Mopping the floor regularly helps to remove dirt and germs, minimise odours, and makes sure that your home looks fresh and welcoming! Here is a helpful guide which lists all the cleaning materials you will need to disinfect and clean your bathroom and kitchen floors.
A great range of floor cleaners, such as those offered by Jif, are available to make floor cleaning a lot easier. When mopping, remember to wring the mop out regularly to avoid excess water damaging the floor or extending its drying time.
Supplies for Cleaning the Floor
Before you start mopping, you need to make sure that you have the right cleaning materials. You’ll need the following:
A vacuum cleaner or a broom and dustpan.
An all-purpose mop. Mops come in varying shapes, sizes, and materials and so it’s best to choose one that suits the type of floor cleaning you’ll be doing. A flat mop, which often comes with washable or disposable pads, is one of the easiest mops to manoeuvre – however these can be tricky to get into tight corners. Alternatively string or strip mops are great for getting into hard-to-reach corners and are better for scrubbing stuck-on materials, but they are a bit more tedious to clean. Sponge mops are best for fully flat surfaces.
Floor cleaner and disinfectant. There are many types of floor cleaners on the market made for specific floor materials – wood, tile, vinyl, or laminate. Be sure to use the correct detergent on your floors. For example, certain chemicals can damage natural materials like real wood and delicate tiles.
Once you have gathered all of your materials, you are ready to begin.
How to Mop Your Floors
Begin by preparing the area. Move any small tables, chairs, and household goods from the room you are going to mop.
Use your broom and dustpan or vacuum cleaner to remove any obvious dirt, dust, and grime. Throw the dust and dirt in the bin.
Fill your bucket with hot water and floor cleaning detergent. Be sure to follow the instructions on the bottle and use the recommended amount of the product, as using more liquid than necessary may leave your floor sticky. Also, make sure that you have the correct cleaning liquid for your floor type.
Note: For instance, wood floors should only be mopped if they have been sealed, and then only with very small amounts of water. Unsealed wood floors should be mopped with only a touch of water to prevent swelling. Tiles, vinyl, and laminated floors can take more water without damage.
Fully submerge your mop in the bucket, swirl it around a few times, and wring it out so that just a layer of water remains. There is no need to soak your floors – just a small amount of water will do.
Starting in a corner furthest from the door, move your mop across the floor in figure of eight motions (for a string mop) or straight lines (for a sponge mop).
Regularly rinse the mop in the bucket, wring it out, and continue mopping. Remember to change the water if it becomes too cloudy or dirty.
Move methodically outward while mopping until you have cleaned the entire room. Remember to work your way toward the door so as to not trap yourself in a corner!
Let the floor dry completely before you attempt to re-enter the room and keep all children and pets away from the wet surface.
When you have finished mopping, your floors should be clean and dirt-free!
Check the label on your cleaning product to ensure the product can be used on your type of flooring.
Use the recommended amount of cleaning detergent to avoid being left with sticky floors.
Mop your floors about once a week – more frequent cleaning may be necessary if you have pets.