I was playing photographer yesterday, getting down on the floor and working scenes from different angles, when I kept noticing that something smelled bad.
Point, shoot, whiff….”what is that odor?” Then, embarrassment set in as I thought, “my feet smell really bad. I need to take a bath.”
Embarrassment was soon replaced by the realization that that smell wasn’t coming from my feet after all. It was my floors!
I had mopped the day before, but instead of using Pine-Sol like I usually do, I decided to give vinegar and water a try. So, I dipped my mop in the bucket and moved it in figure eights across the floor.
“Hey, this really does work,” I noticed as spills and scuffs came up easily. ”Wow, my floor looks extra clean,” I marveled.
I could no longer smell the vinegar by the time I went to bed which is why, the next morning, it took me a while to recognize that foot odor smell for the vinegar that it actually was.
It’s now been two days since I waltzed across the floor with my mop, and I think the coast is clear.
To mop your floors with vinegar
~Mix 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar with a gallon of warm water (this is where I may have gone wrong.)
~For hard wood floors, be sure to wring the mop so that it is damp, not wet
~Mop and let dry. Some directions say to rinse with water, others say rinsing isn’t necessary
~Optional: add a few drops of dish soap or essential oil for a fresh scent
I loved how easy it was to use vinegar and water; there’s no rinsing after you mop and it cuts through the grime, leaving my floors looking very clean. Also, there is no build up or sticky feeling after the floor dries. I’m going to try adding essential oil to the vinegar and water mixture next time.
I’m thinkin’ a nice lemon scent should do the trick. 
What do you use to clean your floors?
until next time,
Sharon
About Mrs. Hines
hi Sharon … I love the cleaning power and smell of vinegar and surprised it left an unpleasant odor. I just bought an ORECK Grab-it & Steam-it and used it for the first time on my tile in the bathroom. Also steam cleaned the low pile area rugs in there. LOVE it and can’t wait to use it in the kitchen. Don’t know if I will use it on the hardwood floors though.
Thanks for the tips on using vinegar.
Blessings,
Audrey Z. http://audreyzumwalt.blogspot.com/
Timeless Treasures
Audrey, I’m amazed at the cleaning power of vinegar. I think the lingering smell was my fault. I poured too much vinegar in with the water. I’ll cut back next time and hope that takes care of it.
I tried Mr. Clean one time and loved the smell but it then felt sticky for days. I have been tempted to try the vinegar recipes but hesitant on the smell as you described. Let us know how it works out by adding the lemon smell, that just may do the trick!
I learned after sharing this post on Hometalk that vinegar can eat through the finish on your floor. I would expect that it would take multiple uses for that to happen, but I’m not a pro. I’ll have to do some more research.
I’m glad I read the post about vinegar eating through the finish on wood floors. When I had my my floors refinished the man told me to just use a damp mop on them…nothing else!!! So that’s all I do. I might try the vinegar & water for the kitchen & bathroom floors though.
I debated over what to mop the kitchen floors with today, and in the end decided to stick with Pine Sol. And for my wood floors, strictly a damp mop. But, my floors never looked cleaner or shinier than with the vinegar. Vinegar is acidic, but it’s very mild. When diluted with water, I’m not convinced it would eat through the floors. I may use it again on my kitchen and bath floors.