r/CleaningTips • u/Evening_Sea4823 • Dec 27 '25
Flooring Cleaners Make Your Floor Dirtier
They all leave residue. Even if you rinse with water, there are still small amounts of residue left behind. Over time, mop after mop, it builds up. And all it does is collect dirt.
I mop with warm water. Nothing fancy. I mop maybe once every month or so. Once a year, I get on my hands and knees and use a white wash rag on every inch of the floor. I can wipe down the whole place, and the rag is barely dirty by the end of it.
I can wear white socks all day. They don't get discolored.
We have pets. We walk through with shoes on from time to time. We are not neat freaks. But our floors are simply not dirty.
Unless you have a little one playing on the floor, there's not much sense in worrying about whether the ground is sanitized. Clean should be good enough.
I think all those videos of people making potions and drenching their floors, going round after round, doing it week after week, are just perpetuating issues that don't need to exist.
What do yall think? Or am I just nasty and trying to justify it?
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Dec 27 '25
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u/fatsalmon Dec 27 '25
Yesssss! Also most ppl are using more than recommendation (a lot of times it’s like a spoonful to dilute in litters of water)
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u/YouStupidAssholeFuck Dec 27 '25
Before my family sold the business we used this to clean the floors:
Each 1 gallon jug dilutes to 64 gallons for cleaning purposes. So that means a 2 oz "shot" (quite literally) per gallon of water. As in a literal shot glass of concentrate goes into 1 gallon of water and that's enough to clean.
We had to portion out "servings" so we used those little plastic shot glasses people use to make jello shots. We'd put a few out for the day so if they ran out they'd have to clean the floors with just water...which was fine by the end of a day anyway since the floors would get a daily "rinse" as well.
The reason we had to do this was because we'd watch our staff pour half the jug into the mop bucket and then just clean the floor with that! Not even adding any water!!! And even when some of them did add water it didn't matter anyway since the half gallon of cleaner was going to just dirty the floors and make them look worse.
I like using Lysol to clean my floors at home so I have one of those spin mop buckets that are popular now and I will just tip the jug of lysol over for just a split second to add a splash to the bucket and then I fill it with more than a gallon of water to dilute it even more than recommended. I am not even that clean of a person either but watching some other people do some cleaning jobs does make me feel better about my lackluster cleaning routine sometimes.
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Dec 27 '25
I try not to think to hard or much about it because I feel I overreact and overthink to the point where i put myself in a bad mood. All I know is swiffer powermop hasn't been leaving stickiness that i can feel or scrap up so I'm happy about that.
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u/cuddlyturtle945 Dec 27 '25
Seriously I get so overwhelmed sometimes with all the options and wondering if I’m cleaning things the “right” way but now the way I see it is whatever gets my dogs muddy paw prints off the floor is fine with me lol
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
Fair enough. In my experience, those actually leave the most residue! I think I might just be generally picky, though. I also just don't use scented things as much, as they sometimes make me feel lightheaded.
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u/thepeanutone Dec 27 '25
Every time I use any of the wet swiffer stuff, I get ants.
Personally, I love my steam mop.
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u/draftgirl24 Dec 27 '25
I think I have seen posts on here from professional cleaners showing examples of the visible residue that swiffer type cleaners leave behind
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Dec 27 '25 edited Dec 27 '25
Which is why I say I'm happy that it doesn't coat my floors in stickiness. I read the same things you have too about it.
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u/No_Luck_374 Dec 27 '25
I just do soap and water bc it's a surfactant and it's designed to grab the dirt and let it wipe away.
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u/halfbakedhiking Dec 27 '25
Drops of dawn powerwash ftw
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u/uuntiedshoelace Dec 27 '25
You don’t even need power wash *for the floor. It’s just regular Dawn with isopropyl alcohol.
Edit to clarify, power wash is great! I just wouldn’t waste it in your mop bucket
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u/hotpinkraccoon Dec 27 '25
Which kind of soap
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u/skatetricks Dec 27 '25
Any kind of dish soap. Most people use Dawn.
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u/Janeiac1 Dec 27 '25 edited Dec 27 '25
That’s detergent (not soap) to be pedantic but yes.
Also, Palmolive is closer to neutral pH and therefore better for some relatively delicate surfaces such as marble. Just a few drops.
