive water will be absorbed into the fake wood boards and make then buckle.
Hi, I recently tried this and am now my house is smelling dank and stale. Immediately after there was quite a bit of a residue. Ive also noticed my mop has mold on it after trying this, which has never happened before. So I’m positive this method is the culprit.
I read more about this and found a few sources warning against this method since it will strip your floor. Im all about not using chemicals in my home, but buying a nice safe natural floor cleaner is a lot “greener” than using vinegar and inhaling mold spores and eventually having to replace destroyed flooring…
Vinegar does have a strong smell, but it actually helps to eliminate other odors. Furthermore, vinegar actually inhibits the growth of bacteria and mold….it does not cause it. Was your mop wrung out completely and dried afterwards?
I love your website! Lots of good tips and the vinegar and water is super on my laminate floors. Never had them so clean. Thanks Crunchy Betty.
We just finished building and moved in to our new home. I love it except not sure I live the laminate floor. It is pecan with not a lot of shine. However it is very dull and dusty looking. I have been using Bona because that what I wAs told to use. It is expensive and leaves it very dull looking. Will the water and vinegar help with this. Frustrated with floors. Please help.
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Soooo glad to see your recommendation…I added vinegar to my Shark steam mop since per tile guy needed to put on tile floor…and now going to use throughout whole house since wood laminate.
Hi, just stumbled upon your site while searching for ways to clean my wood laminate floors that won’t leave a residue. We just bought a place and this is my first time having them. So far I have tried everything and then end up with the film and footprints as soon as you walk on them. I’m about to go try the vinegar/water method. Another question if you know anything about this, it appears that the previous owners had an area rug in the dining room(which also has the wood laminate) and you can see the square when you look at the floor on certain angles, is there anyway to bring the shine back to that area? I have one dog, you would think I had 4 with all the hair that blows around on a daily basis, I do a lot of sweeping, but she’s worth it, gonna start singing while I sweep, sounds like a good idea:)Thanks for any help.
This post really helped! So did all the comments. Always used “laminate cleaner” for my floors. But water and vinegar sounds easier, cheaper, and greener! Thank you!
I recently learned about soaking orange/ lemon/ grapefruit peels in Vinegar for 2 weeks and decided to it for my floors, (1/2 water 1/2 vinegar) and I LOVE it! Smells great and cleans the floors better than anything.
NOW I find your post! lol 😀 wish I’d found you last year when we first got our floors done!
But I don’t use hot water, just regular tap water 🙂 easy peasy! 🙂
I just tried this method on my laminate floors and where I squirted the mixture (used my old floor cleaner bottle) it left a white residue streak. Now I can’t get rid of it!!!!
how does one remove scuff marks from a laminated floor????????
HELP
Magic Eraser
After much frustration with cleaning my new laminate, with all suggested cleaners and mops, I decided to try something different. I used hot water with a microfiber cloth, and used a dry microfiber cloth to dry. Although this is down on the floor cleaning, the results are great! It didn’t take me too long, and the results are worth it. I think the key is to rinse out your cloth frequently, and dry as you go.
Thanks for posting this. I just tried it today and it works great! I used to use just water and that seemed to work fine. Then my husband started using store bought laminate cleaner and ever since then, I’ve noticed the floor is so much more messier than before. The prints was horrendous. I would mop, even with just water and not even 5 minutes later, it’s as if I never mopped. We are a family of 6 so it’s hard enough to keep the floor clean. This remedy works great. Not as much prints would appear after the kids rant rack through the house. This is now my go-to floor cleaner.
I have always used vinegar and hot water on my tile floors. I NEVER mop my laminate because I am scared of water getting in between the planks. I have a Swiffer and I just stick a rag sprayed with vinegar water on there and wipe them down once in a while. This isn’t really related to floors but my favorite scrubby cleaner (other than plain old baking soda) is Bon Ami powder cleanser.
