I spent months trying the best mopping cleaners to use with a mop so you don't have to! See the 15 recipes I tried and what I thought of each. This post reviews popular formulas like Tide powder, Fabuloso, bleach, dishwasher pods, and more.
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It all started with a new mop.
A couple of years ago, I bought the O-Cedar Spin Mop that had been all the rage on social media. I wasn't sure my floor cleaning routine at the time (using a spray mop with microfiber pads) was cutting it and wanted to give this method a try.
Let it suffice to say that I was right. Not only is this the best mop for vinyl plank floors I have ever used, but it's apparently kind of fun to watch the process.
Going Viral
After I posted this video on mopping with an O-Cedar Mop on Tik Tok, it went viral almost immediately. I'm currently sitting at over 15 million views between two postings of this video on my account - that's crazy to me!
This led to me making 5 separate videos where I tried different floor cleaners for my new mop. I genuinely wanted to see which one worked best, since I was fairly new to mopping this way. So, each Thursday (on my Journey to Clean vacuum/mop day), I tested 3 formulas to see what I really loved.
I showed "the pour" in each example to see just how much dirt that formula took off the floor and ranked the formulas based off of my experience. Those have been super popular as well...from those, I've gotten a lot of requests to make one big post of which formulas I thought were best. Ask and you shall receive!
(If you want to see the original videos, they're on my Tik Tok (labeled "favorite mopping formulas").
How I Ranked the Best Mopping Cleaners
I've got all 15 cleaning solutions I tried on my LVP flooring ranked below. These range from literal plain water to some more interesting combinations that were recommended by viewers.
If you saw these on Tik Tok, some of the ratings did change a little, mostly because of hindsight and experience after I made the video. I ranked the formulas based on smell, cleaning ability, drying time, residue, etc. The ranking you see under each mopping cleaner weighs in all factors.
Can I use these with other kinds of mops?
You absolutely can!
- While I used an O-Cedar Spin Mop, any traditional mop and bucket set would work wonderfully.
- I don't recommend using these with any of disposable pad mops - those tend to streak easier and don't use as much product, so these formulas wouldn't quite work.
- These also wouldn't be compatible with a steam mop - those are designed to work with just water.
How Much Water Did You Use?
The O-Cedar mopping bucket holds roughly 2 gallons of water. Each recipe below was added to that. My mopping water was warm unless otherwise noted.
On What kind of flooring are these mopping solutions used?
I have luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring in the mopping areas of my home, except for two small bathrooms with ceramic tile floors. So these formulas were used on both LVP and tiled flooring, with the performance on both weighed in.
It's important to note that I do not have hardwood flooring. You'll want to use cleaners specially designed for that kind of flooring (like bona hardwood floor cleaner) - this post isn't for you. However, you should see similar results if you're mopping linoleum flooring or plain laminate flooring.
Now, let's get to the list! We'll be going from worst at the top to best at the bottom.
15. Vinegar, rubbing alcohol, Fabuloso (½ cup each)
- (This one was a viewer request.)
- Smelled absolutely terrible - those scents don't mix well at all!
- Didn't really dry any faster
- Worst cleaning combo I tried
Rating: 2/10
14. ⅓ cup Murphy's Oil Soap
- Smelled kind of funky (almost waxy)
- Ok cleaning - nothing special
- Left a little bit of residue on the floor
Rating: 4/10
13. 1 cup white vinegar
- Seemed to leave lots of streaks
- Smelled awful, even an hour later
- One of the worst cleaning results
Rating: 4.5/10
12. ½ cup bleach
- Didn't clean as well as I expected
- I was paranoid the whole time I'd get it on a rug or clothing
- Had to go back over with water to make sure I didn't bleach anything
- Amazing at killing almost anything on your floor!
- Shouldn't be mixed with most chemicals, can cause a toxic reaction.
Rating: 4.5/10
11. ½ cup Pine Sol
- Cleaned ok I guess? Nothing special.
- Doesn't have a strong smell
- Anti-microbial and antibacterial
Rating: 5/10
10. Generous squirt of Dish Soap (I used Mrs. Meyers)
- Smelled great
- Cleaned well
- Left a lot of residue/streakiness
Rating: 5/10
9. ¼ cup Totally Awesome and a Cascade Dishwasher Tab
- Great at cutting through stains and grime
- Took forever to dry (humidity could have also been an issue)
- Left some residue
Rating: 5.5/10
8. ½ cup Odoban
- Kills bacteria (as a concentrate, not as powerful when diluted)
- Smelled nice
- No residue!
