This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full Disclosure Policy for details.
Get those grimy floors clean with this heavy duty tile floor cleaner! It is perfect for getting rid of the “boy bathroom” smell!
I really hate to clean my floors. It’s my least favorite household chore. With three boys, two dogs and a cat, however, it’s a necessary evil. 🙂
At least I have a heavy duty tile floor cleaner that makes it less of a chore. The kitchen really isn’t too bad. I love my wood laminate floors because most of the time, a damp paper towel will do the trick.
But the bathrooms? Now that’s a different story.
I live in a house populated by males. Anyone with boys knows what that “boy bathroom smell” is like. It’s always there-wafting through the house like an Oscar the Grouch version of a Glade plug-in.
But this DIY tile floor cleaner just might be my salvation.
This DIY “recipe” from Food.com is for heavy-duty cleaning like in a commercial kitchen. It is designed to be a grease cutter. And it works great on the kitchen floor.
The problem with using ammonia based cleaners like Pine-Sol in the bathroom is that it just seems to make the pee smell even worse. And why use expensive and harsh chemicals when you don’t have to?
Seriously, my bathroom smells great and the floors look clean. At least for the next 12 seconds.
Please note: this tile floor cleaner does not work on wood laminate floors. It will leave a soapy residue and you don’t want to use that much water on a laminate floor anyway.
If you’re looking for a great cleaning solution for a wood laminate floor, this is the one. I’ve tested multiple floor cleaner mixtures and I love how fresh and clean my floor gets with just a little spray of this cleaner and a good dust mop. The O-Cedar dust mop is my favorite.
What you need to make Heavy Duty Tile Floor Cleaner:
- distilled white vinegar-you can purchase it by the gallon on the cleaning aisle in most grocery stores
- Dawn liquid dish soap-use the original blue kind for the best results
- washing soda-this can be found in the laundry aisle of the grocery store
- very warm water
- bucket and mop
Tile Floor Cleaner
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup washing soda
- 1 tsp liquid dish soap
- 2 gallons very warm water
Instructions
- 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, 1/4 cup washing soda, 1 tsp liquid dish soapMix the vinegar, washing soda and dish soap in the bottom of the bucket.
- 2 gallons very warm waterAdd the very warm water and mix well.
- Mop the floor with the solution. It shouldn't need to be rinsed afterwards, but if you notice a soapy residue, wipe it down with a damp towel. Air dry.
- Chocolate Orange Cookies - November 2, 2024
- Nutella Banana Bread - October 14, 2024
- Bacon Onion Dip - September 13, 2024
Christine says
I tried this on my ceramic tile kitchen floor this evening, but I used Palmolive Oxy since that’s what I had in the house. Next time I would only add 1/2 Tablespoon of the dishwashing liquid. It did a good job of cleaning my floor! floor!
Nicole Burkholder says
It’s a bit of a guessing game when it comes to the dish soap ratio. I know I don’t usually “measure” my gallons of water, I just eyeball it. 🙂 Glad you liked it, though!
Connie says
Do you rinse the floor after mopping?
Nicole Burkholder says
No rinsing- just make sure you don’t use too much dish soap, or you’ll get a bit of a film that may need to be wiped down. I have 3 kids, so often I wipe down the floor after mopping just so we can dry it quickly and get back into the bathroom, but it’s not a requirement.
Debra Brown says
I like the recipe. I have hardwood floor everywhere in the house and I really hate cleaning it. I think that with your DIY floor cleaner it will be great! I can’t wait to try it! Thanks!
Kayla Ellis says
It’s a magical cleaning solution!I use it about two years already and it never let me down. For the grout I make an paste from baking soda and vinegar and scrub with a toothbrush, it’s quite efficient.
Greets!
janetmsd says
Before using a cleaner on wood laminate better check the label. Mine says: “To clean use ONLY HOT WATER” — and it is written that way. I have a long-handled soft bristled brush that I use in the corners and edges occasionally and after living here 4 years they still look like new (they were put down 12 years ago.)
Nicole Burkholder says
I don’t use this cleaner on wood laminate. Well, not anymore. I did when I was testing it out, but it left an icky residue. Now I use mostly water and sometimes a dab of dish soap or a TINY bit of pine-sol to get up greasy spots. But I took the photo on my kitchen floor which leads to some confusion, understandably. I really need to update this post!
