How do I get my floors really clean? (2023)

Why are my floors still dirty after mopping?

Mopping with dirty water usually causes that buildup and dirty appearance, even though it was just mopped. Dirt is added to a mop bucket each time the mop is dunked into the water, if you don't change the water you are just transferring the dirt and grime around the floors through the dirty water.

Sweep or vacuum loose debris. Sprinkle baking soda on the floor. Mix one gallon of hot water, one cup of vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap. Mop the floor with the solution, using the scrub brush to remove stubborn dirt, or in high-traffic areas.

For your mopping solution, mild dish detergents are best – even just a few drops of dish soap and hot water will do for linoleum. Also, any combo of apple cider vinegar and water or even a baking soda scrub for tough stains is fine for linoleum. Something pH-neutral is ideal for stone.

Using excess water

A common mistake is thinking that wet is clean! On the contrary, when cleaning a floor, you should try to use the least amount of water possible! After dipping the mop in the bucket, wring it out until it's almost dry!

Many professional cleaners suggest vacuuming first before mopping. Especially if your interior floor is hard surfaces, vacuuming will make it easier for you to sweep and mop later. Some would instead follow the process of dusting, sweeping, and vacuuming first before cleaning.

Floors can look or feel dirty for a number of reasons. Dirty hard surface floors are usually caused by the environment, an overuse of chemicals, and a large volume of traffic. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to keep your floor looking and feeling cleaner for longer.

There are generally three types of mops: flat, round head, and triangular head. Housekeepers can use a flat mop for scrubbing the floor surface or even the walls, a round head mop for washing dishes or cleaning bathrooms, and a triangular head mop for mopping floors.

A steam cleaner does to stubborn dirt which a regular mop can never do without cleaning products. Since a steam mop uses water, it makes the grime and dirt loosen before the mop head absorbs it. Also, steam dries quicker than water, so you don't have to worry about mold regrowth after you clean.

Give floors a good wash or steam once every couple of weeks, says Tetro. You might want to wash your kitchen floors a little more often, due to food bacteria that can spread around.

It consists of five steps: 1) removing dry soil, 2) setting up for wet cleaning, 3) wet cleaning, 4) drying, and 5) take down and sign removal. Removing dry soil can be accomplished by sweeping, dust mopping, or vacuuming, depending on conditions and equipment available.

Do you mop floors with hot or cold water?

The best thing you can use to clean your floors is cold water and vinegar. Cleaning vinegar is safe for all floors (except marble or stone floors). It helps keep them clean, prevents them from getting sticky, and kills any bacteria harboring there.

In a two-bucket system and protocol, the mop wringer is placed over one of the buckets, dedicated as the "waste" bucket, and the mop is never put into that bucket. The second bucket is used to hold the cleaning solution or rinse water if a rinse protocol is followed.

Depending on the type of tile, these surfaces can be fragile. Mostly, you won't want to use a vacuum cleaner on them (unless yours has attachments that are specifically for tiles). Instead, sweeping and mopping are usually best for tiled flooring.

1. Clean The Bathroom First. The bathrooms are usually the hardest room to clean, and so they're a great place to start. Work from the top down, wiping down surfaces, scrubbing out the sink, then the toilet, bath and shower, and finish with the floor.

Dry Your Floors

One of the best mopping tips you will ever receive is to let your floors dry properly. This is because the way your floors dry will dictate how clean your floors appear. If they dry poorly, you will have streaks and other marks littering your newly mopped floors making them look dirtier than ever.

There's no need to rinse your vinegar-mopping solution from your floors. Keep in mind that your floors should be drying very quickly if you've wrung out your mop sufficiently.

The science behind why damp dusting is more efficient than a dry cloth comes from the fact that a damp cloth introduces capillary force to the dust particles. In short, the damp cloth draws the particles in and lifts dust from the area instead of moving them around.

Don't: Hardwood

The nature of wood itself is highly permeable. Intense heat and water can cause your hardwood to mold, pucker, and deteriorate. Steam cleaning isn't the only type of cleaning method to avoid when it comes to hardwood.

Why is my floor sticky after I steam mop?

Sticky floors happen when you have not passed the mop to remove too much cleaning solution or the wrong cleaning solution. It can also be due to dirty water used in rinsing your mop.

So, where does the dirt go when you steam clean? Actually, it doesn't go anywhere. Instead, the heat and vapour of steam cleaning ensure that all the unwanted substances or stains are fully broken down and easy to get rid of.

Most people should wash their sheets once per week. If you don't sleep on your mattress every day, you may be able to stretch this to once every two weeks or so. Some people should wash their sheets even more often than once a week.

You only need to clean your shower and tub once a week, but if you have a glass shower door, it needs a little more attention. To prevent the build up of soap scum and keep the glass looking spotless, use a squeegee to wipe away water after every shower.