Rating: 6/10
7. 2 tablespoon each of Tide powder and purple Fabuloso
- Smells amazing
- Floors are clean, but not as clean as with just water
- A small amount of residue leftover
Rating: 6.5/10
6. ¼ cup (about a scoop) powdered Oxi Clean
- No real smell
- Cleaned really well
- Doesn't disinfect
Rating: 7/10
5. ½ cup Windex
- Cleaned incredibly well
- No residue
- Slow drying (I was surprised!)
Rating: 7/10
4. ½ cup Mrs. Meyer's Lavender Concentrate
- Smelled great
- Cleaned well - got a little sudsy (which I like)
- Tiniest bit of residue (I probably could have used less and still cleaned effectively)
Rating: 7/10
3. Plain Warm Water in Mop Bucket
- Basically free
- Actually pretty effective
- O-Cedar claims their mop removes 99% of germs and bacteria with just water
Rating: 7.5/10
2. ¼ cup Totally Awesome cleaner
- Neutral smell (clean, not overpowering)
- Cleaned incredibly well - one of the best I tried!)
- Super inexpensive
- Doesn't disinfect though
Rating: 8/10
The Best O-Cedar Mopping Formula Solution: ½ cup Mr. Clean
- Cleans so well
- Disinfects
- Smells amazing
- No residue
Rating: 9/10
Other Mopping Tips
- Start the habit of "dry mopping" your floors. Simply use a dry mop to scrub any minor spills or stains out of the flooring, as well as effectively dust your floor. This is where a mop with reusable microfiber pads comes in really handy.
- Invest in a Robot Vacuum! It's one of the best cleaning tools I've ever purchased. And yes, most robot vacuums work spectacularly on LVP, too. (I don't recommend a robotic mop; they tend to be messy and inconsistent.)
- Another huge recommendation with mopping is consistency - don't let that dirt build up! If you're in need of a free cleaning schedule to keep up with this, I've got you covered - you can grab my popular cleaning schedule here.
Final Thoughts
So, we can sum up this whole 3-month mopping formula experiment with a recommendation of one of the oldest cleaning products on the shelves. 🙂 I would 100% recommend Mr. Clean as your mopping formula solution - that's what I've used since the experiment ended! But, rest assured, in a pinch you can use most of the recipes on this list with great results.
I'd love to see these cleaning solutions in action! Tag me on social media 📸 (@lambertslately) or leave a comment with how they worked for you.
Is Mr Clean is as good as Lysol?
From my experience, they're really about the same - I'm just able to find Mr. Clean more readily in stores lately.
If water worked great and the o’ceder mop claims it pick us 99% of the bacteria, why spend money on a cleaner? Not to mention they all contain toxic chemicals…when it isn’t necessary? Is it for the smell?
Smell, faster drying, sanitizing, cleaning tougher messes - there are lots of reasons. While the mop might pick up 99% of bacteria, there are still times when you might need to sanitize a floor.
So what was the one you recommend (love) the most. I read everything and I can’t find it. Lol
Mr Clean!
Mr Clean has always been my favorite for mopping.
Mr clean
So I'm kinda weird about mopping bathroom floors with the same mop as the rest of the house. Any suggestions on disinfecting the mop itself? Maybe a bath of Mr Clean after each use??
I'd suggest having a few mop heads - you can buy them pretty inexpensively from Amazon. That way, you can just change out as needed!
I soak my mop head in a bleach and water combo for about 20 minutes after using it and then rinse it really well. People don’t realize that the mop itself get tons of bacteria
I use a separate mop and bucket for the bathroom, and I use bleach and tide liquid, just for the bathroom
Is this for hardwood floors only or for ALl floors?
I have LVP (vinyl) flooring, so I can't speak to all flooring - I know it works for mine, and I've had a lot of comments that many of these work for hardwood.
How pet friendly are these chemicals? Esp when they lick their paws? I have a dog and two cats inside. I use dawn, vinegar and baking soda with hot water. I'll change and will use peroxide instead of vinegar occasionally. I have this same mop and totally love it!!! Great post!
You definitely want to research on if your hardwoods were sealed or not. If they are sealed, the type of sealer will decide what you can use without stripping the sealant. If not, you want to use Murphy’s Oil Soap and I suggest turning on a floor fan to dry quicker to avoid damaging the floors. Hardwoods are so beautiful and extremely expensive so a mistake on products could ruin them.