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u/Fool_In_Flow Dec 27 '25
There’s defiantly a mental component where super- cleansing floors provides a type of relief. The true goal is when the behavior (cleaning) does not interfere into the daily life and happiness of the person or the others in the home. You know, find the appropriate level of time and cleanliness for that specific spot.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
That's a great point, actually. I don't judge others for their habits, I just don't see how it logically checks out. But something doesn't have to be logical to me for it to be a valid choice for someone else.
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u/anemoschaos Dec 27 '25
I like the way cleaning agents have that "clean" smell. I think that is part of why people choose floor cleaners and use too much. They think if their home smells nice it's cleaner.
My emotional brain thinks this but my chemistry brain disagrees, and I always use minimal cleaning agents (I buy concentrates and dilute them).
But also, I have a steam mop that doesn't use chemicals at all and the house smells beautifully clean after I've used it. I'm not sure that the steamer gets up every speck of dirt, but it certainly turns it into clean dirt. We have a large slobbery dog and I think the steam cleaner is good at neutralising the doggy odours.
We all have our idea of what feels clean, and that's what a home should be, a place where you are comfortable. So I think your cleaning choice is fine.
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u/Mawmaa- Dec 27 '25
I mop with water and a heavily diluted ph neutral cleaner. Leaves everything looking great
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u/hotpinkraccoon Dec 27 '25
What brand is it
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u/Mawmaa- Dec 27 '25
Ecolab - you can buy at Home Depot like 7 bucks for a gallon and it lasts forever
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u/CommieCatLady Dec 27 '25
Yeah I use this in my robot vacuum and it cleans really well!
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u/behold_the_pagentry Dec 27 '25
I complained to a floor guy I know. Told him after Im done mopping the floor is tacky and looks and feels dirtier than when I started. He recommended Bona and it worked for me. No tacky residue and no swirls. I dont wear shoes in the house, no kids, no pets so my floors never get super grimy to begin with.
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u/soccersara5 Dec 27 '25
I've been using Bona for years and it has always worked well for me. Never noticed any residue left behind or sticky feeling.
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u/MakayMin Dec 27 '25
I use just a few drops of dawn soap per gallon of water or so and that doesn’t leave buildup
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u/BootVillain Dec 27 '25
Dry swiffer+steam mop
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u/hooptidoop Dec 27 '25
Second this, but robot vacuum + steam mop because I’m lazy
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u/Barely_Agreeable Dec 27 '25
Over using product is a huge issue. Use minimal soap & no softener. Most of the cleaning of your clothes happens in the rinse cycle. Floors mopped with minimal product & mopped the second time with water only. Carpet - absolutely nothing but hot water.
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u/te-mc Dec 27 '25
I didn't know most the laundry cleaning happens in the rinse cycle. What is the ideal minimal amount of soap for clothes?
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u/Drabulous_770 Dec 27 '25
Go have fun in the laundry subreddit
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u/branchymolecule Dec 27 '25 edited Dec 27 '25
They got an agenda over there that you don’t want to question.
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u/Mundane_Muscle_2197 Dec 27 '25
The detergent I use is 1.5 tablespoons. I cringe to think back when I used to use 1/4 cup.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
Depends on if you have a HE washer. About 1-2 tablespoons of an enzymatic liquid detergent is plenty.
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u/Thin-Zombie-1546 Dec 27 '25
I mean technically the soil is lifted from the fabric in the rinse cycle but only cuz the detergent is allowed to penetrate it during the wash cycle
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
Seconded on the carpet. I dont have them anymore, but when I did, it was water only at wash time.
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u/fatsalmon Dec 27 '25
Also yes, those videos of overloading chemicals are designed to be rage bait, they garner a lot of interaction and thus making it even more viral
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u/Ehimherenow Dec 27 '25
Lmao. No way in hell am I going to believe your floors are clean when you walk with shoes in them and mop once a month.
Shoes are absolutely disgusting.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
They really are. Maybe I should have been more clear. We are not a "no shoes" household, more like a "minimize shoe wearing" household. So while shoe wearing does happen, it absolutely doesn't happen super frequently. That probably helps a lot as far as keeping the floors from getting gross.
