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Crunchy (AKA “natural”) light-bulbs. They’re all the rage these days, and with good reason.
First, they’re eco-friendly! And with all the confusion over which light-bulb is actually the right one to use, a crunchy light-bulb is a breath of fresh air, a reason to rejoice. The appearance of a crunchy light-bulb means very good things are about to happen.
Second, they empower! When a crunchy light-bulb lights up, get ready to spend some time with vinegar, beeswax, or essential oils. Power to the max.
Crunchy light-bulbs may not be an actual physical light-bulb you purchase from the store and plug into your favorite paisley lamp (sorry). But, they exist!
A crunchy light-bulb shines bright the moment you get a stirring idea, that just won’t leave you alone, also known as an “AHA moment”. The moment you realize you no longer need a long skinny tube of antibacterial and healing gel in your medicine cabinet, you can make your own! When the last drop of commercial laundry soap is poured into the washer and suddenly a crunchy light-bulb shines bright: “I can make my own laundry soap!”. Now that’s empowering, friend.
That’s what a crunchy light-bulb is all about! Of course, all good crunchy light-bulb moments must be shared. So, today, I come to you with another light-bulb creation, one of my simplest, yet highly-effective natural remedies: DIY Natural Floor Cleaner Wipes.
DIY Natural Floor Cleaner Wipes are inspired by my simple DIY Cleaning Wipes. Stock a natural, simple-minded gal a handful of washcloths and a gallon of vinegar, and she just may try taking over the whole cleaning industry!
Both wipe recipes use washcloths making DIY cleaning wipes: reusable, easy to wash, and 100% natural. Simply attach a DIY Natural Floor Cleaner Wipe to a Swiffer base and clean the floor like its never been cleaned before. Your wallet, floor, and husband will thank you!
DIY Natural Floor Cleaner Wipes
Ingredients
- 2 cups distilled water
- 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar
- 2 TB rubbing/isopropyl alcohol helps with drying
- 10 drops sweet orange essential oil You can also substitute lemon or lavender and create your own combo
- 5 drops peppermint essential oil
- 5 drops tea tree essential oil
Instructions
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Roll the washcloths and place in a jar.
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In a small bowl combine the water, vinegar, rubbing alcohol and essential oils.
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Pour the vinegar mixture over the washcloths, pressing the washcloths down into the liquid. The washcloths should be wet. Depending on the size of your washcloths, you may need to add more vinegar/water as needed.
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Close the lid on the jar.
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Remove the washcloths from the jar as needed and attach to a Swiffer base. Wash the dirty cloths in the washer, and repeat the process. When you introduce water into a product without a preservative you always run the risk of introducing bacteria, so use water-based products quickly.
Tools I Use:
Note: To attach the wipe to the Swiffer base, simply secure the ends of the cloth in the holes on top of the base. You can also reverse the wipes mid-way through cleaning so you use both sides.
Laminate Floors: Find a recipe with the exact same ingredients, just equal measurements specifically for laminate, on Nature’s Nurture Blog.
(Sealed) Wood Floors: According to Becky at Clean Mama, she uses a vinegar mop solution on her hardwood floors using a special hardwood cleaning technique. If you’re looking for something to use on exposed or waxed wood, I recommend talking to a wood specialist. These recipes don’t shine and the vinegar may dull some finishes, like wood sealers or waxes. If your hardwood floors are sealed, it’s important to know how they are sealed before using any liquid cleaner.
With any cleaner that’s applied to a special surface, always spot test. This applies to both store-bought cleaners and homemade solutions. There are many factors that can play into a floor cleaner working with or against your floor: 1/ the products used on your floors in the past, which can leave a film that’s brought out by other products 2/ your water (hard water can work against cleaning solutions). Since there are many variables that may play into cleaning a surface effectively, I recommend spot testing in a small, inconspicuous area or grabbing a floor sample from the home improvement store for testing.
I am impressed with the jar! Why did I not think of that ? I even have a jar like yours! I use a cheneile sock form Dollar tree. And I use Onguard cleaner from doTerra.
You are an inspiration.Thank you.
You are getting pinned!
Thank you. Enjoy the wipes!
Thank you Kristin, for this simple, natural alternative to swiffer wipes. Can’t wait to try them! They will be safer for our pets as well as the family.
Blessings!
