Is it possible to wash floors with laundry soap?

Is it possible to wash floors with laundry soap? It is usually used to wash clothes and remove stubborn stains from clothes. It can also be used for cleaning floors. Homemade liquid laundry soap is best suited for these purposes.

Advantages and disadvantages

Laundry soap has occupied a place of honor on store shelves for several decades in a row. The seemingly inconspicuous brown bars are especially loved by people of the old school. Most young people prefer modern detergents. But in vain.

Laundry soap has many advantages:

• Natural composition. The bar contains sodium salt and fatty acids. No bleaches, fragrances or preservatives. The percentage (72, 65) reflects the amount of fatty acids in the finished product.
• Hypoallergenic. Laundry soap does not cause allergies. It is recommended to use it for washing children's clothes and clothes for allergy sufferers, for cleaning residential premises and washing floors.
• Economical. A bar of soap (200 grams) costs about 20 rubles.
• Environmental friendliness. Unlike household products (Mr. Proper, Cinderella, Look, Glorix and many others), laundry soap does not contain phosphates or any substances that pollute the environment. The soap solution is washed off easily and without residue, while washing off chemicals requires at least 40 liters of water. After washing the floor, you can even water the plants with water - this will not harm them.
• Efficiency. Laundry soap has a high concentration of alkali (pH 11–12), which makes it good at removing dirt from any surface.
• Disinfection. Soap can not only clean the room from dirt, but also kill germs. It is still used in many kindergartens and medical institutions to this day. And if you wash the floor with tar soap, you can also get rid of fleas and ants in the house.

The disadvantages of using laundry soap for cleaning floors include the following:

• it takes time to prepare the solution;
• if the proportions are not observed, the soap may leave streaks;
• specific smell during cleaning.

3 ways to wash the floor with laundry soap

It is best to use liquid laundry soap for cleaning, prepared independently from a 72% bar. Of course, to save time, you can purchase a ready-made product in a store. However, it is worth considering that liquid types of laundry soap most often have an unnatural composition and contain surfactants, fragrances, and preservatives. If you are going to buy it, pay attention to the information on the label.

How can you clean the floor?

• Method number 1. Dissolve the soap in hot water. To prepare an effective detergent, it is enough to add a quarter of a bar (50 g) to 4–5 liters of boiling water. To speed up dissolution, it is recommended to grate the soap. Wash the floor with soapy water and then with clean water.
• Method number 2. Rub the soap onto the floor rag. The process is quite labor-intensive, but it allows you to remove stubborn dirt and stains on the floor. To avoid streaks, the coating is washed with clean, always warm water 2-3 times.
• Method No. 3. Prepare floor cleaner. Grate the 72% block, pour into a 3-5 liter saucepan, add 2 liters of water and place on low heat.Once the mixture becomes homogeneous, remove the pan. Slowly add 8 tbsp into the solution. spoons of soda ash or 1.5 cups of baking soda. High foam will rise and must be removed. Let the detergent cool and add essential oil for scent if desired. To wash the floor, add 1 cup of liquid soap to 5 liters of warm water. The product foams well and can be stored in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks.

It is not necessary to use new laundry soap to clean the floor. Remnants of soap, which are no longer convenient to wash with, are perfect for preparing a soap solution.

What floor coverings can be washed with laundry soap?

Each floor covering has its own care requirements. Let's look at the most common ones - laminate and linoleum.

• You can wash linoleum with laundry soap without any restrictions. There will be no streaks or scratches on it, and the coating will not lose its shine. The product will help remove unpleasant odors and stains.
• Laminate is very sensitive to moisture and abrasive substances. To prevent it from deteriorating or swelling, it is recommended to use a slightly damp cloth with a solution of laundry soap No. 1 or No. 3. Then the floor should be wiped with a clean, barely damp cloth. There will be no streaks or white marks left.

So, you can wash the floor with laundry soap. And it’s even necessary if there are small children and allergy sufferers in the family. The only difficulty is that the solution needs to be prepared. Store-bought liquid soap contains surfactants, and its effect is the same as that of chemical floor cleaners.