Heather says:
“Wipe your feet, I just mopped that floor!” Everyone has heard this at least once in their life. However, not everyone has had someone take the time to demonstrate how to effectively mop a floor.
First choose a mop based on your floor type. Typically homes have smooth floors: tile, hardwood, or linoleum. Occasionally some homes will have textured floors such as brick. Smooth floors can be mopped with a sponge mop, but textured requires old fashioned string mops. If you have a string mop be sure you either have a wringer on your bucket or the mop is equipped with one. Textured floors will quickly shred a sponge mop creating a huge mess.
When mopping I tend to use heavily diluted vinegar and hot water which does not require rinsing. If the detergent or chemical you choose requires rinsing, simply repeat the steps outlined below with plain water.
Let’s get started!
- Gather your supplies: broom & dustpan, mop, bucket filled with cleaning solution, a rag, and a wringer if you need it.
- Remove all easily moved furniture. Try to cordon off the room from children and pets.
- Sweep, unless you really enjoy creating mud or scratching the floor with grit.
- Dip the rag in the cleaning solution and thoroughly wring out. The rag is to wipe any smudges you create on baseboards, cabinetry, or appliances.
- Beginning in the corner farthest from your planned exit begin to mop. Dip the mop in the bucket and wring thoroughly. You do not need a soaking wet sponge for mopping. Scrubbing a floor requires more water, but that is a different ball game.
- Mentally divide the floor into sections, about four feet square. Mop the floor using short strokes, working with the grain of the floor if you are damp mopping hardwood.
- Each time you complete a section return the mop to the bucket, swish it around, and wring thoroughly.
Click the picture for more tips! - Work your way toward the exit, fixing any smudges as you go.
- When you have finished rinse the mop well and wring as thoroughly as possible to speed drying.
- Put your supplies away and return the furniture to its proper place.
- Try not to flip out when someone spills something ten minutes after completion. I swear, it must be a law.
Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
Hi, I grew up working in a Dairy Queen and I worked and later owened a laundromat. Have to add a couple of “clean” tips. #1. When using a sponge mop, use the two bucket method or the sink. Rinse the mop out in clean water before putting it into the soapy water, you may be amazed at how much cleaner the floor is, looks and feels. #2. My ex-wife and current wife both swear that getting down on hands and knees is the best way to clean a floor. But I have noticed that they don’t get up to rinse or use soapy water as often as someone with a mop. Plus their hands are down there in whatever is being cleaned.
So I am back to what worked best at DQ, either a sink or two buckets, one mop. Dip into cleaner, mop area, dip into rinse water (preferably rinse in sink so it stays clean), wring it, dip into cleaner and so on and so on.