Mary
You’re so welcome, Mary! Enjoy!!
Hey Love Apple, That’s awesome! I’ll have to try the solution in my steamer.
I don’t know about putting anything other that water in your steamer. I tried putting a little hard wood floor cleaner in mine and it made the cleaner so hot it turned it to a white powder and clogged it. When I took the cap off it exploded white dust and was a scary experience. My steamer didn’t work after that.
Yikes, Linda. Thank you for sharing.
When I began using essential oils, making my own floor cleaner wipes was the first thing I did. Ever since then I have never used any other cleaners, none at all!
Thanks for sharing Kristin 🙂
I LOVE this idea! Did you get your jar at Walmart? I think I have the same one for the kids snacks :O)
I think I’m going to whip up the cleaner and leave it in the jar alone, then just soak my rag when I’m ready to clean.
Thank you for a great cleaner recipe and idea!!
Hey GingerBeachy, I bought the jar at Target or HomeGoods, so it’s probably the same one as you use for snacks :). I love your idea and think that will work great!!
This idea is absolutely genius. Thank you!
Love this idea! How often do you go through your wipes? How long might they stay fresh in the solution (since there is tap water involved) Thx!
Hey Megan, I clean my floor twice a week (kids ;)), so I go through one batch within a couple of weeks. If you’re planning to use these for a more long-term use (4-6 weeks), I would use distilled water just to prevent any bacteria growth. Although the vinegar and alcohol (and essential oils) will help keep bacteria to a minimum too.
Hi Kristin – I use microfiber clothes for wet and dry – they work similar to the dry swiffer clothes as they are like a magnet – just a suggestion. Up until now, I have been using a spray bottle with store bought chemicals to clean my floors. I think I’m ready to try homemade – thanks for the post!!
Awesome, Kristie! Thanks for sharing. I’ll have to purchase a couple of microfiber cloths for cleaning. Enjoy the wet wipes!
Thank you, thank you, thank you! I just mopped my tile floors and they look fabulous. Every bit of spills and pet tracks and spills gone! It dried quickly without streaks and smells great. I’m going to keep this in my mop bucket. Thank you!
I am excited about trying these floor wipes, especially because of the quick-drying aspect. I use a steam floor cleaner, but it seems like the floors stay wet forever. I wondered if the essential oils are a necessary ingredient for the cleaning aspect or if they are purely for the scent? We are stationed in Germany and can’t get those shipped over. Thanks!
Hey Jamie, The essential oils aid in cleaning and masking the vinegar smell, but they can easily be left out. You’ll still have an amazing floor wipe cleaner!
I used a large cleaned out pickle jar to hold my cloths in. I just wash and reuse the dingy white wash clothes, then throw them in the wash and use again for the floors.
I used a large cleaned out pickle jar to hold my cloths in. I just wash and reuse the dingy white wash clothes, then throw them in the wash and use again for the floors.
Awesome, Melissa. I love the pickle jar idea.
Can you use these wipes on hardwood floors
Hey Brenda, I use them on our stairs which are hardwood. That’s my only experience with true hardwood and these wipes.
I love this idea! Are they safe to use on real hardwood floors?
Hey Karter, Thank you. I have real hardwood (pine) stairs and use this cleaner, but just to be safe make sure you test a small area on your wood floors first.
How do you wash them after using?
Hey Rong, I just put them in the washer and wash them with all of our towels. If they are really dirty you can wash them first in the sink or with a hose and then toss them in the washer.
Can These Be Used On Laminate Floors?
Hey Bonnie, I’m not sure if this recipe can be used on laminate ( I don’t personally have any experience with laminate at this time). If you’d like to try it, start with a very small area to test the cleaner on the laminate, waiting a few hours before applying more to the floor.
Thank You. I Know The Vinegar And Alcohol Are Safe I Like The Idea Of Using Essential Oils. I Think I Will Do A Little More Research
Perfect, Bonnie. I think the essential oils should be safe too.
Thank you for another great recipe! The rubbing alcohol gave me a headache, so I omitted it on the second batch. Instead I used 1.5 cups water, 1.5 cups white vinegar, 1 tbsp. peppermint liquid castile soap, 5 drops lavender, and 10 drops orange. It worked great and dried quickly without the alcohol.
