Natural floor cleaner - The perfect formula for Hardwood, Laminate & Luxury Vinyl Plank flooring

If you have recently invested into a hardwood, laminate, or luxury vinyl plank floor then one of the first questions you may have after it is installed is, what do I clean my floor with? We always recommend following the manufacturers recommendations for proper maintenance, but we also know that a lot of people are looking for a more natural solution. Water and vinegar is one of the most popular alternatives. But how do you know if you have the right proportions? It would be a shame to ruin that new investment by using a cleaner that is too acidic and will ruin the finish over time. In this video we take a deep dive into the best solution for an all natural floor cleaner that gets the job done but doesn’t harm the finish on your floor. View the recipes down below.

Vinegar & Water Mix

2 cups / 16oz Water
- 1/4 tsp vinegar (white)

4 cups / 32oz Water (2x)
- 1/2 tsp vinegar (white)

8 cups / 64oz Water (4x)
- 1 tsp vinegar (white)

16 cups / 128oz Water (8x)
- 2 tsp vinegar (white)

= = = = = = =

Vinegar, Alcohol, Dawn & Water Mix

2 cups / 16oz Water
- 1 tsp 70% alcohol (isopropyl)
- 1/2 tsp vinegar (white)
- 1/4 tsp dish soap (Dawn)

4 cups / 32oz Water (2x)
- 2 tsp 70% alcohol (isopropyl)
- 1 tsp vinegar (white)
- 1/2 tsp dish soap (Dawn)

8 cups / 64oz Water (4x)
- 4 tsp 70% alcohol (isopropyl)
- 2 tsp vinegar (white)
- 1 tsp dish soap (Dawn)

16 cups / 128oz Water (4x)
- 8 tsp 70% alcohol (isopropyl)
- 4 tsp vinegar (white)
- 2 tsp dish soap (Dawn)

If you have your own recipe that you have successfully used in the past please leave it in the comment section.

0:00 - Intro / Cold Open
0:29 - Intro to Natural Cleaning
0:37 - pH Neutral Requirements & Scale
0:49 - Vinegar & Water
1:09 - Winging a cleaning formula and why you shouldn't
1:24 - Testing internet formulas for acidity
1:40 - 50/50 Vinegar & Water - Very Acidic
1:57 - 1/3 Vinegar, Alcohol & Water - Still Acidic
2:10 - Vinegar & Water Neutral pH Blend (Neutral & Verified 6-7pH)
2:24 - Neutral Blend (Alcohol, Vinegar, Water, Dish Soap & Verified 6-7pH)
2:46 - Comparison of blends side by side
3:35 - Using more cleaning ingredients can ruin your floor
4:22 - Vinegar & Water Formula (Neutral) for 32oz, 64oz, 128oz mixes
4:30 - Neutral Blend Formula for 32oz, 64oz, 128oz mixes
4:38 - Results (Before & After)

[Bizzare]

But if you use such a low amount of vinegar and alcohol wont you lower the solutions bacteria killing ability? When I followed these measurements to achieve a more neutral PH balance, I also noticed that it left less of shine when compared to the previous measurements I initially used consisting of 1/3 vin, 1/3 alcohol and 1/3 cup water.

[aliceschmid]

No. Sorry. I have been forced to use the vinegar solution and HATE it. Smells disgusting.

[matthewwright]

Can you premix a large patch of the cleaner (alcohol, vinegar, and dawn version) and then store it for use as needed?

[rubyearl]

Not supposed to use acidic cleaner on laminate or vinyl plank flooring.

[anelrubio]

Will adding a few drops of lavender essential oil throw off ph ?

[Gail]

Is this solution safe for laminate flooring water vinegar alcohol and dawn