Getting your vinyl flooring clean mustn’t always require a commercial cleaner, a homemade vinyl floor cleaner can do the job and even better.
Many commercial cleaners out there are dangerous and harmful to the environment, yet manufacturers don’t reveal the ingredients used in making these cleaners.
Homemade vinyl floor cleaners aren’t harmful to the environment, aren’t allergens, and the ingredients used in making one are clearly known, this makes it the best cleaner ever.
Unlike commercial cleaners, which also contributes to air pollution, leaves toxic residue behind, resulting in dangerous health conditions.
Most vinyl flooring comes pre-treated with a stain-resistant finish, this could be cleaned easily using a wet mop. But when extra cleaning is needed, opt for a homemade vinyl floor cleaner and steer clear of harsh chemicals.
So what are the ingredients needed to make this cleaner without bringing toxic chemicals near our home?
Read: How easy is it to lay vinyl floor
Homemade Vinyl Floor Cleaner
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- 1 cup of distilled water (filtered tap water is also fine for short time storage)
- 1/2 cup of Vinegar (white distilled Vinegar)
- 1/2 cup of isopropyl alcohol (also known as rubbing alcohol)
- 2-3 drops of dish soap
- 25-30 drops of essential oil (7 drops of lavender, 7 drops of orange or lemon, 10 drops of tea tree oil and 5 drops of peppermint)
- A spray bottle
What The Ingredients Do
Water
It helps in the combination and mixture of other ingredients as well as loosen grime.
White Vinegar
It helps in disinfecting and removing excess grease from the floor. Diluting white Vinegar makes it safe for floor surfaces by reducing its acidity.
Isopropyl (70%) rubbing alcohol
It helps in speeding up evaporation to avoid streaks. It also helps in degreasing and disinfection.
Liquid dish soap
This helps in degreasing, cleaning, and dissolving dirt between dirt and floor. Don’t use dish soaps containing moisturizers or antibacterial. We recommend Dawn Original (Classic), avoid using oil-based soap too as they will leave streaks.
Essential oils
This ingredient helps in offsetting the smell of Vinegar and rubbing alcohol. These oils need to be verified most especially if you have kids and pets at home. Here’s a recommended essential oil.
Note: You can substitute liquor for rubbing alcohol if you can’t find rubbing alcohol at the grocery store or pharmacy. Ensure the liquor is 120-proof as they contain at least 60% alcohol.
The liquor must be unflavored and uncolored as flavoring many contain sugar and other substance that can attract pests, while coloring may stain the surface of your floor or wherever the cleaner is applied.
Read: How to get hair dye off vinyl floor
Other homemade cleaners
Baking Soda for Stains
Baking soda is another excellent cleaner for vinyl floor. Just make a thick paste of baking soda by adding water to a few tablespoons of baking soda. Apply it to the stained surface and wipe off using a soft absorbent cloth.
Due to the paste’s abrasive feature, you can remove stain from the floor without damaging its finishing
Detail With Dish Liquid
This is for those who can’t stand the smell of Vinegar. Adding dishwashing liquid to hot water removes dirt and grime without stress. Just squirt a little soap into your mop bucket and mop your floor as usual.
Why a homemade floor cleaner
Safe For Indoor Air-Quality
When it comes to indoor air pollution, commercial cleaners contribute a lot. This isn’t good for the health, especially for those with allergies and asthma.
They are also safe around children and pets since it doesn’t contain any harmful chemical or ingredients.
It’s also difficult to tell the ingredient used in commercial cleaners as manufacturers don’t disclose them. You can’t tell if the ingredient contains volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which may result in irritation or even cancer.
It’s on the contrary for a homemade cleaner since you know exactly what you are using, so avoiding dangerous combinations is very possible. And the sweet part? It’s allergen-free.
Easier On Your Budget
Just so you know, the cost of using a commercial cleaner is way more expensive than a homemade floor cleaner. Now, think of how much you will save with a homemade cleaner.
Read: Is vinyl flooring good or bad?
Cleaning Vinyl Flooring
Cleaning vinyl flooring doesn’t just end at using plain water and mop, while this is also necessary, intense cleaning is also required.
With the aid of your homemade cleaner, cleaning your floor is much effective, interesting, and safe following these steps.
Before cleaning with your homemade cleaner, vacuum the floor or dry mop it to remove surface dirt, hair, or dust. This is an essential step before proceeding with wet mopping.
Mix all ingredients in the spray bottle and shake and spray it on the floor. Wipe using a microfiber mop or microfiber cloth.
Cleaning with your newly cleaner doesn’t just disinfect your floor but also shines your floor.
This cleaner cleans even better than a commercial cleaner, and it’s not limited to cleaning just vinyl floor surface. It can be used on almost any surface.