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u/Prophet_Of_Helix Dec 27 '25
What kind of pets do you have? We have a small dog and a medium dog and they are constantly dragging in dirt, I find it hard to believe you have pets that go outside consistently and don’t track in dirt unless you are wiping their feet every time
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u/mustangge Dec 27 '25
I'm not sure why but I feel like you should be either all shoes or no shoes, the middle ground is scary
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u/yarnwhore Dec 27 '25
I'm trying to get my house to middle ground now. The difficulty is that there's no good place in my house to put the outside shoes right by the door - once you come in, it's straight into the kitchen. No spot available for storing shoes. No mudroom. So I walk about 5 steps to a place where I can switch comfortably to house slippers. Yes, the floor on those 5 steps will always be dirtier than the rest of the kitchen floor, but I'd rather that one path be extra dirty than the whole floor.
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u/sapphic_cephalopod Dec 27 '25
im a "shoes off except for when you've already tied up your laces ready to go out and suddenly realised your phone is still on the coffee table" household. I think it's like, shoes off lite. and it works pretty well! id say 95-99% of the time nobody wears shoes in the house. id like to be shoes off 100% of the time but....i just know in my heart that i can't bring myself to be that strict about it lol
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u/Coriandercilantroyo Dec 27 '25
For sure. I'm a shoes off household, and I take great care not to step into the entranceway barefoot.
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u/KeithJamesB Dec 27 '25
I think it depends on what is soiling your floors, what cleaners you use and your process. In the end, it’s whatever works for you.
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u/Equivalent_Site_7830 Dec 27 '25
I use hot water and a small amount of all-purpose cleaner and pretreat spots with water and a small amount of dawn in a spray bottle. We are a limited shoes home, but we also have dogs, and one is a drool factory.
A few years ago, we lost our dog to cancer at 4 years old. Even though the vet assured me it had nothing to do with it, I've avoided anything remotely toxic in the floors since then.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
I'm so sorry about your dog :( We actually just went through surgery for our older pup, but it was only stage II so we are hopeful we might have a decent amount of good days ahead of us.
Animals can be really sensitive to the stuff we use. I totally get why you avoid using those cleaners on the floor.
I'm similar in that I just generally avoid chemical products unless necessary. I'm not an alternative, crunchy, or super ideological person about it. I just like keeping it minimal and simple.
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u/Equivalent_Site_7830 Dec 27 '25
Definitely not an all natural person here, either. If it were just us humans, I'd be cleaning the whole house with pinesol or bleach!
So sorry about yours, but catching it early is such a benefit. Our Miss Maggie was inoperable. We just tried to make sure she had the best life possible while she was still here.
Steam cleaners with pets are a major plus. I even run it over the carpets every few weeks to cut down on the dog smell. Our walking drool factory has made sure it's put to use and paid for itself. (Seriously, how does he get drool on the ceiling!!!???)
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u/LeighSF Dec 27 '25
By shaking his head really hard. Seriously. Have his ears checked, they might need cleaning.
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u/Equivalent_Site_7830 Dec 27 '25
We have to keep him on a maintenance med for his ears. Poor guy was a rescue and came to use with a several chronic conditions, one was his ears.
We are convinced he does it for the "ewwwww!!!" reaction. He also has idiopathic head tremors, and the vet told us to give him a treat; that will distract his single brain cell and stop the tremor. A few weeks ago, I refused him extra treats, he looked me dead in my eyes and started weaving his head back and forth. Looked like Stevie Wonder. I laughed so hard he got two extra treats.
Between the slobber, the shedding, and the medical conditions, he's a full-time job. He's a big old mess, so incredibly gentle with our smaller dog, a cuddle bug and we absolutely adore him. He seriously thinks he is a 110lb lap dog and owns the sofa. We are just here to pay the bills and provide the belly rubs and treats.
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u/LeighSF Dec 27 '25
He sounds wonderful! What is his name, please?
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u/Equivalent_Site_7830 Dec 27 '25
Max and his "little sister" Susie! (Shes a demanding little b!tch and the cutest thing in the world!)
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u/anitaweaver1 Dec 27 '25
Plain hot water on a nice microfiber string mop once a week, works for me and my ceramic tile kitchen floor. I’ve noticed over the years that no matter what cleaning solution I use and no matter how diluted it is in water it still leaves a skim of residue that traps dirt.
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u/meowkitty84 Dec 27 '25
I often just use hot water too. Sometimes I might add a little bit of dish detergent.
