From Guest Blogger Chris Long: Eco-Friendlier, Effective and Efficient Green Cleaners for your Floors

One of the most costly aspects of beautiful flooring can be found in an unexpected place: Cleaning products. Not only do they put a squeeze on your wallet (some cleaners are upwards of $5 per bottle – and you ‘need’ a special bottle for each different type of flooring, so you can never just buy one all-purpose cleaner…), but they also put a squeeze on the environment with their harsh chemicals and oftentimes heavy-duty manufacturing processes.

Fortunately, there is a simple solution and it starts with a simple solution…of water and the appropriate active ingredients! And because virtually all commercial cleaners begin with a base of regular old water anyway, the only thing you are replacing is the costly and potentially toxic chemical component with an all-natural ingredient that is equally tough on dirt and grime.

The bottom line is that in addition to reducing your impact on the environment by switching to DIY green cleaning solutions, you can also drastically cut costs in the cleaning budget department. Basically, when it comes to your cleaning regimen, green is good!

Here are a few simple DIY recipes and tips to get you started on your green cleaning closet and for keeping those floors sparkling.

Wood Floor Wash and Shine

When you want to clean up your hardwood flooring and avoid that film that some cleaners can leave behind, it’s as simple as a cup of tea!

Steep two teabags in boiling water for a few minutes and pour the tea into a bucket. Making sure the water has cooled enough to handle it, dip a clean rag into the tea. Wring it out to the point that it is simply damp (not dripping) and wipe the rag over your wood floors to thoroughly wash them.

Stand back and watch as the tannic acid in the tea creates a beautiful shine on the surface of your hardwood floors.

Tip: If you notice scratches following this super-squeaky clean rinse, take a crayon matching the color of your wood and rub it over the scratch to fill the gap. Use a blow dryer on high heat to heat and dry the waxy crayon wood filler and then use a soft cloth to buff the surface.

Touchable Tiles and Great Grout

For ceramic and porcelain tile floors, always begin by sweeping or vacuuming the surface to remove loose soil or grit. Otherwise, you are pushing it around on the tiles and grinding it into the grout and you want to avoid this as much as possible.

Also along those lines, do not use a sponge mop for cleaning tile floors because the sponge only serves to push and pull the debris into the grout lines rather than removing it from the flooring. Instead, opt for a micro-fiber mop or the good old fashioned hands and knees method with a rag and wipe in a circular motion.

Finally, always go with the least harsh option necessary to clean floors and this may even be warm water. If you need to apply a bit more power, use a low pH mild detergent and water to wash the surface of the tiles.

To clean discolored grout, sprinkle baking soda over the grout lines to create a grid pattern over the entire floor.

Drizzle hydrogen peroxide over the baking soda and scrub into the grout using a hard bristle grout brush.

Allow it to sit for an hour and then dry sweep away as much of the grit as possible before applying a few passes of the mild detergent/water solution to clean the entire floor.

To avoid streaks, wipe the floor with a soft cloth until it is dry.

Miscellaneous Floor Type Tips

In addition to hardwoods and ceramic or porcelain tile flooring, you might have laminate or marble floors.

Laminate
One of the most common problems with laminate floors is removing sticky residue and one such sticky situation involves hairspray in a bathroom.

Remove the hairspray from your laminate the same way you would from your hair: Apply a dollop of shampoo and wash it out with warm water. Rinse and wipe dry.

Marble
Clean marble floors with a drop or two of a mild dishwashing liquid (do not use citrus-scented or citrus-based cleaners) mixed with warm water.

Sponge over the floors and use a clean sponge or rag to rinse the surface completely. Before the marble has dried, buff the surface with a soft cloth for a streak-free shine.

Tip: Do not use vinegar, lemon or any other type of acidic cleaner on marble floors (and granite surfaces) as it will eat into the stone.

What are some of the DIY green cleaners you plan on producing for your next round of floor cleaning?