Green Cleaning: Healthier Alternatives to Floor Cleaners

They may give your house a clean smell, but the harsh chemical cleaning products on today's market are not helping to improve your health or that of the environment. Instead, use green floor cleaners that will remove debris without harming your family. Here are a few natural alternatives to commercial floor cleaners.

Non-Toxic Floor Cleaning Products

Warm water: Some surfaces are non-porous, so they do not need to be scrubbed with cleaners. For light cleaning and to wipe up spills, use a damp rag to remove any dirt or food.

Mild liquid dish soap: Since liquid dish soaps are typically mild, and do not contain harsh chemical ingredients, they are usually safe to use on most floor surfaces.

Baking soda: Need to scrub something off your hard floors? Use a little baking soda and a damp cloth to remove the debris from any floor surface. Take caution not to scratch wood floors with anything sharp.

Vinegar: This is one kitchen staple that works wonders for cleaning nearly anything, particularly hard surfaces in the home. Dilute vinegar in water for light, everyday cleaning.

Essential oils: Some essential oils, like rosemary and eucalyptus, have anti-bacterial properties. A couple drops of oil can help disinfect your floors, while giving the house a fresh scent.

No-Rinse Floor Cleaner Recipe

Use this recipe for light-duty, everyday floor cleaning. It can be used on any hard surface, and does not need to be rinsed away.

Ingredients:

~clean, empty container
~1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
~15 drops lavender oil

Instructions:

1. Combine all the ingredients together in an empty container.
2. Mix 1/8 cup of the solution with one gallon of water. It does not need to be rinsed from the floors.

Heavy Duty Cleaning Recipe

This recipe can be used for cleaning grimy floors or hard-to-clean surfaces in the home.

Ingredients:

~1/2 cup white vinegar
~1/4 cup Citra Solv Cleaner & Degreaser
~2 Tbsp. liquid dish soap
~1/2 tsp. lavender essential oil

Instructions:

1. Combine all the ingredients together in an empty container.
2. Mix 1/8 cup of the solution with one gallon of water. Clean floors as usual.

Tips to Keep the Floors Clean Longer

Naturally, the longer you are able to keep the floors clean, the less often you will need to scrub them. To minimize dirt that is tracked inside, place mats near each of the doors and ask that shoes are removed in the entry. Sweep the floors regularly to prevent debris from being caked onto them, and clean up spills as they happen. These tips will help ensure you are not spending your time scrubbing the floors with harsh cleaning products.

References:
Heavy Duty Formula Floor Cleaner
Natural Floor Cleaning Basics