The most interesting part, this cleaner leaves an adorable shine on whichever surface you use it on after a nice clean.
Preventing Dirt And Damage
We advise taking necessary procedures to minimize dirt, dust, or abrasion even before they occur. This is because dirt wears down the finish of any kind of flooring, and vinyl flooring isn’t left out.
The best approach is to place a quality doormat or area rugs in front of doorways to avoid grime from migrating into the house.
The best way to also prevent scuff marks on vinyl flooring is by using a sheet of plywood whenever furniture is needed to be moved across the floor.
Vinyl coasters should be used under the feet of furniture to avoid permanent dents or scuff on the floor.
Read: How to whiten vinyl floors
Things Not To Do
When cleaning vinyl flooring, here are some precautions to take.
- Don’t use a “beater bar” attachment when vacuuming vinyl floor as this can damage the surface of the floor.
- Avoid detergents, mop, and shine products as well as abrasive cleaners. These can result in a dull film on the floor.
- Avoid highly-abrasive scrubbers
- Avoid solvent-based polish or paste wax
- Avoid ammonia-based cleaning solutions on vinyl flooring as they can cause a crack in the flooring.
With these precautions followed, you can have a long-lasting vinyl flooring in your home.
Read: Best way to clean vinyl floor
Why These Ingredients Work Perfectly
Right from time, we all know Vinegar has been used as our daily home cleaner. That said, these ingredients work perfectly when cleaning surfaces, not just vinyl floor this time round but other surfaces, cutting grime, grease, and disinfecting surfaces it comes across.
We will analyze individual ingredients with reasons why they work perfectly.
Vinegar
Vinegar has a very high acid content and a low pH level of 2. Also, the acid present in Vinegar (acetic acid) is an effective disinfectant which kills most bacteria.
It’s also a buildup fighter and cuts excess grease from surfaces it comes across, such as soap scum, mildew, and mold.
It’s needed for every household, you should use a distilled white vinegar, which can be found at the grocery store or you can grab one on Amazon, it looks like this.
Alcohol
We’re using isopropyl alcohol in this case, also known as rubbing alcohol. You should know, alcohol is yet another great disinfectant, and isopropyl alcohol is used to sterilize minor cuts.
Alcohol is a volatile solvent which means, it evaporates quickly. Once it dissolves dirt and oils from your surface, it quickly evaporates, leaving no streaks behind.
While isopropyl contains 70% alcohol and possessing all the qualities mentioned above, it should be used in a well-ventilated area.
Keep in mind that it’s also flammable, so keep it far away from flame or other heat sources. If you’re planning on getting isopropyl alcohol, you can get it here
Essential oil
Essential oils have a nice scent, and its use in the mixture is to cover up the strong smell of Vinegar and alcohol, but its work doesn’t end there.
Based on the mixture of oils (tree oil, lemon or orange, lavender, and peppermint), they also have the ability to kill microbes.
Lavender, being naturally antibacterial, also has a relaxing scent while tree oil fights bacteria, viruses, and germs, making it the major antibacterial fighter in the recipe.
Peppermint has a strong, invigorating scent, it also acts as an antibacterial while citrus oils help in cutting grease and freshening the air.
You can find these organic oils at the nearest health food store, and we also recommend these brands, Plant Therapy and Now.
Spray Mops
It’s recommended to use microfiber spray mops as the pads go easy with the floor. The pads are washable and as well replaceable. We recommend using a microfiber mop like this one and don’t forget to get some extra pads
Simply spray the cleaner on the floor and wipe it using the mop.
Another great alternative is a steam mop, they are great disinfectants, and using it along with this cleaner is a good deal. We’ve written a great review about the best steam mop to go for.
Microfiber Cloths
An alternative to steam mops, for a perfect streak-free surface, use microfiber cloths like these. Microfiber cloths are great because they aren’t harsh on floor surfaces. For a perfect result, just dampen the microfiber cloth a bit before cleaning.
While a microfiber cloth seems to be the best. If you can’t get them or prefer not using them, another great absorbent alternative is terry cloths and bar mop towels.
Is this homemade floor cleaner limited to just vinyl floors?
No, it isn’t you can use this cleaner on these surfaces below.
- Floors: laminate, hardwood, linoleum, tile
- Glass: Mirrors, Windows
- Cabinets and Countertops
- Stainless Steel: Faucets, sinks
- Porcelain and acrylic – toilets and sinks
Read: How hard is it to install vinyl plank flooring
Conclusion
Ensure to follow precautions when cleaning, such as avoiding a beater bar attachment when vacuuming as well as avoiding abrasive scrubbers and cleaners.
With these precautions followed, you’ve got yourself a clean and long-lasting floor. What method have you been using in cleaning your vinyl flooring and other surfaces?