The top four mistakes you're making when mopping the floor, according to a professional cleaner
By Rachael Gavin|
M?opping the floor is one of those chores that should be quite simple, and yet somehow our floors don't always look as clean and shiny as they should after we do it.
According to professional cleaner Kacie Stephens if our floors are still dirty after cleaning it could be because we're making some easy to fix mistakes.
The owner of The Big Clean Co posted her four top tips for mopping all floor types on Instagram?, which was a follow-up to a recent post explaining the reasons your floor is still dirty after mopping.
?Stephens' first tip is to use a pH neutral detergent in warm water. This should also help if your floor is covered in product build-up from previous mops.
READ MORE: Professional cleaner explains why she doesn't use disinfectant when cleaning
"Inefficient past cleans may have caused product to build up on the floor. You'll need to remove that and prevent it from happening again by mopping with hot water and a good pH neutral detergent?," she said in an Instagram caption.
Using warm water is particularly important when mopping, as it will help your detergent do its job properly.
"Warm water helps activate the detergent so your mop water will work to dissolve and suspend any dirt on your floor (aka lift it off like magic).?"
READ MORE: The top tents to take on your next camping trip
And while it can be tempting to slop a soggy mop over the floor thinking it will do a better job, the more wrung out a mop is, the better it will work.
Stephens explained a wet mop will leave water spots and not pick up as much dirt, and using the right cleaning products will help you pick up more grime without needing your mop head to be dripping wet.
"A good detergent is the key here because the surfactants in it are making your 'water wetter' (yes that's a thing), so you don't need a lot to get an effective clean,' she explained.
The professional cleaner's final tip is to rinse your mop often, and change the water you're rinsing in it frequently too.
READ MORE: Why autumn cleaning is the new spring cleaning.?
"You won't be doing any cleaning if your mop head is filthy and the water is brown. A clean mop head will help you continuously take the dirt off the floor, transferring it into the clean water," Stephens explained.
One way to make that easier is to use two buckets of water while mopping. Add detergent into your regular mop bucket and use that on the floor, and then rinse the mop in a bucket of warm or hot water before dipping it back in the soapy water.
There are also some mop buckets on the market now that have two sections to separate the dirty water from the clean water.
Or you can, as Stephens says, just? tip out and refill your mop bucket with clean soapy water frequently.
READ MORE: Expert tips for getting the most out of your vacuum cleaner?
One of The Big Clean Co's followers wanted to know more about how often the water should be changed, given how quickly the water in a mop buckets tends to go brown.
Stephens said sometimes she has to change the water a lot when cleaning client floors, and other times not so much.?
"It really depends on the floor, some floors won't even get passed a 'weak tea' colour of waterกญ some we have to mop in sections because they lift so much dirt," she responded.
READ MORE: Laundry expert's quick and easy hack for removing red wine stains from carpet?
The Melbourne mum also shared her top mop recommendations on Instagram.
"Can't go wrong with a string mop like what I'm using because the mop heads are large and easily come off to throw in the washing machine จC we use it for just about everything! A flat mop system (like Sabco Rinse 'N Wring) is also good especially for high gloss tiles," she said.
?For a daily dose of 9Honey, subscribe to our newsletter here.
