Homemade Floor Sweeping Compound

The Recipe

• One of the basic homemade sweeping compounds is made with 6 cups of fine sawdust, 1 1/2 cups of mineral oil and 2 cups of rock salt. Mix the ingredients in a bucket or other large container. Prepare the sweeping compound in advance, if desired, and have it ready when needed. Make larger quantities by doubling or tripling the materials.

How to Use

• Sprinkle the sweeping compound around the floor you will be sweeping. After the sweeping compound has set for about 5 minutes, sweep it across the room, moving the compound across all areas of the floor. Sweep the compound and any debris from the floor into a single area, gather it with a dustpan or shovel, and remove it from the room.

Advantages

• The homemade sweeping compound utilizes materials you may have in the home. Using sawdust from the home shop allows this waste material to be recycled into a useful product. The homemade product may be more cost-effective than purchased sweeping compounds. It also allows the homeowner to be more self-sufficient, by producing, rather than purchasing, a cleaning product.

Commercial Products

• The commercial sweeping compounds offer some options that are not available in the homemade varieties. Some commercial sweeping compounds include disinfectants that kill germs on the floor surface. Other commercial sweeping compounds offer pleasant scents as part of the formula.