Alicia B says
Have you ever tried using 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 water to clean your laminate? I mix the 2 and put them in the microwave and get them hot then scrub my floors. It works great for me. Makes your floors really shiny even after it dries.
Nicole Burkholder says
I’ll have to try that. We just got wood laminate flooring in half of the house. So far I’ve only used water but I’d like to actually “clean” it too 🙂
Amy says
I’m headed to the bathroom right now to try this on my ceramic tile floors. For all my wood & laminate flooring, I start with a damp mop & fill a 16 oz spray bottle with 1 or 2 ozs of Mrs. Meyers Clean Day Counter top cleaner & water. I give the high traffic areas (in front of the fridge, below the sink/cooktop, in front of the doors, etc.)a good misting then run the damp mop over the floor. I think it has just enough cleaner without leaving a film or suds and since it’s counter top spray, it doesn’t need to be rinsed. And talk about making the house smell great! The Geranium is my favorite scent thus far. I use a 2 side microfiber dust mop to mop with so I can pull off & rinse the pads with clean (running) water frequently, then toss them in the washer when I’m finished.
Nicole Burkholder says
I have the same kind of mop! Now that I have so much more wood laminate flooring I’ve been looking for a better alternative to clean them. Sometimes water alone just isn’t enough. Thanks for the tip!
Paula Abell says
My wood laminate floors cannot have any water on them at all . I have to use a special laminate floor cleaner spray that I then use a dust mop kind of thing over it . You might want to check your manufacturer labeling first .
Nicole Burkholder says
I do NOT recommend this cleaner for wood laminate flooring. I (unwisely in retrospect) snapped the photo on my kitchen floor, which is wood laminate and confuses people. I recommend this for tile floors, primarily. I do have a great cleaner for my wood laminate, though! It’s made with water, but sprayed in a light mist and dries quickly. I use the dust mop for that as well. http://www.simpleandseasonal.com/clean-wood-laminate-floors/
Beverly says
I used it on my wood laminate floor and it made my floors terrible. It left a very sticky residue like glue. I worked on it for 8 hrs trying to get the stuff up. So finally I ordered a scrubber . So I’m waiting to get it in to do it again.
Nicole Burkholder says
As I mentioned in the post, this is NOT for wood laminate floors. You are not supposed to use soap on wood laminate, and very little water. I actually have a great solution for laminate floors. I tried several solutions after we got new flooring and love this one: http://www.simpleandseasonal.com/clean-wood-laminate-floors/
Cherie says
Nicole what do you use to clean your wood laminate floors? I have tried many things and everything leaves streaks.
Nicole Burkholder says
I’ve played around with a few different things but I’ve found that the best thing is to use very little soap. The floors wipe clean with just a touch of dish soap for grease. I’ve used a very watered down pinesol mixture.
Paula Parker says
Note about Pinesol – HIGHLY toxic to animals, so don’t use it anywhere dogs/cats come into contact.
Octavio Cedeno says
I tried the solution on my kitchen floor. NEVER have i gotten the results that I have with this. Gunk in the corners and under cabinets that I have just ignored are now gone. Thank you very much!
Nicole Burkholder says
You’re so welcome! Thanks for letting us know 🙂
Mary Lou says
I used the mixture on my kitchen and bathroom floors, both solid linoleum. It was way too soapy. In fact, I slipped on the wet floor and sprained my left thumb, messing up the already arthritic joint. Took 3 months before I could bend it and still have trouble gripping with it. It left a gunky residue on my floors, too. I was wondering if perhaps the amount of Dawn was too much.
Nicole Burkholder says
I’m so sorry to hear that! I don’t think it’s too much soap- it’s only one tablespoon mixed with two gallons of water. I use this on my bathroom floors which are now both tile, so I can’t really compare to linoleum. You could try with a smaller amount of soap to see if it makes a difference. Using washing soda instead of baking soda also helps with the residue issues. (It’s supposed to be washing soda, but I only had baking soda when I was taking my pictures ages ago.) I really need to go update the post! Hope your thumb feels better soon!
Curious says
I frequently see cleaners that mix vinegar and baking soda, but this is just mixing an acid and a base (remember that elementary school volcano?). Both are great cleaners individually, but an acid and a base mixed create water. I suppose water cleans pretty good too.
Have you compared the formula above to one without the vinegar or baking soda?