I add just a little rubbing alcohol to mine. It really helps to ensure a streak free shine (the alcohol evaporates really quickly). I also add some essential oil (lemon and lavendar is my favorite) and it truly does help with the smell. I posted about it here: http://www.1plus1equals9.com/?p=73. I just found your blog and love it. I am becoming crunchier by the day. 🙂
I use 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 cup white vinegar and 1/2 cup isopropyl alcohol on my laminate. I put the solution in my Libman mop resevoir and mop away. I use this on the tile floor in my bathroom also. BTW I just found you while surfing the web for a more natural and economic way to clean my home. Learned alot about many different things. And you’re funny, girl!!!! Keep up the good work.
I use the same recipe, with a few drops of essential oil to help with the smell.
Do you get any streaks on the laminate when it dries with this method? I am THE WORST at cleaning this darn floor I “inherited” when we bought this lovely town home. I hate them because they are always looking dirty and never clean nicely. I like your idea and want to try it. Also, does it work on ceramic tile? We have that in the kitchen and I’m ready for some of my elbow grease to pay off and for this place to look spic and span! Thanks so much.
Tracy No I do not get any streaks on my laminate or my ceramic tile floors.
Thanks, Chris.
I actually just came home with my supplies and will give this a try. I sure appreciate your advice and am happy with your great results. Best.
Sadly, I may have not have done something right in that the floors are totally streaky, :(. I think these floors are faulty in that they are never not streaky. Are you down on your hands and knees with a towel drying them as you go? Because this seems to be the only way to perhaps avoid such a situation. Ugh….
Tracy, I am so sorry you are having such a hard time. No I do not dry the floor with a towel on my hands and knees. Make sure it is 1/2 white vinegar, 1/2 isopropyl alcohol, and 1/2 water. Try HOT water. I have done this also instead of tap water. What are you using to actually mop the floor? The Libman pads are like microfiber. If you are using the Libman, when you attach the pads make sure they lie flat on the mop. So put one end on the little teeth thingees and hold it while you pull the pad taught and press flat. I had streaks the first time I did this cause the pad was not flat against the mopping device. If none of this works, I see a trip to the flooring store in your future!!!!! Good luck.
My house has 100% tile floors, and they are WHITE. Yep, I’m mopping all the time. I love cleaning with vinegar and water. I mix it up in the sink and apply it with my crunchy little Cuban stick mop (google it!) and old towels. I’m telling you, this mop is the easiest, cheapest, greenest method I know for cleaning floors. I can’t believe more people aren’t using this simple little mop! It’s the best thing to come out of Cuba since… my husband. Seriously.
Great tip, but what I really, really wanted to check into say is that I LOVE your writing! Your blogs crack me up and you always paint a really vivid picture. I hope that at least some of your income from your many odd and sometimes glamorous jobs come from writing! Cuz your really good!
When we first moved into to our house 3 years ago, I bought several different kinds of cleaner made specifically for hardwood floors. It was all new (my husband built our house over the course of a year) and I REALLY wanted to take good care of it from the start. However, all of those things left a light film on my floors, no matter what I did. So, I put vinegar and warm water in a spray bottle – along with lemon or peppermint oil- and spray my floors and wipe up with a damp bar cloth. Sometimes I use a mop and bucket, but still only water and vinegar and a little oil. The smell of vinegar doesn’t bother me – like you said, it’s gone in no time. I just add the oil becuase that is the secnt that is left after the vinegar evaporates. Nothng cleans my hardwood floors any better – and I use it on my ceramic tile, too (we have no carpet in our house). Works great!
We always cleaned our windows with vinegar & water when I was a kid. Now that I’m all grown up, I hate to admit that I’ve not done a good job of cleaning my windows AT ALL but if I were to do it, I’d simply do the vinegar/water trick! Oh, and you need two towels, one to wash, one to dry, then they end up squeaky, streak-free clean!!
@Lisa–You beat me to it! I use the kids old cloth diapers for the swifter and give them each a small spray bottle of straight vinegar and let them go to town. They’re two and four years old. I still use the bucket and mop with vinegar and water for our hardwood and tile.
You’re a genius! Seriously, I mean that. I just packed away a whole tote of new-baby things, including cloth diapers (waaaaaay better for spit-up than anything else!). And I have a swiffer. Brilliant idea to use the cloth dipes on the swiffer. And my kids love to swiffer, so this might just mean I’ll let them do it every day… 😉
would it be safe to have “special bottle” of vinegar with rosemary or thyme or some similar smell herb and use that for cleaning? OR might those cause residue? If i weren’t afraid it would ruin the floors i would suggest cinnamon. Cinn. really covers the vinegar smell, making it almost smell like rum extract.