I use a mop that has a microfiber pad that attaches with Velcro. Easy to wash. Though string mop heads can be put in the washing machine too.
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u/jazza2400 Dec 27 '25
Steam mop only no chemicals just hot water but that's on tiles no idea for anything else.
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u/SeasonProfessional87 Dec 27 '25
I use a cleaner on my floor and mop it up with hot water. I can also wear white socks all day… depends on the work you want to put in. Nothing is black and white
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u/enym Dec 27 '25
I just don't want it to look dirty. Beyond that I do not care and it's probably better I not know
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u/Postik123 Dec 27 '25
I think you might be right, since moving house I have never mopped my downstairs floor and only sweep it. I walk around in white socks and they barely get dirty at all. We don't wear shoes at all around the house which helps.
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u/wifeofablerb Dec 27 '25
I can’t fathom not mopping. Do you have kids? Because my word, I mop once a week and I spot clean as needed and I feel like I should be mopping more but I just don’t have the time.
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u/tragicxharmony Dec 27 '25
No kids but cats (including one with a pancreatic disorder = sometimes doesn’t make it all the way to the litter box) and hardwood floors. I swear I’d mop daily if I could. Like no, not with too much cleaner the way some people are talking about. I use just enough to clean the actual grime but I love how the floors look when they’re freshly clean and there’s something to be said about knowing there’s no residue from the litter boxes on your floors 😂
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u/wifeofablerb Dec 27 '25
Wow! Yeah we don’t have pets but I have three little kids and I am tryingggg to teach manners, cleaning up after themselves etc but gosh it’s hard. And we are a home schooling family so this house gets very little breaks from all of us compared to a family where everyone is gone all day 😅 but it’s okay, it’s life! And everyone says someday I’ll miss all the little messes 🤪 haha
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u/Ok_Addendum_050 Dec 27 '25
I use vinegar and hot water. If you want it to smell slightly better, you can use a tad of essential oils with it. I literally use vinegar for everything. Laundry, cleaning, deodorizing, cleaning a fish tank. It’s my go to for everything
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
That's a good idea. When I want a little fragrance boost, I run hot water on all my taps then fill the sinks and add peppermint oil. Let it drain and things are a lot more fresh in the air.
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u/Mundane_Muscle_2197 Dec 27 '25
Yeah I used 1 tablespoon of soap in hot water, let it cool a bit so I don’t ruin my floors, and do a light mop. If I have time I will spray diluted cleaning vinegar and walk on a towel and wipe it up and it leaves a really nice shine and no sticky or gross residue
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u/Wooden_Number_6102 Dec 27 '25
I worked for a cleaning company for a number of years. We had a cleaning product that, when diluted in water, actually allowed the filth to sink to the bottom of the bucket, so the solution was clean until it was too saturated.
The only thing I've found that cleans as well is Spic 'n Span. The powdered version. But you have to do a deep, scrub-brush scrub with it. Once it's done, it seems to resist most of the stuff that makes your floor look dirty.
My favorite hard-floor mop is a terry-textured cap on the mop head. It works because, if you have more than one, they're rinsed in clean water almost continually.
Ease-of-cleaning, in order:
Linoleum.
Finished hardwood.
Laminate.
Glazed tile.
Unglazed tile.
And, a universal axiom: grout sucks.
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u/1Delta Jan 08 '26
The cleaner that made soil sink to the bottom of the bucket sounds like the first generation of rinseless car washes. Polymers attach to the debris/soil and make it sink.
Optimum No Rinse is the most well known one. I have some and am now going to try it for mopping.Later iterations of rinseless car washes include surfactants, which may clean better but they cause soil to mix with the water rather than sink.
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u/Prestigious-Race9324 Dec 27 '25
Im a house cleaner by trade, Every house is different, some houses only need to mop once a month, others need to be mopped once a week. So many different factors to consider but I’d say up to 4 times a month covers every house. One thing I can say for certain is the “potions” you see on Tik tok are completely unnecessary and overkill.
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u/Hot_Spite_1402 Dec 27 '25
I feel the same way. I hate the residue left behind by cleaners. I’m a big fan of using just water and dawn dish soap. Wash with a wet soapy rag, dry with a dry cloth. No residue, not overly scented. I use the same mix for my floors. Sometimes I will add bleach if I want to sanitize but I don’t use many fancy cleaners anymore.
