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What Is the Best Homemade Floor Cleaner?

We put DIY floor cleaners to the test. Here’s what we found.

homemade products floor cleaner graphic of a green mop and bucket and green and white bottle of cleaner on a wood floor
Image: HouseLogic

Truth be told, hot water with a little dish detergent will clean day-to-day dirt from any flooring. But stains are more difficult to vanquish and really test the mettle of DIY floor cleaners.

Ingredients for DIY floor cleaner
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

To begin my test, I created a popular, all-purpose cleaner. White vinegar and washing soda pack a one-two punch that knocks out dirt. Then I mixed them with dish soap and water to form an everyday cleaner.

Here’s that basic recipe:

How to Make Homemade Floor Cleaner

  • ¼ cup white vinegar
  • ¼ cup washing soda
  • 1 tablespoon liquid dish soap
  • 2 gallons hot tap water

This is the control solution that I compared all other DIY solutions to. I then took samples of floor materials -- vinyl, ceramic tile, laminate, and finished hardwood -- and tried to remove Sharpie (permanent marker) marks with different DIY cleaners I made using the basic recipe as a base.

Here’s what I found:

Vinyl Floor Cleaners: Homemade vs. Alcohol

Vinyl is a popular kitchen flooring, so I marked it with a black Sharpie and compared the all-purpose control solution (A) to isopropyl alcohol (B). I placed a little of each cleaner on a clean cloth and made 20 swipes on each stain.

Here's the before picture.

DIY vinyl floor cleaner before test
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

Here's after.

DIY vinyl floor cleaner after test
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

The all-purpose control was a bust. But the alcohol virtually eliminated the stain in five swipes.

I then wanted to see if diluted alcohol (C) -- one part alcohol; one part water -- would be as effective. It wasn't.

Ingredients for DIY floor cleaner test with alcohol
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

Ceramic Tile Floor Cleaners: Homemade vs. Toothpaste

Ceramic tile is a popular flooring for kitchens and bathrooms. I compared the all-purpose control solution to a dab of toothpaste, which is known as a household polish and cleaner.

For this test, I used a circle made with a Sharpie marker.

Before ceramic tile cleaner test
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

Here's what happened.

Ceramic tile floor cleaner DIY test after
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

The all-purpose solution took out the Sharpie circle, while the toothpaste only lightened it.

Laminate Floor Cleaners: Homemade vs. Borax, Alcohol, Toothpaste

I marked up some laminate flooring samples and pitted the control solution against a sprinkle of Borax on a sponge. Borax is a laundry detergent that, because it's abrasive, takes out other household stains, too.

Before DIY floor test for laminate cleaner
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

The test was a bust. Neither the all-purpose control solution nor the Borax removed the stains on laminate.

Laminate floor cleaner DIY test
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

Undeterred, I tried the alcohol and toothpaste -- just for kicks.

DIY floor cleaner test with toothpaste
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

Here's what happened.

After DIY floor cleaner test with toothpaste
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

That alcohol is a great stain remover on floors and took out the stain. The toothpaste lightened it.

Wood Floor Cleaners: Homemade vs. Vinegar, Peroxide, Alcohol

Just about anything will clean dirt off wood floors. But removing Sharpie is a challenge, so I rounded up the usual cleaning suspects -- the all-purpose control solution, straight white vinegar, hydrogen peroxide (which has many household uses), and alcohol -- and gave them a chance to prove themselves.

Before wood DIY floor cleaner test
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

Here are the results.

The basic homemade floor cleaner recipe (A) removed most -- but not all of -- the stain.

The vinegar (B) did nothing.

After DIY floor cleaning test with wood and vinegar
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

The hydrogen peroxide (C) was a bust. 

The alcohol (D) removed the stain, but left a haze. To remove the haze, I put a dab of olive oil on a cloth and rubbed. And the wood looked good as new.

After DIY floor cleaner test with wood and alcohol
Image: Lisa Kaplan Gordon for HouseLogic

I would use alcohol judiciously on wood floors, because it can remove some finishes, such as wax and shellac. So use it only in a worst-case scenario and prepare to beef up the finish afterward.

Homemade Floor Cleaners Work

Homemade floor cleaner recipes are an effective alternative to commercial cleaners. Some work better than others on different types of flooring. But stains on every type of floor surrender to some type of make-it-yourself cleaner.

homemade products floor cleaner animation of a mop cleaning the hardwood floor with a green bucket and green and white bottle of cleaner against the peach wall with the recipe
Image: HouseLogic

Related:

Housing And Real Estate Expert Lisa Kaplan-Gordon
Lisa Kaplan Gordon

Lisa Kaplan Gordon is an award-winning, Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer who contributes to real estate and home improvement sites. In her spare time (yeah, right!), she gardens, manages three dogs, and plots to get her 21-year-old out of her basement.