This is completely off topic but its driving me nuts, I want to read the whole blog, but it’s backwards by date. I see all the new stuff first (which is convenient IF I was up to date, but Im reading things like the farmer’s market week backwards!) PLEASE tell me you’ve got a button that will take me to the first post so I can read it the way it was all posted (the way it all began!) that I just haven’t seen… the idea of clicking all the way through then working back is kinda daunting!
@Terran,
Just go backwards from the following link (which will take you to the last page/first post of the blog):
http://crunchybetty.com/the-whole-crunch/page/45
I have a multi-purpose cleaner called Ecover. I use a maybe a 1/2 tablespoon in a 1 litre bottle of warm water. The bottle attaches to my mileda mop. It’s like a Swiffer but comes with washable cloth pads instead of disposable. The mop’s handle has the spray trigger on it so I don’t have to lug anything around with me. I have been noticing the need to do a rinse wipe afterwards because it almost feels sticky if there’s too much cleaner in it. I might just leave the cleaner for other things and use vinegar and water with EO for the floors.
As for cleaning up puke, I worked in a preschool briefly, and had the good fortune to be the nearest adult to a little girl who had finished her snack of crackers, cheese and grape juice, stood up, turned white and just quietly retched it all back up. Purple puke. oh yeah. I think that should be a prerequisite to parenting. If you can handle mopping up someone elses technicolor yawn, you’re good to go.
My kids love scrubbing the floors so we’ve been using hot water and vinegar for years now. Sometimes with a little tea tree oil. Pretty much what I use for all my cleaning!
@Pam – I still use a swiffer sweeper and a swiffer duster. I’ve just made washable cloths instead of buying the refills. Flannel works great for the duster and I have terry cloth pads for the sweeper!
I always use Murphy’s Oil (diluted with water, 75/25) on the hardwood in the house, preferably fresh-mixed in a spray bottle. However, I don’t mop that often, mostly because the husband works as a landscaper and we have four dogs and it’s just not worth it. (Read: trauma.) I mostly do clean-up with the Bona dust mop, which seems to leave the floor shiny enough on its own, or a handmade Shaker broom that manages to leave a lovely scent behind.
My (new) office has ash floors installed in ’28, and the landlords are very particular about how we are to clean them – they used Bruce, which made everything look dull. Murphy’s Oil made a nice sheen for a while, but with roofers tromping in and out it’s back to dull-ish. We’re having a couple of weeks of interior restoration done soon, and maybe when that’s over, I’ll try the vinegar & water trick!
We have vinyl flooring in the kitchen and both baths. The kind with light brown shading printed on it and textured with little nooks and crannies to make it look like… I don’t know, stone? tile? But it just catches dirt like crazy and then looks dirty even when it’s clean.
I use the 50/50 vin-water solution with some drops of EO in a spray bottle for the floors. Then I “mop” with a swiffer fitted with a microfiber cloth on it. Works great and is super cheap!
On hardwood floors I have always used white vinegar and water, but I also add a few drops of olive oil to my bucket because it shines them and conditions them nicely. I use a wringer type mop. BTW, this water/vinegar/olive oil solution is FANTASTIC for cleaning any wood surface – especially kitchen cabinetry! It cuts grease, deodorizes, gets off dirty finger prints and shines – it is fabulous and cheap and definately crunchy!
What’s your ratio, if I may?
I am kind of a “dumper” rather than a “measurer” 🙂 but I know you can use up to the same amount white vinegar as water, I would guess that I usually use about 1/2 to 1/3 as much vinegar as water, unless I need extra cleaning/grease cutting power, then I use more. Then for the olive oil, a few drops to a tablespoon is probably what I would use, depending on the job. It has never left a film or anything for me. Sorry I can’t be more precise – I get myself into trouble with my non-measuring ways, when I bake or cook something great and then can’t duplicate it! Hope this helps!!
It’s okay – you’re among friends! I don’t measure either, just go with what feels right. If I can ever get all this dog hair off the floor, I’ll mix up a batch and mop the floors before the in-laws get in. Thanks becky!
