Floor Cleaner

[Samjm]

What is a good subsitute for "good" old Pinesol to clean floors.

I'm thinking some mixture of vinegar and water, but does it really clean?

We have white linoleum kitchen floor (can't afford to rip out the linoleum just yet) so it gets really dirty really fast.

Thanks!

[MidwifeErika]

I have used white vinegar and water as my floor cleaner for about 4 years now. I think it works better than pinesol. You know that scummy, sticky feeling your floor gets if you use too much pinesol? Never happens with the vinegar. And I figure it is cleaner because I don't worry about my dog licking up the solution or my kids crawling through it and getting chemicals on their hands. So, it gets rid of the grime without leaving nasties behind.

[Perogi]

Is this safe also for hardwood?

[Spencersmom]

I hope I am not going to get in trouble for this. I just read in Clean House, Clean Planet by Karen Logan that vinegar and water is safe to use on wood floors but that you have to make sure that you go back with a drying towel and make sure that there is no residual water. On page 134 she says "many cautious flooring manufacturers recommend only a vinegar and water rinse" for wood floors. She also says that she uses her furniture polish on a dust mop to clean wood floors and would only use the vinegar/water if extra cleaning was needed.

HTH. BTW, I just used ww vinegar scented with Peppermint EO and water to wash my kitchen floor today. It did a good job (hard to say it did a great job bc my floor is very old and looks crappy right after it's been washed anyway) and I was very surprised that my house smelled like peppermint and not at all like vinegar.

[Samjm]

Thanks!!

You know that scummy, sticky feeling your floor gets if you use too much pinesol? Never happens with the vinegar.

Thats awesome! I HATE that feeling. I always end up washing the floor again with just water if it happens.

[EricaLeigh]

I have been using vinegar & water on my floors for a few years, I use it on tile, linolium, & have used it on hard wood. Use it sparingly, & be sure to wipe dry. More of a damp mopping than wet. I use this method in between mops in the kitchen & bathrooms too. I do it with a spray bottle, sprayed directly on the floor & microfiber cloth on the end of my swiffer.

[nikisager]

I have white linoleum in my kitchen and bathroom as well, i have always used a spray bottle filled with water, vinegar and about 20 drops peppermint oil. It works really great, I find that the peppermint oil helps hide the vinegar scent. It is actually same spray I use to clean everything in my house.

[Perogi]

I mopped last night with hot water and vinegar and it worked beautifully!

[Altair]

if your wood is sealed then vinegar/water is perfect... but like a PP said, only as a damp mop not as a really mopping.

If your floors aren't sealed I would just use plain water with a damp mop. every once in awhile i will use a small amount of murphy's oil soap as well. unsealed wood floors should not be cleaned wet often, unless you are drying them as well.

[j&e'smama02]

This is great info for me too as I'm currently trying to eliminate commercial products with natural ones...thanks for starting this thread!

What concentration of vinegar to water does everyone use? Also, I'm not a big fine of peppermint smell, but DH hates vinegar smell. Could I add any EO, or are there special properties in the peppermint that make it better for cleaning?

[anamama]

I add lemon EO

[dachshundqueen]

Vinegar smell

I just mixed my spray bottle with vinegar and water - didn't notice a smell and put quite a bit of vinegar in there.

I just spray the floor to mop as I go, no bucket to worry about Annabelle drowning in or the dog knocking over.

Elizabeth

[yitlan]

I used to use a vinegar mix and the smell never bothered me. But then dh would come in and sniff and ask "what's that smell?" Since I started with NFB, I have been using their Clean Home spray around the house for various things, including my floor. It's vinegar based, but doesn't smell of it. I use the Tea Tree/Lavendar one and it really has a lavendar smell. I just spray it directly on the floor and use a wet cloth or mop-thing (not a traditional mop, but a sponge head thing).

I used to have white linoleum, too, so I sympathize!

[LadyMarmalade]

Have you ever heard of enjo? It's an expensive outlay, but they're BRILLIANT. Perfect clean every time, using only water.

www.enjo.net

[calicokatt]

If you've never tried lavender eo, be sparing at first. I use it in several clients homes, and I swear, just the THOUGHT of it makes my face itch! The itching lasts for several hours after I leave their homes. The peppermint eo doesn't do that to me, so it must be an allergy thing. Just something to keep in mind.

[lotus.blossom]

I have a spray bottle of lavender Dr. Bronners and water that I just used on my floors (slate and pergo) for the first time. Smelled great and seemed to take up all the dirt on the floor! Only 2 squirts of bronners and a whole spray bottle of water works well and cheap too! (I also did the spray as I go thing and rinsed the mop a few times. I hate getting out a bucket when I mop)

[SeekingSimplicity]

I use a mixture of vinegar and water on our floors also. It works great!

[babycarrier]

Red Juice available at the clean team. My farm house floor doesn't come as clean as I would like with vinegar and hot water. I get better results when I add a bit of dr. bronner's or dish soap to the mix.
But red juice. My oh my. No smell and it just worked like a charm.

[RuRuMom]

I use a steam mop on my wood floors -- nothing, but distilled water and the floor is soooooo clean after mopping, it feels fabulous to walk on in my bare feet. You can really sanitize the floor by leaving the steam on for 15 seconds in one spot (I do that around the toilet on the tile floors). The other nice benefit is that the floor is completely dry in about 10 minutes.

[Spastica]

I'm not sure if you can do a water/vinegar combo on REAL wooden floors. I want to say that you can use a combo of a little vinegar and some olive oil to protect the wood from warping and fading over time.

Vinegar, water, and a little baking soda is AWESOME for linoleum, vinyl and other kinds of no-wax flooring. Just not so sure about real hardwoods.

I just came from working at Amtico, a luxury vinyl company (like Pergo). You have to be careful not to use something too acidic or basic so you don't ruin the wear-layer (the clear layer covering the image of the wood/tile, whatever the picture is of). Use a neutral pH cleanser when possible.