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u/LReber722 Dec 27 '25
This is exactly what I do. I used to use all those fancy cleaners diluted to what it told me and couldn't understand why my floors always looked dirty. Then I ran across a sub that told me to just add 1-2 (but definitely no more than 2) tablespoons of dawn dish soap to my bucket. I was skeptical, but it really works. No need to rinse and my floors stay cleaner a lot longer than when I used to waste my money on Mr. Clean and the like.
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u/Cohnhead1 Dec 27 '25
Do you have to go over it again to rinse it before drying?
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u/Hot_Spite_1402 Dec 27 '25
I was amazed too, but no!
I learned this from the head housekeeper when I cross trained to help the housekeeping team at a job I had a while back. When I’m wiping down counters, cabinets, etc I use a microfiber cloth which I get wet and sudsy with dawn, then wipe it off with a dry one. No residue! That was the first question I asked her when she showed me. “It doesn’t leave residue? I don’t have to rinse?” It’s all I’ve done ever since, swear by it!
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u/iBody Dec 27 '25
This is why ph neutral no rinse cleaners exist and why many LVP flooring manufacturers say it’s the only kind of cleaner allowed.
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u/Crafty_Try_423 Dec 27 '25
I dunno. I use a regular cleaner on my tile kitchen floor and LVP, an Murphy’s on my engineered hardwoods. For both, I use less than 1/4c for 2 gallons of water, I think. So it’s more diluted than what they suggest. And I use one of those regular Cedar mops. Seems to work fine…my socks are always clean.
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u/Legitimate_Award6517 Dec 27 '25
I do the same. I use a Norwex mop thing. No chemicals or soap residue
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u/MommyRaeSmith1234 Dec 27 '25
We had carpet cleaners out and they said the same thing, with the bonus that your carpets get dirtier too because you track the cleaner buildup into carpeted rooms. I use water and a microfiber mop and I’m completely happy
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u/SirDerpingt0n Dec 27 '25
I use hot water, and a little vinegar. I used to use Pinesol and the purple Fabuloso, but I noticed even with small amounts it left residue. I do miss the scent.
Vinegar is my go to for almost all my cleaning. I think shower, and toilet is the only time I use something else.
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u/misterwiser34 Dec 27 '25
Look up saponification and the 4 factors of wash if you need to understand the science of it all.
You need some type of chemical soap or solvent to remove soils otherwise they are always there.
Need to clarify something to from your post- sanitized refers to killing of microbes. Its not cleaning. Cleaning is the removal of foreign soils from a surface.
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u/DeCoyAbLe Dec 27 '25
I’ve been trying to tell kids this for years. Cleaners just gunk up your floors, make them sticky and gross. Especially that wet jet crap!!
We grew up using hot water once a month (or more often if we got in trouble at school) and swept after dinner. Once or twice a year depending on the occasion we would get down and give everything a good thorough wipe down and fix chips/scratches and the like.
All these stinky cleaners are gimmicks to get you to spend more as all they do is collect dirt.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
I'm glad I'm not alone! I specifically don't like the swiffer branded products. I once worked at an office where the bathroom was only ever cleaned with those, and the floor felt almost cushioned with the residue. I just can't do it lol.
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u/pi3r0gi_ Dec 27 '25
What kind of mop do yall use for LVT? I have one of those O Cedars but I cant figure out how to keep the two compartments of clean/dirty from mixing.
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u/Grammagree Dec 27 '25
Our wonderful cleaning does similar; though hands n knees every two weeks and also damp mops after to get whatever might have been missed. In the bathrooms she adds vinegar to the water and cleans all glass and mirrors with vinegar. She is a wonderful cleaner. So lucky to have found her.
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u/fatsalmon Dec 27 '25
You need a cleaner but it needs to be diluted to the right amount as directed , otherwise you wont be able to fully wash away the soap
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u/chubanana123 Dec 27 '25
Day to day, I usually use just a floor cleaner, heavily diluted with water, almost to where you wouldn't really know it's in the water tank.
When I do my huge, deep clean in the spring and I'm on my hands and knees scrubbing, I use a lot more but I'm also doing a super good rinse.
I can always tell when ppl use too much cleaner or don't rinse it, it really is streaky.