Yikes – dog hair! The bane of my existence! Have fun mopping. FYI, a number of years ago I bought a small shop vac with wheels and went to a local vac shop and bought a central vac floor attachment – it works like a charm with the dog hair! It always seemed that the brooms would repel it as I swept, but the hair can’t escape the shop vac!
becky – We have four dogs in the house, so I push dog hair around pretty regularly. I do have a 6-gal. shop vac on wheels that I bought when I was living at a boarding farm but it’s since been relegated to the husband’s shop and forgotten about. Thanks for reminding me so I don’t burn out the house vacuum on hair!
I am going to try that vinegar/water trick on my laminate floors today! Thanks for the tip. I have severe arthritis so I clean my kitchen and bathroom floors with a little upright steamer (can’t be used on laminate). It only uses water in the form of steam, is easy to move back and forth on the floor, very lightweight, and it only cost $29.99! I love it especially for the bathrooms which I know when I finish is sparkly clean. I have heard one caution about the little steamers, that you need to be careful that they don’t take the finish off your floor but so far I haven’t had any problems!
I hope I don’t sound like a complete fool, but… Exactly what type of vinegar should be used?
@ Nina – white vinegar is what I always use.
I have old linoleum tile…think early ’90’s white and blue…and I hate dirty floors…but I also can’t stand the chemical stuff. For a while, I used the swiffer, but it failed me. So now, I mix vinegar and water with some lemon oil in a spray bottle. i sweep. I spritz the floor with the spray bottle. I finish with a bucket of hot water and a tablespoon on coconut oil to give it just a little shine…and then I put a towel on the floor, and I dry the floor with my feet on the towel. I get a nice little workout of my butt and legs too. That’s how I do. 🙂
I have always just used water on my laminate floors. But I am definitely going to try it with the vinegar. My floor could really use some shine!
What is a bona mophead? I’m looking for a new mop and was interested in what you use. From now on, it’s vinegar and water for me!!
Libman makes a mop that’s similar to the Swifer WetJet in that you put your solution in and pull the trigger to spray the floor ahead of the mop. It has a removable/refillable reservoir for whatever cleaning solution you want to add to it and a washable cleaning pad.
I still bet I’ve cleaned more strangers’ puke than all of you put together.
We may have a tie here…I was an RA. For 3 years. I can’t count the number of times I cleaned up someone else’s puke (…among other bodily fluids…).
On topic, I started cleaning with vinegar when I had my rats. I used vinegar and peroxide on the cage, and it worked wonders. I can’t think of anything in my house I wouldn’t use vinegar on! I love that I’ll never have to buy cleaning solution. 😀
We have cork floors throughout our main level. I sweep or vacuum far more than I mop. When I do mop, I use a flat microfiber mop and hot water. We live in the desert on the beach called San Diego. It is always dusty! Sometimes I add a few drops of Dr. Bronner’s citrus-orange soap. I use the dishpan in the kitchen sink (an inch or two of hot water) and leave it right there. I have two microfiber covers and only need to use them both (in one mopping session) when I seriously neglect the mopping or if we are doing home improvement projects.
I spot clean messes with a rag and hot water; breaking out the vinegar/water spray bottle when necessary (mine’s 40% vinegar 60% water).
We have good quality vinyl flooring in our upstairs bathrooms. We just use a rag and hot water to clean those. The installer told us to only use hot water to keep ’em nice for a decade. It has been over a decade now and they still look GREAT!
A dog that likes to eat markers + kids that leave markers strewn about the house = a big black Sharpie mess on my medium-beige carpet yesterday. Can you say UGH?!!? The spot came out totally by wetting it with water then dousing it with rubbing alcohol then using my carpet shampooer (I had just a bit of watered-down Simple Green in the soap dispenser of the machine). Maybe not the most crunchy or green (but I think Simple Green isn’t all that bad) and mainly the rubbing alcohol took the Sharpie out. I was pretty amazed.
For my vinyl floors in the kitchen and baths, I use a steam mop. Doesn’t get more crunchy than plain old water 🙂
I’ve been using the water and vinegar in a spray bottle for years and love it! I have to say I prefer using a spray bottle and dust mop to a bucket of water with an old-fashioned mop head, because if you don’t wring out the mop head really, really well it can still leave streaks when it dries.
