I love a freshly mopped floor, especially if it’s my kitchen floor. I might be a tad old fashioned, but that one detail makes my house instantly feel brighter and tidier. This all-purpose, all-natural floor cleaner recipe will leave your floors sparkling clean and your house smelling citrus fresh.
The Best All-Natural Floor Cleaner Recipe
I don’t mop nearly as often as I should, and inevitably five seconds after I finish up, a glass of something spills all over the floor. Such is life! Our kitchen floor gets heavy use so I mix up a batch of this all-natural floor cleaner recipe to whip it back into shape.
This floor cleaner recipe is a classic! I’ve seen it all over the place, and for good reason: it works. For most jobs, even plain vinegar and water will do. Adding rubbing alcohol helps the floors dry faster (a must if you want to prevent streaking). And both vinegar and alcohol help disinfect.
Tea tree oil adds natural antimicrobial benefits, and orange oil makes my whole house smell fresh. I don’t normally add the dish soap unless my floor is extra sticky and/or greasy.
FAQ
FAQHow often should I clean my floors?
In general, the more traffic an area gets, the more often it should be cleaned. The kitchen, dining room, bathroom and hallways should be mopped weekly, according to the pros (truthfully, that’s a bit much, if you ask me—but to each their own!) In between weekly moppings, you should also be sweeping your floors to pick up any dirt that may scratch the finish.
Is this homemade floor cleaner recipe safe to use on my floors?
Yes! Feel free to use this cleaner on tile, laminate or hardwood floors. If you’re unsure, we have an article with cleaners for every type of floor.
Can I mop my floors with just water?
I don’t recommend it. Not only does water not disinfect, but sitting water (as often happens with floor cleaner that doesn’t contain quick-drying rubbing alcohol) can actually damage your floors and leave streaks. It’s best to use ingredients that evaporate quickly and won’t leave pools of water sitting on your precious floors.
How can I make my hardwood floors shine?
If your floors don’t look shiny enough after washing them, you can follow up with a homemade floor shine. Combine 1/3 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 10 drops lemon essential oil and 4 cups hot water. Even though it’s not going to mix well, give it a good stir. Then dip a clean mop into the mixture and smooth a light layer over your floors. If you apply too much it might be slick, so be careful until it has a chance to sink in!
Do you have a similar DIY recipe to remove grease from appliances?
We have this recipe for shining your stainless steel that would work great on just about any appliance!
Can I make this floor cleaner recipe ahead of time and how long will it last?
To make it ahead of time, I’d recommend combining everything except the water in an airtight container. When you’re ready to use it, combine the cleaning solution with water in a bucket.
Without the water, the solution should last for at least 6 months.
Can I mix the ingredients in a spray bottle?
Yes, definitely. Use it to spot clean floors, surfaces, the toilet, and anything else you can think of.
All-Natural Floor Cleaner
Ingredients
- 1 cup rubbing alcohol
- 1 cup distilled white vinegar
- 10 drops orange essential oil
- 10 drops tea tree essential oil
- 1 teaspoon gentle 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.
Debra Mason says
Alcohol will dry out hardwoods, and tea tree oil is toxic to pets.
Maureen says
I know you mentioned to not add water, until ready to use, but if you do mix this and don’t use it all can you keep for next weeks mop day.
Alice Ramsey says
Thank you thank you thank you!! I’ve wanted to get away from the chemical type cleaners, but I have to admit, using the all-natural ones always makes me think that they’re not actually killing any germs.
Ratha says
Can I mix these ingredients into a spray bottle?
Maribeth says
Can you make this up ahead of time and how long will it keep it’s effectiveness? I mop my home several times a week and making up this solution every time is a bit time consuming.
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Bev says
I have laminate “wood” floors and don’t add the alcohol to this solution. I’m afraid of ruining the color or finish on them. But the vinegar etc. does a beautiful job!
RaKay77 says
Can this solution be used on wood floors…laminate and/or real?
Lindsey Johnson says
I’m not 100% sure about real wood floors – you may want to stick with an oil-based cleaner. It’s been awhile since I’ve had a real wood floor! But I used this same solution when I has a faux wood floor and it was fine. I have laminate now too and it’s still what I use. Works great!
Love Apple says
You can use mint if desired.
I used this recipe but do not use hot water because I used the steam mop, great results
Linh says
Do you have a DIY recipe that removes tough grease from kitchen appliances? I’ve tried a vinegar, water and baking soda mixture, but it just left a powdering film behind without removing the grease!
Thanks.
Lindsey Johnson says
Linh, great question! If you mix vinegar and baking soda together, it’s essentially the same as using water. You lost the benefit of both. What I do is make a paste with a great grease-cutting dish soap (Dawn is fine, or a natural soap is great too – even castile soap works) and rub it on the stain, let it sit, then use a non-abrasive sponge to scrub off the toughest parts. That combined with a few wipe downs with a damp rag usually does the trick for me. I also do this for those filters on my stove hood. You can use plain old vinegar in a spray bottle, or add some alcohol, and spray that on to shine it up. I usually do that as a last step for my stove after I clean it.
Pamela says
I have actually cleaned my kitchen cubbards with olive oil and a lemon oil combination. Took the grease right off!
Sonia says
I love the suggestion of rubbing alcohol! I will try that in my next mop bucket! Instead of Orange and tea tree, I use peppermint oil, and my whole house smells minty fresh, I love it!
Deborah says
Beware the use of tea tree oil anywhere around cats. I would caution the use of it around any pets that lick their paws, but for cats it is toxic. Animals are especially sensitive to essential oils and one must know what they are doing to prevent poisoning, If one has small children who crawl and put their hands in their mouths, that may be an issue, also. Just because things sound ‘natural’ do not assume that they cannot be detrimental to health, especially animals and small children as their systems are tiny compared to ours.
Lindsey Johnson says
Hi Deborah! Thanks for adding that in. I often forget about that because I don’t own a cat and my kids aren’t super little anymore. It can be made without the tea tree oil and still work splendidly. 🙂
Pamela says
Im glad to hear you can use it with out tea tree oil as I didnt have any. I replaced mine with lemon oil. Smells great!
Biene says
I actually like to use citrus extract to remove lime, so it’s definitely my first choice to scrub the bathroom with. Great to know that I can clean my floor without using harsh chemicals, too!
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