In fact, acetic acid can be found as an ingredient in some store-bought cleaning solutions. Distilled white vinegar usually has an acidity around 5%, which gives it the power to cut through dirt, mineral deposits, and hard-water stains.
Cleaning with vinegar is great, but it cannot be and should not be used on certain fragile and vulnerable kinds of floors. Even when properly diluted, vinegar should never be used on granite, marble, stone, and waxed finishes.
Distilled white vinegar is favored for its ability to clean germs on many surfaces in the home, and its success is due to its heightened acidity. However, the use of vinegar has its time and place, and it isn't a perfect all-purpose cleaner for floors.
We love the O-Cedar mop that over 5,500 Amazon users swear by too. You can also use the vinegar and water solution in a spray mop. Air dry. There's no need to rinse your vinegar mopping solution from your floors.
When you use too little cleaner, your floors remain grimy, and when you use too much cleaner, it can leave a layer on your floors. So, it's a big possibility that not using the right amount of floor cleaner is responsible for your sticky floors. However, you can fix this quickly with another mopping!
Create a mopping solution of ½ cup of vinegar and one gallon of warm water. Proper dilution is important, since vinegar's acidic, abrasive properties can have a stronger effect on some materials than others—tile being one of those. When mopping, less is more; make sure to wring out your mop thoroughly after each dip.
The vinegar penetrates into the pores of the grout, further weakening the material. Over time, vinegar will deteriorate the condition of the grout by etching or wearing it away. If, however, you have sealed your grout on a regular basis, the vinegar won't be an issue.
Using a solution of a quarter cup of vinegar, a drop or two of dish soap, and warm water, spray it directly onto your floor. Then go over each section with a lightly damp mop. Be sure to dry each section as you go to avoid excess moisture from getting into your flooring.
But as a rule of thumb, you should mop your floors at least once a week—especially in areas that are more likely to get stains from drips and spills, like the kitchen and bathroom. “Of course, you need to vacuum or sweep the floor before mopping,” explains Leiva.
For a deep clean, probably every week or so, mix 6-7 drops of a mild detergent (dish soap is usually fine) with one gallon of warm or hot water. Use the mixture to dampen a mop, and clean the floor in sections.
Vacuum, dust or wipe with a lightly dampened mop – never use soap-based detergents, as they can leave a dull film on the floor, and avoid over-wetting. Don't use wax polish either, as this will make the floor slippery. To remove marks and stains, use a dilute solution of water and vinegar.
Undiluted, it can irritate your skin or nails, though, so be sure to wear gloves. For everyday jobs, diluted cleaning vinegar will get the job done.
Cleaning Grout with Vinegar
Pour or spray undiluted vinegar onto your grout and let it sit for 10 minutes before using a toothbrush, scrubbing in a circular motion. Next, rinse away the dirt and mildew. You can also use white vinegar to clean soap residue, mildew, and grime on non-porous tile surfaces.
Mopping with dirty water usually causes that buildup and dirty appearance, even though it was just mopped. Dirt is added to a mop bucket each time the mop is dunked into the water, if you don't change the water you are just transferring the dirt and grime around the floors through the dirty water.
So the answer to the titular question is vinegar. Vinegar is better for cleaning. But that's because bleach isn't intended for cleaning, but for disinfecting. And, by the way, if you want to use bleach for disinfecting, make sure the area you want to treat is clean (and rinsed clean, if you used vinegar!)
Grease, soap, and moisture may cling to your mops. Reusing the same mop after cleaning causes a layer of grease, soap, and moisture to form. This, in turn, causes the floors to become slippery. After cleaning your floors, make sure you use a separate dry mop for a final clean.
Mop Floors
Vinegar can dull certain hardwood flooring finishes, so always test your solution in an inconspicuous spot before using the ingredient to clean your floors.
The only difference between cleaning vinegar and the distilled white vinegar is their levels of acidity. White vinegar is usually 95 percent water and 5 percent acid. By contrast, cleaning vinegar contains up to six percent acid and is around 20 percent stronger than regular white vinegar.
White and distilled are types of vinegar. They differ fundamentally in their acetic acid content. White, also known as spirit vinegar, has 5% to 20% acetic acid. This is generally higher as compared to distilled vinegar's 5%-8%.
As a general rule, wherever you find rubber, keep the vinegar away. The vinegar's acid can eat away at rubber just as it does natural stone. Soap and water or a solution of soap and baking soda are the best grime busters for rubber parts.