Floor Care
How Do I Clean a Floor with a Mop?
Has this happened to you: after spending much time and energy cleaning your floor with a mop, you step back to survey your hard work only to see several streak lines in your floor!
It happens to everyone, but it doesn’t have to happen to you (anymore!). Here are the simple techniques that provide great results every time, whether you are cleaning hard wood, tile and grout, linoleum, or some other material (other than carpet).
The Solution in 6 Steps:
Step 1: Sweep / Vacuum Grit From the Floor
The first step to mopping a floor does not require a mop. In fact, you are not ready to mop until you have removed the dry grit, sand, and dirt that is hiding in plain sight on your floor. Whether you vacuum or sweep the floor, you are completing an important step to a streak free shine when you are done. Often, streaks are caused by the sediment that is still on the floor that did not get absorbed into the mop. So, make sure you remove all that dry dirt before you proceed. And remember, it is easier to clean-up dry dirt than mud.
Step 2: Choose Your Weapon (um, Mop … Choose Your Mop!)
There are three basic types of mops typically used by the homeowner: the sponge mop, the string mop and the microfiber mop.
Each mop has its own list of pros and cons. You can learn more with our article, “How to Choose a Mop.”
Step 3: Choosing Your Floor Cleaner
To have a streak free floor, choose a cleaning product that is appropriate for your floor AND mix it according to the manufacturers recommendations. Residue from too much cleaner in a bucket will leave steaks on a floor. If you are tackling a particularly dirty floor that requires extra cleaning power, make sure you mop the floor a final time with a rinse solution (more on this below).
What you clean your floor with will have an impact on how clean and streak free your floor is. Choosing the cleaner based on the type of floor you will be cleaning. Wood floors are the trickiest. Make sure you read the label of the floor cleaner to make sure it is approved for your floor type.
Generally speaking, if it is approved for wood floors, it can be used for all other floor types. The next type of floor to be concerned about is waxed floors. A floor cleaner that lists itself as “neutral” will not dull a waxed floor. “Neutral” refers to the pH composition of the floor cleaner. Avoid products with ammonia on waxed floors, as the ammonia will strip the wax from the floor.
Natural stone, such as marble and limestone, are best cleaned with a neutral cleaner because cleaning products with a low pH that are acidic will etch and dull the floor. HOT TIP: Even though we love using white vinegar as a cleaner, it has no place on marble, limestone, and other natural stones that can be etched (or dulled) by acids.
Ceramic tile floors are the most resilient. You can use almost any cleaner on a ceramic floor with no adverse effects.
Step 4: Wring out that mop!
An advantage to the sponge mop is the wringer is usually attached to the mop handle. Other mop styles will have some form of a squeeze or spin attachment as part of the pail. Make sure you use this.
The key to having a streak free floor with ZERO streaks is using just enough water and cleaning solution to get the job done. The streaks generally occur when the mop is so wet that it leaves puddles and excess water in its wake. As these pools dry, they will leave water marks, or steaks, in their place.
These water rings are easily avoidable by using a mop that’s rung out enough to clean the floor well and be able to dry in about 10 minutes. If a floor is still wet 20 minutes or longer after a regular cleaning, there is a good chance your mop was too wet!
There are times when you may use a mop that extra wet on purpose because you need extra cleaning power. That’s okay. Just be sure that once you have finished scrubbing the section that you go back with a well wrung out mop to dry up the area.
Step 5: Mop from Left-to-Right NOT Back-and-Forth; and work from the furthest point out of the room.
Unless you are using a sponge mop, you should swing the mop from left-to-right, as opposed to pushing the mop back-and-forth like a vacuum wand. Here’s why:
Despite your best efforts to prep the floor by pre sweeping and vacuuming, you will still find dirt and debris on the floor. It never ceases to amaze me at the pile of dirt that I can accumulate while mopping. If you primarily use a back-and-forth scrubbing motion, you will be leaving bits of dirt here and there. However, a consistent left-to-right swing, that you pull toward yourself, will collect any solid matter from the floor and continuously move it with you toward the exit of the room.
Start your mopping at the furthest end of the room and work your way out the door of the room. This allows the floor to dry with out being walked on with dirty feet (which will add to the streak factor).
Sweep or vacuum any pile you accumulate as necessary.
Tip: When using a sponge mop, after several back-and-forth strokes, finish the area you are cleaning with downward strokes, pulling dirt and debris toward you, as if you were sweeping.
Extra Tip: Survey the area to see if an extra pass with the mop is necessary to achieve the level of clean you are looking for.
Step 6: To Rinse or Not To Rinse
Whether or not you rinse the floor will depend on a couple of factors. For one, does the manufacturer of the cleaning solution recommend rinsing? Most products on the market do not require rinsing when mixed for maintenance cleaning. But, there are always exceptions. Made sure you read the label.
Excess soil or dirt is a common reason to necesitate rinsing, as well.
If rinsing is necessary, clean out the dirty solution from your pail. Replace with fresh water (without any cleaning solution) and mop the floor again.
