Floors are simple to clean without the aid of commercial chemicals. Scrubbing and mopping works just as well with a few ingredients in hot water.

Tiles and brick flooring can be cleaned with a solution of vinegar and water (1 cup vinegar in 1 gallon of water), and then rinsed with water. Vinyl and linoleum floors clean similarly, although with half the amount of vinegar, used to scrub the surface as normal.

To clean painted wooden floors, one teaspoon of washing soda can be added to a gallon of hot water. To remove soap traces when cleaning, add a drop of baby oil to the water.

Wooden floors should be washed only occasionally with a solution of warm water and the smallest amount of dishwashing soap. (Alternatively try a cup of citrus oil in a bucket of hot water.) Use a different rag to rinse as you did to clean, then a third, dry rag to dry and buff the surface. To avoid the wooden surface from becoming streaky, add 1/4 cup of vinegar to the cleaning water.