Nicole Burkholder says
You do end up with salt water after mixing the soda and vinegar and the fizzing stops. While it’s fizzing you have some extra scrubbing power, but don’t forget there is also Dawn in this mixture. Perhaps it’s the combination of the soap and salt water that makes it work. I haven’t tried it without soda or vinegar, but I have tried it with Washing soda (which is what the original “recipe” calls for anyway) and since that is a different chemical construction, it does work differently. I’ve found both to be effective, so I’m happy to keep using it!
Hillary says
While it’s ‘fizzing’, the chemical created is Carbonic Acid, which is equivocal to rain water. The gas being released is carbon dioxide, as the chemical is being broken down into CO2 and H2O. Sodium Acetate (the salt created) is actually not very reactive and would be present in minuscule amounts, in this case. I’m afraid it’s all down to the ever-reliable cleaning power of Dawn and and water.
Nicole Burkholder says
I have since switched to using washing soda as the original “recipe” calls for, and it seems to be even more effective. I know the chemical composition of washing soda is different, but I don’t know how it reacts with an acid (Science was never my thing) 🙂 But I do know it works!
Kelly says
Does the type of mop matter? Sponge mop, rag mop, etc?
Nicole Burkholder says
I used a sponge mop but I see why it would really matter either way. The place where I found the “recipe” had a photo of a rag mop.
Debbie says
Tried this solution on my tile floors, still leaves a gunky/sticky film on them and I used washing soda with vinegar and dawn. Won’t use it again.
Nicole Burkholder says
Really? That’s too bad. I don’t have any problem with my tile floors. Maybe try it with less dish soap. ?
Lorelai says
The residue issue may be because of the baking soda. Chemically, there is a difference between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and washing soda (sodium carbonate). I’ve used this mopping solution for years, with washing soda & I’ve never had a soapy residue on laminate.
Nicole Burkholder says
I agree. I really need to buy the washing soda!
Cyd says
Does it clean the grout?
Nicole Burkholder says
It cleans it (as in it removes grease and general grime) but if you want to whiten stained grout, you should just use straight white vinegar and a brush. That works like a charm!
Jan says
I used the white vinegar, washing not baking soda and blue dawn. Most of the tile floor became cleaner but some tiles are spotted or streaked. Should I use a different solution or how can this be fixed?
ToniMarie Feldis says
Do you have to use the blue Dawn? Will the green work the same?
Nicole Burkholder says
The blue dawn is specially formulated as a grease cutter, so I would use it in the kitchen, but the green stuff probably would work fine.
Rae e says
Do you need to go over it again with just plain water?
Nicole Burkholder says
Nope! Just mop like you would with any cleaning solution! (Or scrub on your hands and knees) 🙂
Sarah says
Do you think this would work on old vinyl tiles/linoleum? My kitchen floor never comes clean with regular cleaners.
Nicole Burkholder says
I used it on my bathroom floors and one of them is linoleum. (I HATE linoleum!) The problem with a really dirty linoleum floor is the creases and crevices get dirty and they only way to get that clean is with a scrub brush or toothbrush to get down into those little bumps. I would use this cleaner with a brush for a good deep clean. Then, if you can stay on top of it, the floor should come clean with regular mopping.
vicki says
Just seeing this post now, as I missed a few days of looking at my e-mails awhile ago. Anyway, I clean with vinegar and baking soda too, but I absolutely HATE the scent of that vinegar! Adding some kind of dish soap is a great idea. I must try that! We do have tile floors, and the bathroom is overdue on a really good cleaning. Today I am going to go for it! Thanks, Nicole!! 🙂
Darlene says
I use vinegar to clean many things. Even straight vinegar will lose the smell once it dries.
Nicole Burkholder says
Yeah, it stinks to high heaven, but not for too long 🙂
claire says
I have used this before and tell others how great it is!
Nicole Burkholder says
I don’t know where I’ve been all these years 🙂 I guess that’s why I love Pinterest so much! 🙂
Lauren Nickerson says
Does this smell like vinegar at all? My family HATES the smell of vinegar and I am curious to try this!
Nicole Burkholder says
I was concerned about that, too, but it’s only 1/4 cup diluted in 2 gallons of water, so it’s barely there. Plus the scent of the dish soap is so strong, that’s all I could smell. If you didn’t use Dawn, you could get any dish soap with a pretty scent. But I am going to go back and update the post- this morning my kitchen floor had a layer of soap gunk on it, so it doesn’t work on laminate floors. This is just for tile floors!
Sheila says
Nicole, I have found that if you leave out the soda this works nicely on laminate floors.