I use my steam cleaner! It has a washable pad that I just throw in the laundry when I’m done. And it cleans my vinyl kitchen/bathroom floors, laminate living room, and even has attachments to do windows, tile/grout. It does carpet as well and even my couches. Best investment ever. I do like the water/vinegar method for spot cleaning though!
Are we talking about white vinegar or does it matter?
I just use water and some of that elbow grease you mentioned. I’ve had hardwood floors at times and my very competent floor refinishing crew said anything else would damage the finish. I do the same on the porous tile floor in my kitchen now. I’ve read that a little vinegar can be helpful, but I haven’t seen any need and I’m afraid of damaging the tile. The floor only has to look clean, it doesn’t have to be sterile in my house. The only time anyone eats off of it is when a chicken breaks in to steal the cats’ food.
We have pine floors. Not exactly a hardwood, but the guy who finished them for us said vinegar and water only. Admittedly, they’re cruddy more than they’re clean. But, the vinegar and water does wonderful. We use it in the bathrooms on the tile too.
It’s amazing how heavy marketing really leads us to believe we need the stuff that’s being pushed at us.
I think if vinegar weren’t already discovered and common, it would be very, very expensive. It does so much. Some marketing firm would be selling it to us for ridiculous $$$$.
I know this isn’t the place for this, but I’m lazy. Made your coconut butter. Couldn’t find the right kind of coconut, but tried it anyway and it was fantastic. Sam’s girlfriend Caroline(6 yo) was over yesterday and they got into it when I wasn’t looking. She told her mom that she needed to learn to cook like me. “‘Cause that stuff in that bowl tasted like 3 angels.” lol Never heard that one before. It did though. I’ve ordered some unbleached. The bleached wouldn’t quite turn to butter. Even after an hour in the food processor. It was tasty though.
I just use vinegar/water in a spray bottle. But…my son likes to mop for me as long as he uses a Swiffer. I know it’s not green, but if he’s happy about mopping and that’s the only non-green cleaner we use – I’m willing to let it slide. :0)
you Can refil your Swifer bottle just put it In hot Water lid will pop Off
I use a mixture of vinegar and water, with a splash of Murphy’s Oil Soap, on my hardwoods. The floors are a little streaky if I don’t add that little bit of soap. I think I tried plain dish soap, and it did leave a film (but that could be a false memory). It works better than any other cleaner I have tried!
Same as you, vinegar and hot water. I add a splash of Eucalyptus oil and a few drops of Lavender Oil. I do have to carry it all in a bucket still, though, because our floor gets too dirty to utilize just a spray bottle (truck driver grandfather).
At work the cleaning lady sometimes uses vinegar/water on the hardwood floors, but that’s only when we ask her to. She has an affinity for strong, harsh, chemical smells. We sneakily threw out some air freshener rocks that she brought in because no body could breathe with the things around. Not a good thing, for a medical clinic.
Anywho, back in Feb she cleaned the floors with some chemical or another that makes everybody’s shoes squeak really loud on the floor. Still. Months later. -_-
Sometimes, I wonder if she’s just oblivious, or really obnoxious.
There was something I added to the combination of water/vinegar/eo’s a while back (something natural), but for the life of me, I cannot remember what it was. Which is a shame, because it worked really well.
Was it Baking Soda, Borax, or Dr. Bronner’s(sp?) ?
It might have been a little Borax. I know it wasn’t baking soda, because I didn’t want to cause an explosion when I mixed it with vinegar, and I know it wasn’t Castile because I didn’t have any back then.
Probably Borax then; but it was only a small amount (a couple of tea spoons) in 2 gallons of the vinegar/water/eo mix.
Make sure it dissolves though, or it’ll leave your floor gritty and probably scratch hardwood. In fact, I probably wouldn’t add Borax for hardwood at all. Best to stick with just hot water and vinegar for that, but it should do okay on laminate/tile.
I just tried vinegar on my laminate a few hours ago. I had not read this first. Weird…
I was so very pleasantly surprised at how clean my floors became. Loved it!