For Odor-Free Floors, Mop With This One Ingredient

"Oh boy! It's floor cleaning day!" is a sentence I have never uttered (ever). That's true even when the task is cleaning hardwood floors, something, as an expert in woodworking, I should have an affinity for. But even I have to admit that walking on a clean, odor free floor is a lovely experience. You may be thinking that you already know how to clean floors but wondering what the trick is for getting odor-free floors. I'm glad you asked — it's baking soda. Also known as sodium bicarbonate, baking soda can be used in a myriad of ways, from medicine to fire fighting and, especially, cleaning. 

Baking soda is frequently used in floor-cleaning mixtures, as its alkaline nature breaks down grease and dirt, allowing them to be lifted and removed by water. It also has an abrasive nature that helps scrub away dirt and stains. Its odor-killing ability is also linked to its alkaline, as opposed to acidic, base. Many unpleasant odors are caused by acidic compounds. Because sodium bicarbonate is on the opposite end of the pH scale, it neutralizes acids and the smells they create. 

While you can use baking soda to clean most floors, avoid using it on wooden floors. I'll explain why later after we discuss how to use it on other floors. Start by putting 1/2-cup of baking soda into a bucket of water. You can use it on tile floors, vinyl, rolled flooring or luxury vinyl, and sealed concrete. Using a mop, apply the baking soda and water mixture onto the floor and let it sit there for at least 20 minutes. You need to give it time for the chemical reaction to neutralize the odor-causing acids. Then, mop up the water and follow that with a water-only mopping to remove any baking soda residue. And just like that, you'll have a clean and odor-free floor.

While you might be tempted to try floor cleaning hack out on your hardwood floors, don't. Hardwood floors have a finish that can break down if you use a highly alkaline cleaning agent like sodium bicarbonate or ammonia. In fact, using an acidic cleaner like vinegar is also bad for hardwood floor finishes. Luckily, there are pH-neutral cleaners that will do a great job cleaning hardwood floors. The other downside of cleaning hardwood floors with baking soda is the need to let the mixture soak on the floor for 20 minutes or more. Wood is hygroscopic and will expand when exposed to water over a long period of time. That is bad for the finish and can cause the wood to distort. In short, keep the baking soda away from wood floors.