Vinegar is a natural disinfectant that works well as a mopping solution without leaving any chemical residue on your floors. Although some people don't like the scent, this odor is evident only as you mop and clean—it will fade away rapidly as the solution dries. The results left behind are a gorgeous, clean floor.
There's no need to rinse your vinegar-mopping solution from your floors. Keep in mind that your floors should be drying very quickly if you've wrung out your mop sufficiently.
The only vinegar that works for cleaning floors is distilled white vinegar. The simple kind. It has an acidity of 5 percent which is perfect for cutting through grease, grime, and dirt. It is also cheap enough that you can use tonnes of it in cleaning all your surfaces, and still not break the bank or your budget.
Vinegar + Water is the safest combo for cleaning. If you're facing a tough spot while you mop, sprinkle a little bit of dry baking soda onto the area and scrub at it by hand. Undiluted vinegar will have some reactions to the baking soda, though not enough to cause an issue. Never add vinegar to your steam mop.
Mix ½ cup of vinegar with one gallon of hot water to create your mopping solution. Wring out your mop thoroughly so that it is only damp and doesn't saturate wood floors with moisture to avoid damage.
Sticky floors happen when you have not passed the mop to remove too much cleaning solution or the wrong cleaning solution. It can also be due to dirty water used in rinsing your mop.
Does mopping with vinegar stink? While vinegar is a magical cleaner that you can use on almost any surface, its strong odor can make cleaning a little bit of a challenge. Of course, over time, the smell will dissipate, but you shouldn't have to wait around for the smell to fade.
One safe bet is to mix together ½ cup rubbing alcohol, ½ cup vinegar, a few drops of dish detergent, and 2 gallons of water. The alcohol cuts through the really tough stains, while the detergent helps remove grease and residue. Mop the entire floor, then rinse with fresh water, if it seems necessary.
It's also an ingredient in some store-bought household cleaners. The acidic nature of vinegar is so powerful it can dissolve mineral deposit, dirt, grease, and grime. It's also strong enough to kill bacteria.
Try 1 part baking soda to 2 parts vinegar (and feel free to add a spoonful of dish soap in there, too, if you want a little extra boost of cleaning power). The result should be surface cleaner that's still natural and powerful, but much less odorous.
There's no set time that the vinegar smell will linger. It depends on the air flow in the space. However, vinegar actively looks for things to bind to. In most cases, it won't take more than 5-15 minutes for the smell to go away.
You can safely use vinegar to clean ceramic or porcelain tiles, whether they are glazed or unglazed. For other types, however, like terracotta, marble or grante, we recommend you look for ph neutral cleaner that will not harm the material.
The set time for vinegar can be up to 30 minutes. For example, to clean the insides of food-stained pots and pans, soak them in a mixture of one-half cup of white vinegar diluted with one gallon of water for 30 minutes. Then rinse in hot, soapy water.
Washing machine
Just as it does in a dishwasher, vinegar can harm rubber parts inside a washing machine, which will eventually lead to leaks. Though laundering your clothes with vinegar is a cost-effective, natural way to soften and deodorize fabrics, avoid using it in your washer too frequently.
Mop around the edges first, then move to the middle of the floor, using overlapping, figure-eight strokes. When one side of the mop gets dirty, turn the mop over to the clean side. When both sides are dirty, wash the mop in the bucket; otherwise, you'll be spreading dirt around instead of removing it.
The best solutions for mopping a floor include using white vinegar, dish soap, window cleaner, or rubbing alcohol methods. These floor cleaners are easy to make at home and keep your floors clean. Before you use these methods, you'll first need to know how to care for your flooring type.
Don't worry about the odor; it's never long lasting since vinegar evaporates once it dries. If you're really sensitive to the scent, you can also mix-in a few drops of essentials oil for a fresh boost of fragrance.
Oils such as Lavender, Wild orange, Lemon, Tea Tree, Pine, and Peppermint have effective cleaning properties and will leave your home smelling good. Grapefruit, Eucalyptus, Cinnamon, and Thyme essential oils in your mop water will effectively clean your floors, leaving a pleasant smell in your home.
Mop Frequently
High-traffic areas, like kitchens, bathrooms, hallways, and entryways, require weekly mopping. Infrequently used rooms, such as formal living areas or guest rooms, can be mopped every other week, or even once a month, so long as they're vacuumed once every seven days to remove dust and grit.
To ensure there is not film build-up left behind the floors should be followed with a quick plain water rinse and a quick-drying to eliminate the chance of filmy residue left on the floors.
Fill a bucket with hot water, a half cup of vinegar and a half tablespoon of dish soap. Don't use too much soap, or the soapy residue will make your floors look dull. Before you mop, rinse out the mop head under hot running water to remove any debris from last time you used it. Mop the tile floors with soapy water.