How to Make Hardwood Floor Cleaners

Making your own hardwood floor cleaners can save you a lot of money over the cost of buying premade cleaners. Some tips to remember when making your own cleaner is to avoid any alkaline products, as these will dull the finish; avoid any oils as these will cause your floor to be slippery; and avoid any abrasive ingredients, these will make scratches.

Materials needed to make your own hardwood floor cleaner:

• Mop and bucket


• Water


• Baby shampoo


• Dish soap


• Vinegar


• Essential oils- these are optional if you want to add a scent to your homemade cleaners.

Recipes to make your own hardwood floor cleaner:

• Mix a bucket full of warm water with a small amount of dish washing liquid. This is the one of the easiest hardwood floor cleaners and it works great. Be sure not to use too much dish washing liquid; you do not want your floor to become sticky from too much soap.


• Mix baby shampoo with warm water. A good ratio is one part baby shampoo to six parts water. Mop your floor with this mixture to leave your floor clean. If you find your floor is feeling soapy or sticky, you may want to rinse it with clean water.


• Pour 1/2 cup of white vinegar into a gallon of warm water. It is very easy to mix this up to clean your floor. You can mix up smaller amounts and use a spray bottle to wet the floor.


• Add your favorite essential oils to any of these homemade cleaners to make your rooms smell great.

The most important thing to remember when washing your hardwood floors is to use the least amount of water possible. Wring out your mop until it is just damp. You do not want puddles of water on your floors. If you do find standing water on the floor or streaks of water, you should dry these with a towel.