I'm already in Spring cleaning mode so I've been cleaning like a mad woman lately! We bought a
Swiffer Bissell Steamboost Mop recently and it came with two of the cleaning pads for it. They smelled wonderful, but I was concerned that the solution on them may not be good for our three cats to be walking around on as well as the
the refill pads are kind of expensive in my opinion, especially for as often as I mop my floors.
I decided to find a more natural way to clean my floors so this is my solution for saving money and *keeping my cats safe in the long run.
First of all I needed a cloth to attach to the mop to grab up all the yuckiness.
A microfiber cleaning cloth was what I decided on so off to the Dollar Tree I went and lucky enough, I got two towels for one dollar! Yep $1 yall!!!
FYI, this is the lazy, no cut, no sew method for my fellow impatient types out there! lol!
First I removed the tags from my towels (just my preference) then I centered the mop on the towel.
Fold the ends up to the edge of the mop on both sides.
You will see a little rubber slot on each corner to tuck your towel in to. Its very grippy by the way.
Using one finger I tucked each corner into the provided slots making sure my towel was tight on the mop base.
For the placement demo I was showing you with a dry towel, but before actually mopping, I wet the towel and then wrung it out pretty well.
DIY Mopping Solution for Tile Floors
1 cup water
1 cup
distilled white vinegar (for cooking)
1 cup
rubbing alcohol (50%)
3 drops
Dawn dish soap (blue)
10 - 20 drops
essential oils (OPTIONAL)
NOTE: *Some essential oils can be harmful to pets or cause a negative reaction so please research the oils you choose before adding them to your solution. Lots of information to be
found on Pinterest.
I used a
kitchen funnel and an empty glass cleaner bottle for storing my solution. Recycle!
Make sure your steam mop has
distilled water in it, plug it in to warm up and then spray a generous amount of your diy cleaning solution down.
This
Swiffer Bissell Steamboost Mop has changed my mopping life! I love it and I feel like my floors are getting much cleaner than when I used a nasty looking traditional mop. I have no idea why I haven't gotten one before now.
Just keep spraying your solution and mopping until your towel has reached it maximum amount of "dirty", then change if necessary and repeat.
The towel is filthy but the floor is clean now! I swept before I mopped and this microfiber towel still picked up bits and pieces of yuck that was left behind as well as grabbed the dirt too. Now I just toss this in the washer and it will be good to go for next time.
I'm always trying to save money when I can and of course I'm going to share it with you each and every time! I hope you enjoy this cleaning tip as much as I do.
Want to see more of my cleaning tips for using vinegar? Just click on the links below.
THIS JUST IN: Did you know you could use COUPONS on Amazon? Me either, but
look right here for all your favorites and start saving, you know I am! :)
It doesn't have to be done all at once. It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!
I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
The Dedicated House - (I was featured)
Ah, thanks for sharing this! Those little pads can get expensive! I’d love for you to share over at Let’s Party! https://themarkandjanshow.com/2018/02/13/lets-party-8/ … we look forward to seeing you there!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Jan, I'll check it out! :)
DeleteThe dollar tree sells the pads! I prefer the throwaway method! I think they are 10 for a dollar!
Deletei prefer ANY method that doesn't ADD TO A LANDFILL.
DeleteDo you have a suggestion for cleaning laminate flooring?
ReplyDeleteHi J.R., sorry but I've never had laminate flooring so I could not give experienced advice, however, I do remember seeing lots of ideas on Pinterest. Sorry, I wasn't much help! :(
DeleteI have tried this solution on laminate floors and love the outcome. Especially if you use the steam mop.
DeleteWhat a great idea! Thank you for the tip! I'd like to feature your post tomorrow at Tuesdays with a Twist! -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures
ReplyDeleteI was just wondering why distilled water and not just water. This is such a great idea.
ReplyDeleteHi Donna, Thank you! I'm guessing here, but tap water has lots of minerals in it that could build up in the steamer, so the manufacturers are recommending to use distilled water in the steamer to prevent build up that could cause the machine not to function properly. :)
DeleteDistilled water is preferred to eliminate
Deletemineral deposit build-up in irons, coffee makers, clothes steamers, steam floor cleaners, water-piks, humidifiers, and other small appliances requiring water to function.
Thank you. Makes sense
DeleteI was a little confused by your use of a spray bottle to put solution on the floor and also use of the spray device attached to the mop. Why do you use both?
ReplyDeleteHi there! There is no spray device on the mop, its the water reservoir for the steam action it has. I hope that helps! :)
DeleteI wonder what the alcohol does? I use vinegar and natural solutions a lot, but haven't seen alcohol added before. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Mary, the alcohol kills germs. You don't have to use it, its just an added protection. :)
DeleteI don't think I would want to wash the floor pads with my towels .I would feel much better having multiple floor washing towels and do a load of washing towels on their own. I dont believe all the dirt comes out of items in a modern washing machine . Other than that this is a fantastic post.
ReplyDeleteHi there! I completely understand. I mop so often that my floors aren't really that dirty (just my husband and I here) so that statement about tossing the dirty towel in my load of towels is probably throwing a lot of people off. I'm the type of person that if my towel is too dirty after mopping, I just toss it in the trash all together, but that's just me. :)
DeleteDo you have a recipe for cleaning wood floors?
ReplyDeleteHi Mary Anne! I'm sorry but I do not. I've never had wooden floors. Here's what I found on Hometalk: https://www.hometalk.com/7335857/diy-wood-safe-floor-cleaner
DeleteI hope that helps! :)
I use orange glo, I use it full strength the 1st time then I water it down for weekly cleaning (1/2 and 1/2). It brings out such a luster in the hard wood surfaces. It doesn't seem to have a build up problem either. Water it down until you notice it just isn't bringing it back to the look it did after you used full strength. Hope this was helpful. I am not sure if this is harmful to pets, all I can say to that is one client has cats and they are ok, another has dogs one that loves to lick the floor and they are ok.
DeleteVery good to know, thanks so much for that tip! :)
DeleteI love cleaning hacks I clean for to make ends meet if you know what I mean. I am wondering why you don't put your solution in the bottle where you put the distilled water? I had a Shark floor and carpet cleaner that I loved and put what ever solution I was using except straight wax in the bottle. It seem that you should be able to if you leave out the essential oils they will eat the plastic. Thank you and continue to write so people like me can get new ideas.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind comment! My steam mop says not to add anything other than distilled water to the reservoir, so I don't. The steam mop is a fairly new toy for me so I don't want to ruin it right away! LOL! Good luck with your cleaning! :)
DeleteHi there - doesn't the soap (basic) neutralize the vinegar (acid)? I think it might also be better to use a non-detergent liquid soap, but when I've used doc bronners, for example, it curdles when you add vinegar.
ReplyDeleteHi there! Thank you for the kind comment! From what I've read online, the dish soap formula in its makeup is almost at neutral. Also, dish soap is formulated to grab onto dirt and hold it. This recipe I use has 3 drops of dish soap in it, not much compared to the other measurements. Doc Bronners is not dish soap, but Castile soap. The vinegar tends to reduce it back to its natural state, which are oils. I hope that helps, I just googled it to see what I could find. :)
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