6 Mopping Mistakes That Are Ruining Your Floors
Mopping is a fairly simple task. Or is it? Not many find this chore enjoyable and it’s easy to see why. Who likes lugging around a big bucket of murky water around the house to wash the floors? However, it’s a chore that is best done on the regular. Mopping is an easy and effective way to get rid of all the gunk that builds up on your beautiful floors. Well, if it’s done right. There are some mopping mistakes that may be making your job harder and ruining your floors. Yikes! That’s why today we will share with you some of the common mishaps you may be making unknowingly, so you can avoid them next time you mop.
Mopping is an easy and effective way to get rid of all the gunk from your beautiful floors
In this article
Common Mopping Mistakes
Mopping isn’t the most fun home activity, but it does get the floors shiny and clean. Plus, all the scrubbing helps to burn a few extra calories. However, some of your regular cleaning techniques and methods may be doing you and your beautiful floors dirty. That’s why today we will share with you some common mistakes it’s best to avoid when mopping.
Some of your regular cleaning techniques may be doing your beautiful floors dirty
#Not cleaning beforehand
Before you bring out the mop, it’s crucial you vacuum beforehand or sweep. If you don’t all that debris, pet hair, dirty, and gunk will get on the mop, then in the bucket, then right back on the floor again. This kind of makes mopping pointless. You will not achieve clean floors if you don’t remove all that debris beforehand. Plus, mopping a dirty floor significantly increases the chances of scratching. So, always vacuum or sweep before you mop!
It’s crucial you vacuum beforehand or sweep
#Too much water
This is a very common mistake that causes a lot of harm to your floors. Too much water on moisture-sensitive floors such as laminates or hardwoods can get into the cracks and cause damage to the boards. Warping and discoloration are just some of the issues that can arise. If you spot any puddles forming on your floor, then you are using way too much water. You need your mop to be damp, not soaking. This is very important to remember. Too much water will also leave water spots and streaks.
Too much water on moisture-sensitive floors can cause damage
#Wrong direction
Yes, there is a right and wrong way to mop your floors. A poor technique will result in floors full of swirls and streaks. What we are gunning for is spotless floors. So, in order to achieve that you need to move backward as you mop. This way you are not stepping on the cleaned parts, and you aren’t backing yourself awkwardly into a corner. It’s best to start from a corner that is the farthest from the door and move towards the exit. Experts from Martha Stewart recommend running your mop along the edges of the wall, to begin with, and then swishing the mop back and forth into the figure 8. Do this in a 3-feet-by-3-feet sections around the room. Then rinse, wring, and repeat if needed.
You need to move backward as you mop
#Using a dirty mop
Old fashion mop heads are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria and germs. This is because they are hard to clean and stay moist for longer periods of time. So, every time to clean with them, you are essentially just putting more bacteria on your floors rather than cleaning it all up. But don’t worry. There is a solution. Simply look for a mop head that can be washed in the washing machine and the dryer. This will help kill off the germs and keep the mop in tip-top shape. You can also use disposable mop heads, however, they are not as environmentally friendly.
Old fashion mop heads are the perfect breeding ground for bacteria
#Overusing the steam mop
The steam mop is a blessing. However, this blessing can quickly turn into your biggest nightmare. Steam mops use the power of hot steam to lift stubborn stains and sanitize your floors. Sounds amazing. However, this handy tool has been known to damage laminate, hardwood, and vinyl flooring if used incorrectly. The steam reaches into the cracks of the boards which leads to discoloration and warping. This usually happens if you use your steam mop too often and at really high heat. So, avoid using it on the regular. While the damage may not be immediate, you may start to see it over time.
This handy tool has been known to damage floors
#Skipping a final rinse
If you feel like your floors are dirty even after you’ve washed them repeatedly, then you may be making this mistake. After you’ve given your floors a good wash with the cleaning product of your choice, you also need to do one final rinse. The product may be leaving sticky residue and leaving streaks. That’s why a good old final rinse with plain old water will ensure it is truly clean and looks spotless.
Give your floors a rinse with plain water
These are some common mopping mistakes you may be making unknowingly making. We hope you found this article useful. Now you can steer clear of these mishaps and avoid ruining your beautiful floors.
These are some common mopping mistakes you may be making unknowingly making
Related Articles