Use the “good mopping” techniques from step 5. Leave just enough water on the floor that can dry in about 10 minutes and you will have a clean, streak free floor!
It happens to everyone, but it doesn’t have to happen to you (anymore!). Here are the simple techniques that provide great results every time, whether you are cleaning hard wood, tile and grout, linoleum, or some other material (other than carpet).
The Solution in 6 Steps:
Step 1: Sweep / Vacuum Grit From the Floor
The first step to mopping a floor does not require a mop. In fact, you are not ready to mop until you have removed the dry grit, sand, and dirt that is hiding in plain sight on your floor. Whether you vacuum or sweep the floor, you are completing an important step to a streak free shine when you are done. Often, streaks are caused by the sediment that is still on the floor that did not get absorbed into the mop. So, make sure you remove all that dry dirt before you proceed. And remember, it is easier to clean-up dry dirt than mud.
Step 2: Choose Your Weapon (um, Mop … Choose Your Mop!)
There are three basic types of mops typically used by the homeowner: the sponge mop, the string mop and the microfiber mop.
Each mop has its own list of pros and cons. You can learn more with our article, “How to Choose a Mop.”
Step 3: Choosing Your Floor Cleaner
To have a streak free floor, choose a cleaning product that is appropriate for your floor AND mix it according to the manufacturers recommendations. Residue from too much cleaner in a bucket will leave steaks on a floor. If you are tackling a particularly dirty floor that requires extra cleaning power, make sure you mop the floor a final time with a rinse solution (more on this below).
What you clean your floor with will have an impact on how clean and streak free your floor is. Choosing the cleaner based on the type of floor you will be cleaning. Wood floors are the trickiest. Make sure you read the label of the floor cleaner to make sure it is approved for your floor type.
Generally speaking, if it is approved for wood floors, it can be used for all other floor types. The next type of floor to be concerned about is waxed floors. A floor cleaner that lists itself as “neutral” will not dull a waxed floor. “Neutral” refers to the pH composition of the floor cleaner. Avoid products with ammonia on waxed floors, as the ammonia will strip the wax from the floor.
Natural stone, such as marble and limestone, are best cleaned with a neutral cleaner because cleaning products with a low pH that are acidic will etch and dull the floor. HOT TIP: Even though we love using white vinegar as a cleaner, it has no place on marble, limestone, and other natural stones that can be etched (or dulled) by acids.
Ceramic tile floors are the most resilient. You can use almost any cleaner on a ceramic floor with no adverse effects.
Step 4: Wring out that mop!
An advantage to the sponge mop is the wringer is usually attached to the mop handle. Other mop styles will have some form of a squeeze or spin attachment as part of the pail. Make sure you use this.
The key to having a streak free floor with ZERO streaks is using just enough water and cleaning solution to get the job done. The streaks generally occur when the mop is so wet that it leaves puddles and excess water in its wake. As these pools dry, they will leave water marks, or steaks, in their place.
These water rings are easily avoidable by using a mop that’s rung out enough to clean the floor well and be able to dry in about 10 minutes. If a floor is still wet 20 minutes or longer after a regular cleaning, there is a good chance your mop was too wet!
There are times when you may use a mop that extra wet on purpose because you need extra cleaning power. That’s okay. Just be sure that once you have finished scrubbing the section that you go back with a well wrung out mop to dry up the area.
Step 5: Mop from Left-to-Right NOT Back-and-Forth; and work from the furthest point out of the room.
Unless you are using a sponge mop, you should swing the mop from left-to-right, as opposed to pushing the mop back-and-forth like a vacuum wand. Here’s why:
Despite your best efforts to prep the floor by pre sweeping and vacuuming, you will still find dirt and debris on the floor. It never ceases to amaze me at the pile of dirt that I can accumulate while mopping. If you primarily use a back-and-forth scrubbing motion, you will be leaving bits of dirt here and there. However, a consistent left-to-right swing, that you pull toward yourself, will collect any solid matter from the floor and continuously move it with you toward the exit of the room.
Start your mopping at the furthest end of the room and work your way out the door of the room. This allows the floor to dry with out being walked on with dirty feet (which will add to the streak factor).
Sweep or vacuum any pile you accumulate as necessary.
Tip: When using a sponge mop, after several back-and-forth strokes, finish the area you are cleaning with downward strokes, pulling dirt and debris toward you, as if you were sweeping.
Extra Tip: Survey the area to see if an extra pass with the mop is necessary to achieve the level of clean you are looking for.
Step 6: To Rinse or Not To Rinse
Whether or not you rinse the floor will depend on a couple of factors. For one, does the manufacturer of the cleaning solution recommend rinsing? Most products on the market do not require rinsing when mixed for maintenance cleaning. But, there are always exceptions. Made sure you read the label.
Excess soil or dirt is a common reason to necesitate rinsing, as well.
If rinsing is necessary, clean out the dirty solution from your pail. Replace with fresh water (without any cleaning solution) and mop the floor again.
Use the “good mopping” techniques from step 5. Leave just enough water on the floor that can dry in about 10 minutes and you will have a clean, streak free floor!
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