Looking for a pH neutral stone floor cleaner that actually works? I tested 4 different DIY homemade floor cleaners and this is what happened.
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I know if you’re on Pinterest you’ve seen a million DIY homemade cleaners. Do they really work? The answer is both yes and no. I wanted to find out if any of the recipes I found for stone and grout floor cleaner actually worked so I put them to the test.
I tried 4 different DIY floor cleaners and this is what happened.
After doing a crap ton (technical term) of research I discovered that there are two main rules to abide by for cleaning natural stone:
- Do not use anything acidic on stone.
- Try to use a ph neutral product. For your reference, a pH neutral substance is a 7 on the acidic/alkaline scale. Click here for a cool diagram of things that are acidic, neutral, and alkaline.
Okay, I can do that?? Right? Hell yeah, I can. I put on my white lab coat and got to work in my lab, a.k.a. my Kitchen.
Mixture # 1: Castile soap (pH 8.9) and water (pH 7)
Mixture # 2: Castile soap (pH 8.9), Baking soda (pH 9) and water (pH7)
Mixture # 3: Rubbing Alcohol(pH 5.5), castile soap (pH 8.9) and water (pH7)
Mixture # 4: Hydrogen peroxide (pH 6.4) and baking soda (pH 9)
Testing time:
After taping off some of the worst spots on my floor I mixed up the four different cleaners and got out my trusty old tooth-brush.
Mixture #1: The castile soap and water worked well. It did leave some stains on the grout that I thought it would be able to remove but overall it was worked pretty well.
Mixture # 2: Castile soap, water, and baking soda worked like a charm! I think that using a mixture that is 90% baking soda, 8% water, and 2% castle soap is the right ratio. The mixture was easy to apply. Being just abrasive enough to remove stains on the grout and tile without marring the surface. The grit in baking soda eliminates the need for a ton of elbow grease.
Mixture # 3: Rubbing alcohol and castile soap. One would think that rubbing alcohol would do the trick. Not so. When I mixed with the castile soap with the alcohol it turned into a gelatinous mess. Did not work at all! I’ll leave this combination for my DIY granite and degreasing spray.
Mixture # 4: Hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Much like the other baking soda mixture this one was easy to apply and did remove some of the stainings on the grout. I think it would work well for tile and grout that is a light color. **Make sure to spot test this because it contains Hydrogen peroxide.**
AND THE WINNER IS...
Mixture # 2 – Baking soda, water, and castile soap. Not only did it make my grout clean, it “buffed” the travertine tile. Making it look and feel brand new and soft.
Always make sure to spot test before using any products on your porous marble surfaces. Rinse the tile and grout thoroughly with rinse with water after you’re done cleaning.
Do you have a great homemade cleaner that you swear by? Leave a comment below so I can check it out and possibly feature it in a future post.
Need an amazing granite cleaner and degreaser? Check out my DIY recipe here.
Cheers!
i love these recipes!! one idea that ive tried is lemone ssential oil, mixed iwth any of those, or just alone. also lemon juice iwhtin each one of the castile sopa recipes.
Thanks for reading Ella! I love them as well. I love any citrus oil as well. It cuts right through any grease or sticky messes.
Have you tried mixing baking soda, liquid soap and vinegar? It is an amazing mixture for cleaning the tiles and grout.
Great tip! Unfortunately, I am not able to use any acidic based cleaners due to it etching and marring my travertine marble floor tiles. That’s why you may have noticed my need to find a ph neutral cleaner. Thanks for commenting none the less.
a really informative article, thanks for sharing this DIY cleaning material, thanks for sharing this one.
I love these recipes!! One idea that ive attempted is lemone ssential oil, combined iwth any of those, or just alone. Additionally lemon juice iwhtin every one of the castile sopa recipes.
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i like mixture 2. .Already i tried it. Its a amazing mixture for floor cleaning.. Thanks for give us most informative article.
Thanks For Sharing This Very informative and helpful article.
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Hi Melissa, it would be helpful if you didn’t block the view of the floor areas. That makes it hard to see any differences. You have a bowl sitting in the middle of the shot in one case, a bunch of goop sitting on the floor in another, and tape covering the grout in others. The grout is part of what you’re trying to clean, so covering it is strange.
I can hardly tell any differences in your photos. The power of suggestion alone could make people think they see differences in these photos. The lighting seems to vary a lot, changing the color of the floor. And the photos don’t match – you’ve got different size areas, making comparisons even more difficult. When the floors do look different, it’s not obvious which shot would be viewed the “cleaner” floor if we gave people a blind test.
It would help to include plain water as a control cleaning “formula”, since your floor wasn’t actually dirty or stained. Whatever cleaning these formulas achieved might not be any better than water. Water alone will clean most floors well.
Hi there Jose,
Let’s unpack your comment.
1. I am not a scientist therefore my “test” areas will not be under stringent scientific review. I am fully aware of having a control as I went to school to be a conceptual physics teacher and have over 5 years of physics, biology, chemistry, and anatomy college courses.
2. I am a DIY blog, not a professional cleaner, chemist, industrial hygenist, or chemical engineer. That means that I am testing these concoctions on my own at my house.
3. I am taking photos on my iPhone (years ago) so the quality of the photos is not by any means professional! I tried my best to make sure that they were the best I could get at the time.
4. You sir are the definition of a TROLL. You have an email address from a college so I am going to assume that you found my article in your own quest to find information about this subject. Cheers for reading my post, but shame on you for berating a perfect stranger.
I hope this reply finds you well and you find the information you are looking for elsewhere.
So excited to find this recipe to clean my travertine floors. Do you happen to have the ratios used for a mop bucket? I’m mathematically challenged so I would appreciate the help. For example 1cup baking soda,1/4 cup Castile soap etc. Thanks for your help!
Debbie
Hi Debbie! Math isn’t my friend either. LOL. For my floors I use hot water in a gallon bucket with 1/4 cup of baking soda and 4 tablespoons of any scent castile soap. You can adjust the amount of baking soda once you see how this mixture works for you. I generally like a little more baking soda to buff the floor a little and get that velvety feel back that travertine marble naturally has.
I hope this helps and thank you so much for reading!
Great article! As the owner of Ultimate Floor Cleaner, I couldn’t agree more about the importance of using the right floor cleaning products. Your tips on identifying high-quality ingredients and avoiding harsh chemicals are spot on.
Thanks for sharing these helpful floor cleaning insights.
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