DIY Laminate Floor Cleaner

No more cleaning floors on hands and knees!

I've always been a fan of the “hands and knees” floor cleaning method over the dirty, messy mop and bucket. Can’t get into crooks and crannies with the mop; however, I have an 800 square-foot open laminate floor area, since moving out to the country some years ago. Getting on my hands and knees for that amount of space is a bit daunting. Thankfully most of the areas don’t get heavy traffic. Being of the DIY mindset for skin care and cleaning products, I found the perfect solution to my cleaning problem . . . and it’s SO easy! Oh, and be sure to read all the way to the end for a BIG surprise!!

sprayer, dish soap, alcohol, vinegar, water

Make Homemade Laminate Floor Cleaner

Here’s all you need. Use a measuring cup or jar and add equal parts:
1)       Water
2)       White Vinegar
3)       70% Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol
To this mixture, add:
4)       Few drops of liquid dish detergent * (Make your own dish soap! See instructions below.)

Mix all these ingredients together and pour into a fine mist spray bottle.

To Use:
a)    Sweep or vacuum floors first
b)    Spray floor cleaner in a fine mist over the area to be cleaned
c)    Allow to set for a few minutes. Then use a microfiber mop or towel to wipe it up. (I use a Swiffer with a cloth or reusable cover.) ** (Check out the homemade Swiffer covers below.)

You'll notice immediately that this cleans easily and effectively, quickly dries and is so simple to use. NO BUCKET REQUIRED! The only step I take after this is to hand-wipe the flooring around the baseboards and to get into all the corners. Easy peasy!

When you have finished mopping, just toss the microfiber mop head or towel into the laundry until next time. Don’t use fabric softener or dryer sheets when laundering cleaning towels or else they will lose the ability to absorb liquids effectively. (Just use vinegar as your fabric softener.)

TIPS

* Make Your Own Dish Soap
Instead of using commercial dish soap, make your own.

·         1 cup liquid castile soap
·         3 tablespoons water
·         a few drops essential oil (optional)

Combine in a bottle of your choice, mix well, and use. (Yes, it’s that easy!) I like Dr. Bronner’s baby-mild castile soap, but any castile soap will work.

** Make Your Own Swiffer Covers

Reversible Swiffer Sock

 Reversible Swiffer sock instructions.

If you don't want to make your own, you can buy handcrafted readymade reusable Swiffer covers.

Handcrafted Reusable Swiffer Covers

What’s the big surprise I promised?  After testing this on my laminate flooring and loving the results, I tried it on my windows . . . whoa, it worked GREAT! Then I tried it on mirrors . . . no more streaks!  It even works on stainless steel appliances, so it has become my SUPER ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER. Really, this cleaner is fantastic!

What great cleaning tips have you discovered?