That sounds great, Aileen! What a wonderful recipe. Thank you for sharing!
In response to Aileen’s mixture. Castile soap and vinegar should not be mixed. Any acid mixed with castile soap ‘unsaponifies’ the soap. The acid reduces the soap to it’s original oils. I mixed them both for a cleaner I was making and ended up with a gloppy mess. I began researching and found several things about not mixing them. If you do use them, use them separately.
Hey Leah, Thank you for sharing. I must have missed the castile soap addition. You’re right…castile soap and vinegar aren’t the best companions. I wonder if the 1 tablespoon of castile soap will cause an issue with the vinegar since so little is used?
These look great! I was wondering if I can use apple cider vinegar in place of the white vinegar?
Hey Grace, I haven’t tried using apple cider vinegar (in this recipe), but I think it should work as a substitute.
Great idea! I use vinegar for cleaning surfaces at home and make a natural all purpose cleaner, but never thought of making cleaning wipes. It’s a brilliant idea n and I thank you for sharing it!
Thank you, Carolin!
Hi Kristin,
Can you use Vodka instead of rubbing alcohol for this cleaner? Thank you for your posts! I have learned a lot and enjoy making my own cleaners!
Hey Terri, Yes, you can :). I’m so glad you’re enjoying homemade cleaners!!
Hey Kristin! I love your site! I have a question for you. I’m considering buying that microfiber mop you have, (we have hardwoods), but I’m also wondering if I can just follow your homemade swiffer cloth recipe and use a microfiber cloth on my swiffer instead. Do you think that would get the floors just as clean as that mop would? Thanks!
Hey Hayley, Thank you! I think you could definitely just use the microfiber and a bit of water (although I’m not sure if a microfiber cloth will attach to this particular mop well), or you could make the wipes and fill the jar with water and use about 1 teaspoon of castile soap in the solution to help pick up the dirt.
I don’t have essential oils. Could I do without?
Hey Allison, Yes, you can.
I know itś been a while since you posted this and hope you are still reading the comments. I have a question about the safety for pets… Up till now I just clean my floors with a steam mop. I was just wondering, how would the vinegar and essential oils affect my catś health? I wouldn’t want her to suffer for my cleaning aspirations…
Hey Gonny, I can’t speak to essential oils, as various essential oils aren’t recommended for cats. I don’t know what those are, but a Google search will probably provide the answer. Vinegar should be fine, as long as the cats are licking puddles of vinegar off the floor.
hello,
can these wipes be used on marble flooring… is vinegar safe ??
Hey Ankita, Vinegar isn’t safe for marble floors.
Am I the only person that dislikes the scent of tea tree oil? It smells like some sort of mechanics lubrication or WD40 to me. Does anyone know if tea tree oil is essential to all these DIY home cleaning recipes. It seems like they all have it as an ingredient. Makes my house smell like an automotive shop!!
Hey Wanda, You could skip it in this recipe.
Do you have any ideas on how to modify this idea to be used for marble floors? Thanks!
Hey Ashely, Maybe water a few drops of castile soap?
Hi Kristen, I love your blogs! Can you please share where you boought your washcloths? I bought some but didn’t fit my swiffer. Thank you!
Hey Larmie, I believe they came from Target–the bath section.
Can I use this solution directly in my swifter type mop? It comes with rewashable pads.
I’m not sure, Pam, as I don’t know the exact mop, but I would try it!
I did it was awesome! I used orange, lemon, lime and tea tree. The alcohol was a A great added touch. It dried so quickly.?
Awesome, Pam! So glad you’re enjoying it.
We installed Pergo Plus laminates upstairs. I contacted Pergo to see what should I wash the floors with and was surprised when they said only water and vinegar and to squeeze as much water as I could. Using anything else voids the warranty. I have to add that we’re non shoe wearing household. All our shoes we wear outside are taken off in the garage. Which means our floors mainly have dust on them instead of tiny rocks, dirt etc. and their solution cleans perfectly.
That’s great, Ana!
Responding to Amanda’s post about disliking the scent of tea tree oil. Try using Manuka oil. It is supposed to be as good and even better in some instances than tea tree and doesn’t stink. Google it and check it out to see what you think.
Sorry, I meant Wanda
Would Sal Suds work in place of the castile soap? (a few drops?)
Hi Carmen, yes! That’ll work.