DIY Floor Remover

I love how motivated I feel about life and projects when my house is clean, but I sure do hate cleaning my house. I get excited any time I can find a cleaner that really does the job well because it makes my job easier. It's especially nice when I can make that cleaner at home and save a little money and still have a job well done. Maggi has had trouble finding the right cleaner for her laminate flooring, but found a pin on Pinterest that claimed to be all she'd ever hoped from in a cleaner.

The Original Pin

http://www.hannahfancher.com/2012/04/lean-green-cleaning-machine.html

MAggi said, "I have dark laminate floors, which look wonderful when clean and shiny, but most cleaners leave a film or streaks. It's frustrating that even "Safe for laminate" cleaners will make the floors look worse when clean than they did when they were dirty. So, I stumbled on this pin and thought "WOW!! Her floors are dark and look great. Also I have all of that stuff right here." So, I mixed it up, according to her recipe and placed it in a spray bottle. I sprayed and started mopping with a microfiber mop and this is what happened."

The Pinstrosity

"Big white 'etched' streaks in my laminate. It's like the alcohol melted the finish. You can see where the cleaner was heaviest, because that is the whitest. The streaks would not come up with a Swiffer, or a steam cleaner. I finally used Lemon Pledge, hoping the oil would permeate the surface and that worked. I don't think it pulled the white streaks out, but it soaked into them and now they are much less noticeable. I think it was the alcohol, because I've used straight vinegar before and it didn't do this (I just hate the salad-dressing smell). So, my take-away from all this is: Test in an inconspicuous place first!!"

Always always test your cleaners (store bought or homemade) somewhere inconspicuous at first. I've had cleaners (of both the store bought and homemade varieties) discolor upholstery and carpets. I try to always test out a new brand or cleaner somewhere out of sight before using it on the rest of my floor or furniture. The cleaners don't all work the same on every surface! It is especially important to test all DIY cleaners somewhere first.