How to Mop a Floor
To maintain a healthy home environment, you need to maintain a certain level of cleanliness and hygiene especially if you allow shoes in the house.
Little do people realize that germs can be hiding everywhere irrespective of how often you clean the place. Since you cannot see the germs, potentially they can be anywhere, and growing exponentially.
It is pretty much understandable that with a hectic work routine, managing chores around the house let alone cleaning it regularly can be very challenging.
Hence, for most, mopping the floor twice in a week works just fine. Cleaning the house is one thing, cleaning the cleaning equipment is another, which many people fail to categorize as important. Well, this is another debate for another time.
However, is it enough? It depends on whether you have thoroughly mopped the floors or not! So, how to mop a floor? Which is the right way? Is there actually a right way to clean the floors so you remain healthier?
Yes, even a task as small as mopping floors if done correctly can deliver great advantages. It does sound new to many but needs to be understood. Hence, let us discuss more it!
How to Mop the Floor
How difficult can it be to mop a floor? All you need is a bucket full of water, some floor cleaner like bleach, dip the floor mop into it, squeeze the extra water out, and rub it on the floor. No one would ever get it wrong! Or can they?
We are here to tell you how to mop a floor correctly:
1. Understand the Floor Type
We bet you have never thought about the type of flooring you have in the house could affect your cleaning. But how is it relevant? Different types of floors are cleaned in different ways.
Like you cannot use bleach on laminated wood or else it will damage it. But, bleach can help remove stains from tiles and hence, works as a great cleaner for tiled floors.
Moreover, if you have hardwood flooring all across the house, finished off with a thick layer of wax or sealed with polyurethane then we’d suggest using a damp mop on it only once a week.
And what about vinyl flooring? Add some natural apple cider vinegar in water and you will not only be killing germs while on the cleaning spree but observe an extra shine on it.
2. Gather the Things Needed
Well, of course, everyone knows what things you need for mopping a floor. A bucket full of water, a floor cleaner that goes well with the type of flooring you have, a mop, a vacuum cleaner, a broom, some paper towels, and a sponge.
Isn’t that a lot? Nevertheless, you will need all of these to ensure the floor is spotlessly clean and 100% germ-free!
3. Choose the Right Mop
If you have not realized it to date then let us tell you that the type of floor mop pretty much depends on the type of flooring in your house.
If you have textured floors like ceramic tiles, you might go for a string mop for thorough cleaning.
On the contrary, for plain flooring, a sponge mop works the best thus, choose a mop according to the type of flooring in your house if you wish to attract maximum cleaning results.
4. Choose a Floor Cleaner
This step is crucial! If you are in a habit of randomly picking out cleaners, stop right away!
Did you notice how your laminated flooring is losing its shine? No, it is not because the flooring is years old but because you have been using the wrong cleaner for mopping it.
Make sure you are wise in picking out a floor cleaner because delicate flooring finished off with wax or shine cannot stand bleach-based products.
Thus, choose a cleaner that is light to test its suitability with the flooring type and only then proceed to mop.
5. Broom or Vacuum
Before you rush into mopping the floor, always either broom or vacuum the place to get rid of excess grit and dust.
Moreover, remove the stains using a sponge and cleaner and only then mop it.
If you have not been able to remove all the stains at this point, rub the stains with the mop to get rid of them completely.
6. Use Hot/Warm Water
Amongst all the mopping tips we have shared, this one is surely going to come in handy.
Never use cold water for mopping the floors, rather use either hot or warm water for it as it speeds up the work, removes stains quicker, and gets rid of the germs.
Moreover, do not mix extra detergent or cleaner in the cleaning water in an attempt to clean the place quicker because it will do more bad than good to you.
7. Always Wring the Mop
When mopping a floor, you want it to be moist and not dripping with water, or else, the excess water will easily seep into the flooring and damage it over time.
Moreover, a very wet mop when used on the floor takes a lot of time to dry and neither are you able to get rid of any stains or so.
Thus, always wring it hard before you use the floor mop to clean the floor!
8. Move Backwards
Another pro floor mopping tip here is that always start mopping from one corner of the room and then move back so you are always standing on the area that hasn’t been mopped yet to avoid tracking.
Also, if you wish to achieve the perfect “clean” look, do not let anyone enter the room until the floor has all dried up.
9. Rinse the Mop
When you are done cleaning a small area, dunk the mop in water and rinse thoroughly to get rid of the dust and dirt that you just mopped away and continue.
We would suggest dipping the mop a few tips so that the dust and grime come themselves.
But if the need is, use your hands to rinse it thoroughly so you have a fresh mop for cleaning the next room.
10. Let it Dry
When you are done mopping the floor, do not forget to switch on the fan so it dries up quickly.
If you enter a wet room, you will be leaving behind a new trail of dust and dirt, flushing your cleaning efforts down the drain.
Mop the Right Way
A task as small as mopping could be done wrong was unthinkable for many. But of course, some people do not realize the mistake they are making and end up complaining about stained and dull floors even after cleaning them regularly.
We have already shared ways of how to mop the floor and hope it helps. How to mop the floor should be held and done will determine how clean your floors are.
Thus, next time you pick up the floor mop for some cleaning, remind yourself of the right way of doing it do you do it RIGHT!
This is because sometimes it is easy to do things as simple as mopping wrong. You could be using the wrong floor cleaner or even a mop. Or maybe not starting from a corner only to find yourself trapped and surrounded by a wet floor.
Thus, there are a hundred ways to do it wrong and only one way to do it right and make sure you do it right!
Relax and Enjoy!
You may also take a look at our ultimate step-by-step vacuum cleaners buying guide.