While some people use laundry detergent to mop floors for its cleaning power, it's generally not recommended because it creates a sticky, dull film, can damage floor finishes (voiding warranties), and its strong chemicals aren't ideal for hard surfaces, requiring extra rinsing and potentially harming kids/pets. If used, it must be heavily diluted (1 tbsp per gallon water), but specialized floor cleaners are a safer bet.
Mopping Floors
Next time you want to clean your tile, linoleum, or vinyl floors, forget your traditional mopping solution and grab your liquid laundry detergent instead. "Mop with a solution of one tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent to a gallon of water," says Sutherland.
Instructions
Distilled white vinegar combined with a couple of drops of dish detergent is the best natural floor cleaner for hardwood floors. To make it, dilute ½ cup of vinegar in a gallon of water, then add your favorite dish soap for scent and extra cleaning power.
In a bucket, mix one gallon of warm water with a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and a teaspoon of gentle dish soap. The rubbing alcohol helps the floor dry quickly, preventing water from seeping into the laminate. Dip your mop into the solution, wring it out thoroughly, and mop the floor gently.
Yes, a few drops of dishwashing liquid mixed with warm water is safe for most tile floors, including vinyl, ceramic, and porcelain. Always rinse with clean water to avoid a sticky residue.
Mop The Floors
Yup, laundry detergent is a wonderful alternative, too! “Using laundry detergent as a mopping solution works because the detergent contains powerful cleaning agents and surfactants that effectively break down dirt, grime, and stains,” says Sharp.
The cleaning enzymes in laundry detergent work great at pulling away dirt from floors. Fill your mop bucket up with hot water, then add one teaspoon of laundry detergent (a little goes a long way). Make sure to wring out as much water as possible from your mop as you clean—too wet and you'll leave streaks.
Baking Soda + Hot Water
Combining your boiling water with baking soda is one of the easiest substitutes for dish soap at home. Baking soda is the product of a thousand uses and works well on dishes in a pinch.
Using detergent and lots of water can damage and discolor your flooring. It can strip the finish and leave you with cloudy hardwood and lifting laminate. Ideally, you want to be cleaning your flooring with a solution that has a neutral pH (pH 7); tide detergent has a pH of between 10 -12.
"The addition of vinegar not only cleans but also freshens floors and acts as a natural cleaning agent with antibacterial properties that deodorize by easily neutralizing odors." She recommends creation a homemade solution of one part white vinegar mixed with ten parts warm water.
Yes, you can use washing up liquid to mop your hard floors. Just squirt a couple of drops into some warm water for an effective clean.
For your mopping solution, mild dish detergents are best – even just a few drops of dish soap and hot water will do for linoleum. Also, any combo of apple cider vinegar and water or even a baking soda scrub for tough stains is fine for linoleum. Something pH-neutral is ideal for stone.
Four Steps to Clean Floors Properly
The answer is a qualified yes. Plain tap water, combined with the right cleaning processes and tools, effectively removes soils and bacteria from surfaces. Giving up cleaning products and using water alone offers lots of benefits.
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Professional cleaners use a variety of mops, with microfiber flat mops being a top choice for efficiency and sanitation on smooth indoor surfaces, while spin mops (like O-Cedar) and traditional loop-end/string mops with wringer buckets are popular for versatility and heavy-duty cleaning on various hard floors, and for larger areas, automated scrubbers are often used.
Sticky floors are often caused by too much detergent, dirty mop water, or failing to rinse the floor properly. Always follow the correct dilution ratio and rinse with clean water to avoid residue buildup.