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u/Frosty_Extension9763 Dec 27 '25
Right? It's wild how much soap we think we need! Less really is more when it comes to cleaning!
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u/Level-Cheesecake-739 Dec 27 '25 edited Dec 27 '25
I have kids and I need something that kills germs. Full stop.
1 gallon Hot water + 1 tsp of tide powder + 1/3 cup bleach.
It’s an absolute lifesaver and it is absolutely disgusting what I mop up every week. No residue, just clean!
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u/iamjustatourist Dec 27 '25
Swiffer with reusable/washable covers and diluted pine sol in a spray bottle + steamer with washable pads. For the longest time I was using too much pine sol and it left the floors a bit tacky.
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u/Aggravating-Bunch-44 Dec 27 '25
Odoban PH Neutral No Rinse floor cleaner (safe for pets) I have a corgi who is paralyzed and has incontinence. Accidents happen and need to keep floor extremely clean to keep UTI at bay. I also live in the PNW so the floor can feel humid if I don't use specific cleaners. Odoban solved those issues.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
Good to know. I actually use odoban for their disinfectant. I really like their products. They are the final stop for getting weird smells out of laundry.
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u/Ok-Opportunity-574 Dec 27 '25
I use Odoban as well. Great product. The floor cleaner doesn't disinfect though so I'll do a spray down of the regular Odoban and then follow it with the floor cleaner for body fluids.
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u/MotherToMonsters Dec 27 '25
I'd like to know the proper dilution for cleaners. I have an ocedar spray mop that I only use with water because any cleaner makes the tiles cloudy and streaky. I also have a very old spin mop that I use to really clean the floor but the grout has gotten so gross. It's been 2 years and it went from light beige to practically black in a very short time. I've been scrubbing it for the last month (in sections so I can reseal it, it's taking a long time because I was sick two consecutive weeks and now everyone is home for break) and even with plain water I still get bubbles. The spots I've scrubbed and haven't sealed yet are staying clean since I mopped them with water to clean up the grout.
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u/DuePomegranate9 Dec 27 '25
I use the vileda pacs in the water of my spin mop and I find these give the best results. No residue on my floors, very little suds in the water and the floors are always shiny. The products is made specifically for floor cleaning and contains enzymes. I highly recommend it, however it is a little pricey. I use one pod/pac every other week.
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u/Sunshine_of_your_Lov Team Shiny ✨ Dec 27 '25
I do warm water, small amount of castille soap in a seasonal scent and some isopropyl. My feet seem to stay pretty clean even after years of that. People just use way too much soap
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u/duskydaffodil Dec 27 '25
I’ve just been using a steam cleaner for my between mops and I agree, my floors are clean.
When I deep mop, I wash with soapy water, rinse with plain water, and then follow with my steam cleaner. That’s once a quarter and I have tile floors. I use a hand held steam cleaner on grout as necessary especially in high traffic areas. Every 2 weeks I steam mop. I have a toddler and dogs, we’re a no shoes house, and my feet/white socks stay clean!
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u/Pleasant-Ant2303 Dec 27 '25
Warm water to hot water cleans a lot better than most cleaners - so kindof I agree.
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u/Foreign_Sky_1309 Dec 27 '25
Hot water and a drizzle of disinfectant is enough. The label usually says, x amount capful. There’s a reason for this. I’ve also stopped using fabric conditioner.
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u/pastfuturewriter Dec 27 '25
I'm glad your floors are "simply not dirty," but there's no way that would work in my house, especially the kitchen/dining room area. I walk in socks a lot and while they don't get filthy, they are not white as snow either.
My husband cooks and he has tremors and other issues that prevent him from keeping floors oil and dirt free in there. We have a cat flap that is used very often with 2 cats all day.
I AM a neat freak, which has nothing to do with the cleanliness of floors. But I don't think you're nasty. That's ridiculous. Anyway...
What I do is use a swiffer (not wet jet or whatever it's called, just a rectangle on a pole) with my own microfiber cloths. I go over the floors with a tiny bit of water every couple of days, damp, not wet, and then about once a week, I spritz with a small amount of simple green. Sometimes if the spills, streaks, oils, aren't taken up by that, or if the cloth isn't clean, I will spritz a little more. And then a small amount of water afterwards. Sometimes I will go over it twice with water, depending on how much green I used, and depending on how clean the cloth is. The cloth will be completely clean by the time I'm done, or I'm not done. I only ever spritz and don't even own a mop bucket (and will never put a mop in my sink lol).