I use starfiber mops (Bona) but not their floor cleaning products. I find Thomasville cream the best. Wood floors are shiny and a little dirt resistant.
Just to clarify, when you say 1/2 cup of something (like Mr. Clean) you are adding that to 1 gallon of water (hot)?
Yes - I think the capacity of the OCedar bucket is closer to 3 gallons, so I'd say between 2-3 gallons of water. And yes, hot water!
Love all your advice! Thank you! After you use Mr Clean and water on yout Luxury vinyl do you rinse it with just water?
Thanks! I typically don't rinse unless it's a harsher chemical (like bleach).
Ok I love Mr Clean and just bought the OCedar Spin Mop. Evidently, the people that lived here before didn’t mop or disinfect very often. What do you suggest to do first? Thanks!
I think consistency is your best bet! Just set a schedule to mop once a week (Journey to Clean day is Thursday) and stick to it - the water will be incredibly dirty at first, but I've noticed mine getting better and better as I stay on a consistent schedule.
Murphys Wood Oil soap is a specialty product for real wood, so I wouldn't use it for other types of flooring. Th as his for theist.
Having issues with my mopping , so your post is a life saver . I want to try Windex I'm guessing you combine water with Windex right ?
Yes! All of this goes in mop water (2-3 gallons).
Hi, I still think you should try actual Pin Sol. It works good, the smell at least to me yummy! Lol! And sometimes I add a little bleach.
I definitely will, but please don't add bleach to Pine Sol - it can create a toxic gas.
Never, ever, use bleach on luxury vinyl plank. Bleach is acidic and will cause damage over time.
Most of these suggestions I would never use on a solid wood floor. Murpheys oil is okay for wood followed by mop and glow spread by a flat mop.
Just a couple tips from a house cleaner. 😊
What products would you recommend for hardwood floors?
I can't speak to hardwood floors, mine are LVP. Maybe somebody in the comments can help!
So on the reel on Facebook it showed dish Soap, Laundry Soap and something else. Was that a different test? Did it work like the Mr. Clean?
That was the first time I used the mop; I didn't love that combo. Mr. Clean is much better in my opinion!
what mixture ratio would you recommend for the ocedar spray mop and mr clean?
I mix 1/2 cup into about 2 gallons of water.
Sadly some people just scan thru and miss a lot of your information.
You keep WARNING people to be very careful when mixing most floor cleaners with bleach!
You have told us that some products when mixed will create TOXIC FUMES that can make you seriously SICK or even poison & KILL YOU!
A basic science principle tells you that you CANNOT mix bleach with any product that contains ammonia. Read the ingredients on your products. Most floor cleaners are made up mostly of ammonia. Those two chemicals when mixed together create POISONOUS, TOXIC FUMES. What's not clear about that?
YES! Sent me to the ER because I couldn't breathe & having chest pain, then transported by Ambulance to another Hospital where I was admitted for 3 days and had a very LARGE BILL. $$$ to pay off! It's NO JOKE!
What are you mopping? Vinyl plank, wood or sheet vinyl?
This is Luxury Vinyl Plank.
Pretty sure I knew too Mr. Clean was where it was at. I keep seeing junk about soap, baking soda and fabuloso or some kind of same combo but with downy? I'd imagine downy would leave a residue. Vinegar, peroxide, bleach is more of a mold killer thing type thing me thinks. SOOOO stoked I just got my mop too and so far have only used Mr clean.. but.. I'm in a place where it WASN'T cleaned in at LEAST 3 frickin years and the floor sticky as all get out. Keep it up babe n keep us posted?. ❤️
How much water did you use? If it’s listed I apologize, I read this twice and didn’t see it.
The Ocedar mop bucket is about 2 gallons, so that's how much I use.
I wonder why you’re using so much cleaning product. I use less than 1/8 cup of vinegar in very hot water, and the Spin mop does a great job. No smell, no residue, and my Perego floors looks great. I’m using it this way for years.
I’ve used different women to clean my house using this system. There were streaks left when the woman cleaning didn’t know how to use the foot pedal, and she couldn’t learn! It depends on how well the person doing the cleaning can get the hang of the foot pedal.
Most of these are according to package directions. On some cleaners, I added or took away product depending on my results.
Mr. Clean is the best..been using for years!