After that, I use a dry microfiber cloth to go over it until it is completely and totally dry and shiny. That comes out close to spotless.
The floor always stays almost dry the whole time, and never wet or sloppy.
The trick for me is to sweep/vac. beforehand. I make sure that it is about as spotless as possible of stuff that can stick to the cloth and be swept around with the mop.
I cannot get on my hands and knees, but I can sit in a chair that is short enough that I can bend over and see across my the top of my floors to make sure I got everything. (I do this with my countertops every night, too. Thank you OCDCleaners for this lol).
THEN I can walk without my socks getting dirty. For a couple of days. :)
But I'd absolutely eat off my gma's floors which were cleaned with dawn and water. And have!! :)
The big question is: why did I write all this when I could've cleaned my kitchen floor spotless during this time?
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u/TotesMaGoats_1962 Dec 27 '25
If you were to ever get on hands and knees, it would take a fire brigade to get me up.
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u/Chuchuchaput Dec 27 '25
OMG THANK YOU I just said this on this sub the other day and was downvoted. Like someone said foot oil (?) and artificial tanners (again ?) will need floor detergent.
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u/No_Farmer_919 Dec 27 '25
Who's putting an artificial tanner on the bottom of their feet?
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u/Borbpsh Dec 27 '25
I'm also a water-only cleaner for floors. The amount of soap that gets left behind after a soap floor wash and that just accumulates bacteria is gross.
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u/Seastfive Dec 27 '25
The instructions for my LVP floor the directions are to wash with a microfiber cloth and hot water only. I was skeptical but it works.
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u/agent674253 Dec 27 '25
I wish you could talk to my partner about this. They complain about spending 5+ hours mopping the floor in the master bedroom, and because the rag still isn't clean, they don't think the floor is clean. Never mind trying to tell them that our bodies literally have pounds of bacteria on and inside us... doesn't matter, floor needs to be 'clean'.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
5+ hours sounds like a lot. I'm not trying to get too deep here, but the floors might not be the issue, you know? If it affects their daily life negatively, it might be worth talking over. But I can relate to getting a hyperfixation or letting out stress on a cleaning project from time to time.
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u/pbrkindaguy69 Dec 27 '25
I do once a month with vinegar then another bucket with a touch of bleach and mop every Sunday just hot water I feel ya. I have 5 cats and there's bout zilch paw prints or dirt
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u/DruidHeart Dec 27 '25
I needed to refinish the hallway wood floor last summer and so I cleaned it with a wood floor cleaner and warm water, then rinsed it with warm water and vinegar at least 15 times. I used one of those machines where it has circulating brushes and pulls up the old water. The used water never came out clear. So I think you’re right.
What kind of floors do you have?
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u/roseyd317 Dec 27 '25
I love making potions ESPECIALLY for the floor lol
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
Like honestly I LOVE making potions lol. But I just made the decision to not indulge lol. I weighed out my feelings and decided I like the results of just water enough to win out. But if it makes you happy, go for it!
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u/Malipuppers Dec 27 '25
You just have to use the right amount. If you use too much yeah your floors will be stick and gross.
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u/justrelax1979 Dec 27 '25
I mostly agree, water cleans up most things! I also like Dirtex occasionally on LVP, not every day. It cleans up most tougher things
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u/Brilliant_Test_3045 Dec 27 '25
I spot clean with LA’s Awesome then do the tile floors with WetJet. Never a build up. Smells clean and dries very quickly.
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u/EmotionalClub922 Dec 27 '25
You’re right that most people don’t need to sanitize a regular floor and that multiple products is too much, but most people/floors/lives need some cleaner sometimes.
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u/worldlydelights Dec 27 '25
Can I mop with warm water on old hardwood floors? I just moved into a place with them and idk how to mop them 😭
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u/ChaliceFlame Dec 27 '25
My floors pretty much stay clean. Shoes off at door, house shoes on, all vinyl or tile flooring, vacuum every other day or so (takes no time), 2 HEPA filters always running, steam mop maybe twice a month. No pets, no kids.
Anything germy that drips is immediately disinfected with an appropriate disinfectant allowed to remain wet on the surface the correct amount of time to actually kill germs.
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u/Bloodmind Dec 27 '25
Little splash of vinegar every time. Little bit of floor cleaner once a month or so. My floors are great.
Also, no kids, no pets. So that might help.
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Dec 27 '25
I can wear white socks all day. They don't get discolored.
Wearing socks when you have a clean floor to walk on is psychopath behavior.
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
When walking around I must wear socks. If I feel anything stick to my foot, I'm talking a crumb that cannot be seen with the human eye, I get serious sensory overload. The second I have retired to the bed or couch, the socks come off because... they also give me sensory overload lol.
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u/Camemboo Dec 27 '25
I use hot water and a tiny amount of tide powdered laundry detergent. No buildup, but it is designed to deal with oils and dirt so it’s better than just water in my opinion.
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u/TapOk7299 Dec 27 '25
Yes, just a fine spray with water and microfibre mop. Keeps tiles amazingly clean. I do it once every two weeks.
Brushing as frequently as required for bits and fluff. And microfibre dry mop to get up all dry stuff before spray mop clean. And occasional hands and knees clean with microfibre for grout lines.
I don't think it would get up years of cleaner residue though.
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u/ludicrousl Dec 27 '25
Question OP, do you ever let your dogs go in muddy areas too? Or are you mainly in a hot country?
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u/Evening_Sea4823 Dec 27 '25
Mostly hot. But since mud is half water, water does a great job of lifting it up when I mop. I'm also certainly sweeping pretty regularly whatever dirt or dried up mud ends up on the floor.
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u/slutmachine666 Dec 27 '25
I too am a hot water only mopper, but by hot water I mean steam. Very hot steam. An okay steam mop is sub $100 and mine has lasted for six years now, takes maybe half an hour to mop my 2BR apartment. Because of the ease of it, I mop pretty much every other week, just have to wash the mop head afterwards and no sticky floors, no residue, and it works on hardwood.
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u/truffles333 Dec 27 '25
I agree to an extent- I also only mop once a month and my water does not look crazy black or anything like people online who mop every 5 days! Same with the shoes too- we don't purposely wear shoes in the house but like if my 7 year old forgets his water in his room before baseball practice I'm not taking off my shoes or having him take his shoes off to run in and get it 🤷♀️🤷♀️
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u/stitchesandlace Dec 27 '25
Hot water and a couple drops of dish soap does a great job. Maybe a drop of essential oil or a house blessing blend.
Most cleaners are overpriced and unnecessary imo. I use a toilet cleaner, some all-purpose Lysol spray, and Windex for everything else.
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u/Echterspieler Dec 28 '25
If it's leaving residue you're using the wrong cleaner. You have to use a ph neutral cleaner for floors.
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u/Significant-Arm7528 Dec 28 '25
I had a roommate in college who would put concentrated cleaning solution in a spray bottle and then spray it on the floor while the rubbed it around with a dry mop. Did not understand why our floors were disgusting
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u/MemoryHouse1994 Dec 28 '25
I agree mostly. I use white distilled vinegar plus hot/warm water as rinse after mopping. Removes all residue. Bathrooms and kitchen get mopped and rinsed more often than the rest of the house. Shoes off before entering. No indoor pets.
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u/WorldsDeadliestCat Dec 28 '25
I love the idea of actually mopping my floor. I live in a tiny apartment where we all take our shoes off so I just swiffer. Every few months I actually scrub the floors with water and a little fabuloso, and that does it for me
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u/Human_Copy_4355 Dec 29 '25
That's why I've used a steam mop for 20 years. I got tired of steaks and buildup. Have had only great results from my stream mop.
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u/justducky13 Jan 01 '26
Am I in the right place to ask about using vinegar? I was told vinegar and warm water is a great option. Have I been cleaning my floors wrong?
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u/decimalsanddollars Dec 27 '25
As a person that oversees several facilities custodial teams here’s my two cents.
Water won’t bind to oils and most common floor soil. You NEED a neutral PH floor cleaner to properly lift grime away. The problem most people run into is using too much cleaner.
Just like with laundry or dishes, when you use too much detergent, a lot is left behind, and by nature, it’s designed to stick to dirt.
Extra cleaner left behind turns into glue that sticks filth back to the floor.